My stepfather has a 99 3500 and today it would not start. He told me that it was hard to start this morning, it made a loud pop and blew alot of blue smoke than ran normal. Went to the farm and shut it off. Went to start back up after abouth 30 min and it would just turn over never would start. Did the soak a rag in gas and put it in the breather box to see if it would start and it did ran normal. Drove it about 10 miles and turned it off at my house. Once again tried to start and it wouldn't. You can hear the LP run after bumping the ignition and prime than shuts off. It still will not start with out some help like the gas trick. Any ideas?

 

The gas trick and ether starts are not recommended with grid heaters. Remember there are no glow plugs in a Cummins.

Without a fuel pressure guage you really have no idea if the LP is working. You may hear it running, but it may not be pumping. You need to get a 1/8 " pipe thread guage and attach it to the fuel filter housing to check it. If pressure are low (below 13 PSI at idle or it is fluctuating 5 PSI) replace it immediately.

When you get it running again get it to a auto parts store that will pull codes for you.

Does he plug it in?

When it is running can you see the volt guage cycle with the grid heaters going on & off?

 

Usage of gas and rag isn't recommended to use in Cummins, or anything really(glow plug or gridheater equipped, rag can get sucked in and destroy something in engine). Ether will eat up glow plug equipped engines, BUT can be used in Cummins, IF used in a SMALL BURST when engine is being turned over ONLY(and grid heater disabled), and not use too much of it, just enough to get it started. If it won't start right away, or keep running by itself DON'T use any more. Best bet is to find, and fix the problem without using ether, as it can destroy an engine if used improperly by inexperienced hands.

Remove fuel filter and check for plugged filter and/or water in fuel filter housing, look for external fuel leak, and repair/replace as needed. Do lift pump test to see if it is actually pumping any fuel out into a jar/pail, and do code check. Sounds like bad fuel, plugged filter, sucking air on fuel inlet side, and/or dead lift pump, and hopefully not the injection pump.

 

Poured some on the rag than had someone turn over the motor while i held on to the rag rubbing it on the inside of the breather box. Very little used just anough vapor for ignition.

 

Just pointing it out, didn't want you to damage anything.

 

Get a fuel pressure gauge on the system. The lift pump is on a timer and will shut off after a period of time, whether it works or not.

The other thing to check is to make sure the IAT is clean and working, the same for the MAP sensor. If either one is bad starting will be diffcult.

 

Lift pump will run to prime system, but it will allow you also to test amount pump will flow, when starter is lightly engaged it will turn pump on for 25 seconds or so(do search) , just hookup outlet into a pail and then measure amount. Forget exact amount spec calls during this time. You can do this to test, if you don't have pressure gauge installed, to see what flow lift pump is putting out. Did you find any problems yet, or codes?

 

Checked the Lp and it was ok. Replaced the Ip and it was the problem. So $1300.00 later and back up and running. Thanks to everyone for all the advise.