Hello guys. I FINALLY got me another Cummins. It has been 5 years since I sold my common rail and have been miserable since lol. I just recently bought a 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 ECSB 4x4 NV4500 with 200,000 miles on it. The guy I bought it from was having an issue with it hard starting after it sit all night, but once it is warm, it starts and runs great. I have done a few days worth of reading on here (it could be several things) but I am leaning towards the crossover tube o-rings being bad? The guy I bought it from dumped a lot of money in trying to fix this (New batteries, new starter with 24v terminals, new raptor 100gph lift pump, and new injectors). I don't think his "diesel mechanic friend" knew what he was looking for. But it sounds to me that it has a slow leak down in the system as it sits over night? I just got it, and haven't had time to tear into it just yet, but I knew there would be a few guys on here with some knowledge. It is great to be back on the Cummins forum!
That issues is usually the banjo bolt fitting on back of the head leaking. Tighten with end wrench while laying on valve cover. Could also be any other fitting in fuel system. The T fitting bleow it or any fittings that have ever been worked on. Also there is an o-ring on the fuel heater plug in top of the fuel filter housing if still there. Most except the o-ring will not show fuel coming out but air seeps back in. Check those before looking for cross over tubes. They are likely fine if never removed.
Ok so I took the truck on a 100 mile drive last night and it ran flawless, well almost flawless. In the last 10 miles of the drive I had a sort of squeal come from the front of the truck and it lost power for a split second, it did this twice?? Also as for my hard start, it does it whether it is a warm engine or cold. I pulled in my driveway after the 100 mile drive and tried to re-start it and it cranked for about 5 seconds then fired off. Any suggestions?
OK so that is different than you first said. Immediate hard starting right after shut down is not a fuel leak bleed off air issue.
Check fuel pressure when running at idle high throttle and starting. Pull codes with a scanner, key trick does not work on 99. I am leaning toward a VP going bad. Read Bluechip diesel diagnostics.
Thanks for your reply. I am also thinking it is a bad VP at this point. Could that squealing noise and quick loss of power going up hill be my bad VP acting up? It sat overnight and I went out this morning and I cranked on it and let the pump run 5 times and it still won't start. Driving home last night, the fuel pressure gauge stayed at 15psi cruising, might drop down to 13psi when I got on it. When I turn the key, and the raptor lift pump is running, my pressure gauge reads about 20psi. Thanks for your help bigfish95971.
20lb can be too much for a diaphragm in the VP that causes starting problems but I don't think it causes problems after running, but not sure. I am sure 13-17 running is fine. Mopar1973 man has some pics of VP pressure pistons that are metal to metal seizing marks that could make a squeal, maybe.
Any codes? Buy scan tool or have a parts store do it for free or loaner tool.
Read up at Bluechip.
As I was cranking on it today, I kind of thought 20-22psi while cranking was way too much pressure but wasn't sure. I'm almost certain that squeaking noise I had and sudden loss of power was the VP saying it's goodbyes to me lol. I paid $8,000 cash for the truck and its really clean, new tires and batteries so I think I will still come out alright if its the VP. I did check codes by cycling the key 3 times today. P0500 and P1639.
Do it with a scanner, Key not always accurate. You can buy them as low as 30-40 bucks, more for better ones. There is no 1639, you probably misread that one or an led is out. Not sure if it is related, but the speed sensor is about 40 bucks on the trani and check the wires on the one on the rear end.
Do you know if it has original VP? Their circuit board had problems with heat and start cycles.
Don't pay over $1050 for one. Many places buy them for 900 and sell them for 1500.
The guy I bought it from has owned it the last 12 years, and he said he has never put a VP on it, which makes me think that it's long over due haha. I meant P1693.
Get or borrow a scanner. and check again and remove code and see what comes back. and look into the speed sensor on rear diff. Possible it is related, not sure. They often get broken wires and plugs attaching such wires. Always look into any codes. While codes are not always related to the problem at hand, they are usually accurate to some issue. There can be fuel and VP problems without codes sometimes.
And as far as the not starting, sounds like your lift pump is still running while you are cranking trying to start. My truck did the same thing because previous owner hard wired a new lift pump in that runs all the time with key on. The factory setup cycles the lift pump then turns off while cranking to allow the pressure to drop for the VP to start then once running lift pump turns on again. Sounds like too much pressure while trying to start. Somewhere there is a writeup about installing a relay on an aftermarket lift pump to create the pause needed to start the truck.
I agree with you Baron85. As I am cranking, that Raptor lift pump is still running and my pressure gauge is showing 20-22psi as I am cranking, sounds like that could be a problem. The one thing I am worried about is that the previous owner just put this new lift pump on it trying to fix the hard start problem so it was already hard starting before he put this pump on. He might have had a junky lift pump on it before that knocked out the VP idk. As I stated above, when I was almost home with it, it made a screeching noise and lost power for a split second. Did this twice in the last 10 miles. It kind of makes sense that could be the rotor seizing in the injector pump?
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