Looking for suggestions, I am getting very frustrated.

Have 115,000 (until now) trouble-free miles.

Truck is hard to start, long crank times, sometimes have to start it on ether or roll-start it.

Dealer does the TSB - no effect.

Dealer says could be lift pump problem, sounds logical, new tank mounted lift pump installed. Problem solved for about a week then back to ether or roll-starting.

Dealer says high-pressure fuel pump needs replaced. After new fuel pump install problem is solved for about a week then back to ether or roll-starting.

Dealer says fuel control valve needs replaced. After new fuel control valve install problem is solved for about a week. I am back to ether or roll starting.

One bizarre thing is that for this entire ordeal the truck will start every time first thing in the morning. It usually cranks for a long time, but it will start. After that it is either ether or roll starting for the rest of the day. After every attempt to repair by the dealer, with the exception of the TSB, the truck seems to be fixed but quickly deteriorates. It is not a fuel quality problem, the fuel has be analyzed and the fuel filter has been changed twice in 1,000 miles.

Any ideas? TIA

 

Dealer is grasping at straws. When he changed high pressure pump, he changed the fuel pressure control valve with it (its part of the assembly).

Hope your grid heater never fires when your spraying that ether.

The fact that you can roll start it is weird.

Have you tried tightening the HPC nuts that screw into the cylinder head? They are the bigger diameter ones not the small ones attached to the high pressure fuel lines from the rail to the head. I've seen them not start from just one not being tight.

I'd also have them do an injector return flow test. An injector could be stuck, but not likely.

It would be nice to know if you have full commanded rail pressure when you are cranking but not starting.

It would also be good to know if you have the grey key or the black key.

Are/were there any fault codes?

 

Thank you very much for the response.

I asked about codes on the dealer trip when they replaced the fuel regulator valve. They said that there were codes, but nothing related to the problem. Next time I will ask what they were.

I just checked the truck and the only code was P0477.

Grey key.

I always wait for the grids to cycle before shooting in the ether.

The roll-start procedure takes a little finesse. Get the truck rolling and while you are cranking the engine, pop the clutch in 2nd gear. Just as the gears engage let go of the key. It works every time. I am probably beating my starter motor to death, but it beats being stranded.

I use two dealers, one in Las Vegas and one in Logan, Utah. Vegas replaced the high pressure fuel pump and Logan did the lift pump and the fuel control valve. The Logan dealer is very accomodating, they did not charge me for the part on the fuel control valve. He said I could pay for it if it worked. He knew they were grasping at straws.

Thanks again.

 

Bump to top.

 

Don't get your engine hooked on ether as has been my experience with oilfield diesels once they are hooked they won't start without ether. This includes Cummins V-8's used in our offshore units. Can't explain why but that has been the case. Good luck.

L8r,...........dogger

 

If you figure this out, let me know. I have been helping out on a 05 doing the same thing. First start is good, but it wont start after that?


The whole ether thing is whats refered to as a diesel being "ether spoiled". Basically what happens is every connecting rod in the engine gets just a slight bend to it from the indreased pressures created from the ether. This in turn causes lower compression and the need to have ether sprayed every time to get the engine to crank!

 

im hooked on ether, i cant stop!!!

 

Nevada, what TSB are you referring to? I've never had a TSB performed on my truck (that I remember anyways....), but I did do the CO2 Safety Recall.

Hmm, it key starts when cold, but not when warmed up or hot? Would there be a sensor that would deprive fuel when starting a warm engine.

Thinking aloud here, does the dealer disconnect the batteries (and thereby clearing the ECM) when doing whatever they did? If so, I wouldn't think that it would take a week for the ECM to get corrupted.

BTW, P0477 is Exhaust Pressure Control Relay Low. You don't know what the other codes were before the dealer cleared them? The ECM is a dumb computer and doesn't make things up - it only records the data for humans to interpret. Rather than Easter Egging it for parts, maybe those codes can help pinpoint where the problem starts.

Wish I could be of more help.