Hi All,
Hoping you can help. Truck is 03, 3500 with Cummins 5.9 HO. Last week after a brief tow of trailer truck was shut off. A few hrs later went to start it and it was a no go. Went thru cycle but won't start.
Towed to dealer who have been on it for a week today. Computers tell them nothing. Fuel is clean. Changed the pump but that wasn't the cause.
They indicate they have been in touch with the engineers ( I assume at Cummins). The tech is away today on a course.
There have been no mods just stock engine..
Would it be common for them to take this long to figure out. Cummins has a high rep and techs glaore.
Am I being conned here. No issues with truck and only had the previous recall re the ECM.
Any ideas here.
Ian

 

Well, I'll take a stab at it and say you aren't getting fuel for some reason or another. Diesels don't use spark, they fire on compression alone. Thus, if the truck will turn over, it should be creating the compression to ignite the diesel IF said diesel is making it's way to the cylinders. Unless of course you have a hole blown in your pistons or the rings are compeltely gone, letting the fuel wash into the crank case... Highly doubt that's your problem, though!! I would say they need to further investigate the fuel path from the tank all the way to the injectors? Just my $0.02...

 

Yeah diesels are pretty basic..LOL..Injectors were next on his list. Seems a week is a long time discounting Sat Sun and Monday was a holiday. The truck ran normally until shut off. The fuel gauges had gone to flat empty when I first tried to restart it. A friend was following the fuel line to see where it went to and brushed some wires and both the fuel gauge and the DTE overhead jumped back on. Showed full but still no start
I guess no one else has had a similar problem.
Didn't think it would take 5 days to find out and still no answers.

 

Did you tell the dealer or show him the wires that were brushed that turned things back on? It may be a wire issue.

 

Well I called this morning. They have checked fuel,lines,pumps and injectors all is ok. Not mechanical.Tech said that Cummins can't help them because the issue is with Chrysler parts on the common rail system. It's all electronic I think he said its a Bosch system. Anyway they are keeping it for the week end.What a scr*w over. I know so little about it.

 

You know what it is bubba? Bill Gates is finally under the hoods of our vehicles or should I say lead the way on computer software. The 03 ho cummins engine drive by wire ecm (electronic control module) is ultimitally controlled and conflicts with the PCM ( power control module ) Chyrsler module. The diesel engine is just too simple to mess up on its own. How the heck do you think they are boosting the hp/tq out of the same block size? My understanding is pressure,timing and computer controlled injectors. Yes consumer just like your home computer your truck can also crash......

 

Hi,
Well my next thought was maybe maybe the key sensor was not matching and had shut the computer down. Any idea in that regard. Dealer closed today. Per the tech noting showed up on the scan as any errors. I know there's a ton of chips and stuff. I just can't believe I'm the only one who has ever had this issue. I did have the earlier ECM recall and noted my mileage dropped a bit after it was done.
Ian

 

Hi,
Got the truck back today after 11 days in the shop.
Turns out it was a Cummins issue after all. I'm told a one in a million and as they haven't put a million Cummins 5.9 into vehicles I am it.
Turns out it was a module for the injector timing. Its already been shipped to Cummins. Never showed up on the scan for trouble codes.
So if your engine runs smoothly and then wont start and your dealer can't find anything in the codes you can start looking there.
I'm glad to have my truck back.
Ian

 

Well you are wrong about the not having installed 1MILLION Cummins in Dodges. They did that last year and gave it away to some lucky person.