Help,

1996 2500 TD Auto PU. I have owned it for 2 months and just put in 75% biodiesel for the first time. After 1/2 of the tank was used it wouldn't start after a short run to Sears. I put in a new fuel filter in the parking lot(which made it rain!). I had no fuel to prefill the filter. After pumping the manual prime about 10 times I noticed a hiss from somewhere on top of the injector pump. Turned over fast but no sign of life. Does 1996 have biodiesel compatible fuel lines? This fuel issue may be a red herring. All I am sure of is that it won't start.

Thanks,
Mike Hechinger in PA

 

A couple things come to mind , was the bio from a gas station or did some you know make it , the reason I ask is it could be bad fuel , but 1st I'ld lean torwards just some regular stuff , turn the key to on pos. then go under hood and lift the linkage to the fuel solinoid [ thats if it didn't get lifted by the relay ] it should stay in the up pos. [ you might want to have someone turn the key so you can see if it lifts by itself and also find it if you're not sure of where it is ]
once you know its in the up pos. turn key to start and see if it starts ,
next is some times it takes some effert to get started after opening the fuel system , finding the plunger on the lift pump and pumping by hand , craking open a few injectors to help blead the air out ,
the fuel hoses should be ok after about 94 went from rubber to something compatible with bio , but if not it should take a lot of time and bio before that would be a problum , also the filter will get dirty sooner until the bio cleans out the system.

 

The BD probably loosened crud in your tank and plugged the filter.
Totally normal in an older truck with a high concentration of BD.

You need to open the bleed screw on top of the filter outlet banjo. Just a couple turns will do before you start pumping the primer. Crank with the peddle floored, it should start and run poorly for a few seconds but clear up. If that doesn't work crack open up at least three injector lines at the injector and crank till fuel appears. Close them down and try again.

 

Biodiesel is a great solvent. It probably dissolved a bunch of crud from your fuel lines/tank and transported it to the fuel filter, plugging it.

Install a new filter, see if you can get home, then flush the lines with bio. Keep an eye on the filters for a few hundred/thousand miles, this may happen again shortly.

Good luck.

 

yeah i think u have alot of air in the system now because u were playign with it so its gonna be a little tougher to start...do infidels method of loosening the banjo bolt in the center of the filter...prime it until u see fuel flowing out...tighten it right away and crank away...it should catch and smoothen out after 10 sec

 

I agree with the previous posts, but a word to the wise. The OEM fuel filter on a Dodge is much too small when running biodiesel for the first time. It is a very good idea to install a full sized commercial fuel filter in the suction line ahead of the lift pump. Use a 10 micron version, and they are available quite inexpensively from NAPA or any heavy duty truck dealer or shop. You will know which one to buy when you see it, they are the size of a large oil filter. Also run the OEM filter, but you will now only have to change it every couple or three years.

Also, unscrew the bottom of the fuel heater and pull that screen and clean it. If it is rusted, replace it with a filter and seal kit from Cummins - that will only cost you around $12-15. While you are at the heater, unplug the heater electrical connection and fill it with dielectric grease and plug it back in. Those connections will sometimes develop an air leak, and the dielectric grease is generally enough to stop that leak.

Another thing to consider is the pick-up tube in the fuel tank. Dodge is well known for that tube cracking or perforating about a third of the way down from the top of the tank. Some will self-seal from the varnish and contaminants in regular diesel, but once you start running biodiesel it will clean the pick-up hose and allow it to leak.

All your fuel hoses, there is one in the tank, two on top of the tank, and two from the frame tubes to the lift pump and injection pump overflow valve, should be changed every couple of years. They develop microscopic air holes and will let your system pull air instead of fuel. If you have a marine supply house near, use the USCG approved marine hose and it will last several years.

If the above does not solve the problem, check your overflow valve on the inside of the fuel injection pump. On your model it should be a two headed nut looking thing on a banjo fitting - the only one on the inside of the pump. Clean the area around the valve throughly, as you do not want any dirt or dust dropping in as you work on this. Then pull the inside, small nut, and lift out the spring and inspect it for any evidence of breakage. If it is broken, pull out the broken piece with a magnet, and then stretch the longest chunk to hold the overflow follower and ball shut until you can get a replacement from Cummins.

Good luck.

 

Hi,

I was so depressed last night after having my truck towed to the closest dealer. By this morning I had lots of leads thanks to this site. I went to the dealer's lot with portable generator, charger, and tools. It turns out that the driver's side battery, which was very corroded, had 4 or 5 extra wires hooked onto the extra long clamp bolt along with 4 extra washers. One of the crimped terminals had corroded through inside the plastic. Careful cleaning while the batteries charged and the block heater heated the block fixed the problem. Now I need to check all of the wires; it seems like bogus repair work. I need wiring information.

Thanks

 

I think its always best to have the factory manual , and they are available from Geno's Garage , a sponser of a nouther good site , and from some others that I do not remeber the link to .

http://www.genosgarage.com/
Geno's Garage: Your Number One Resource For Dodge, Dodge Diesel, Cummins, Ford, Ford Powerstroke, GMC, Chevy, GMC/Chevy Duramax Gauges, Filters, and Accessories