This my first Dodge and i chose a 3rd Gen truck. It seems to have a problem with getting air in the fuel line at temperatures below 50 degrees and runs fine above 50. If the temp. is below 50 when you first turn on the truck the pump seems to run forever before cranking the truck. When you crank it with in a few seconds it starts spitting and sputtering and will some times cut off. It will always crank back and after you go down the road a mile or two it will stop and not do it anymore until you cut it off and then it will do the same thing all over again.

Any ideas?

 

Need more information. What year truck, 2500,3500, auto, manual etc. Fill out your signature, too this will help.


Issue sound like a clogged fuel filter or the Lift pump is bad.

 

It is a 2003 2500 5.9L auto. I have changed the fuel filter and also if you can keep it above an idle it will not do it. It has a code in it of p0602. I have read that that is because of my programmer. After you drive it the length of a football filed it will not do it again until you cut it off.

 

Crack open the fuel filter drain line and then turn the key to on to see if you are getting fuel. This sounds like a LP issue. Don't be confused with the running sound of the vaccum pump with the LP. A fuel pressure gauge would make things much easier.

 

Has anyone had this happen to them. It was 23 degrees and i had a very hard time keeping running long enough to back out of the driveway. Not sure if it is air in the lines or just pulses in the fuel supply. I have had several people look at the truck and no one has come up with a fix. The truck runs great after you get past that first football field. Just don't cut it off or you will be fighting it all over again.

2003 2500 automatic,4" MBRP exhaust, Diablo Sport Programmer

 

Yes drained the fuel filter line and the turned on the switch. After I heard the fuel pump cut off. I check the filter bowl again and it was full again. I cranked the truck and it still was pulsing. It seems to only do it at an idle though. It seems to clear up after you run it at 1500 rpms for a bit(to mimic riding down the road).

2003 2500 automatic,4" MBRP exhaust, Diablo Sport Programmer

 

You may have an injector on the way out. Have a return flow test done on each of them.

 

Haven't had the return flow test done yet but did notice that the filter bowl is emptying itself some how. When the temp is below 50 degrees the fuel is leaving the bowl. It's not leaking anywhere, my guess is that it is running back into the tank when i cut it off. That is why the pump runs so long at start up. My guess is that the rail is running out of fuel before the pump catches up. What holds the pressure in the line?


2003 2500 automatic,4" MBRP exhaust, Diablo Sport Programmer

 

You may try to bump the starter but not start the engine and let the pump run for the 25 seconds. This will purge the system of air. You may need to do the bump twice. Then start it.

It is possible that you have a very small leak in the low pressure side that will allow air in and the fuel will drain back to the tank but the leak is so small that fuel cannot get out or small enough that the fuel evaporates as fast as it comes out. You might replace the o-ring on the filter.