It started acting up Saturday. When I went out to start it, it tried to fire, then shut down. It was upper teens for temp. Finally got it started by jumping the GPR when my wife got home. Jumped the GPR with a jumper cable and she fired right away!!

Swapped out the GPR Saturday night. Drove several places Sunday and yesterday with absolutely no troubles.

Went to start it this morning (8* F), and not even a burp out of it. Just crank and crank until the battery went dead.

Local shop picked it up and ran a scan tool against it. They said no signal from CPS (strange since I just put one in a few months ago from International). Bought new CPS brought it to shop and put it in (aftermarket from Diesel shop connected to a Freightliner shop). Scan tool said there was a signal from the CPS again. Same problem though ... crank crank crank until battery dead. Didn't check tach. No smoke from exhaust either.

Very weird. Thought for sure it would be glow plugs or CPS when shop said it wasn't sending signal.

 

Check fuse #22 under the hood, I bet its blown. If it is, unplug and tape up the fuel bowl heater wire real good, replace the fuse and I bet it starts.

 

Thanks! I'll have the shop check that tomorrow. What else is tied to this fuse?

I live in MN, so I will be needing the Fuel Bowl Heater. Unplugging it won't be much good to me when it sits outside at work.

 

In theory you should not need the fuel bowl heater if your diesel fuel is treated with the proper anti-gel. The heater is shorted out most likely.

 

Granted I live in Texas, and it's going to be 80 degrees here again tomorrow so I've never really researched this, but how much good do you really think the fuel bowl heater does?

Answer this. How many gallons of fuel does your truck hold between fuel tanks, lines, rails in the heads? We know that the fuel pump sends fuel through the filter bowl and part goes into the engine and the rest dumps back into the tank, right?

Now, how many ounces of fuel sit in the fuel bowl overnight when it's ridiculous Minnesota cold outside? If you're not heating the gallons and gallons of fuel in the rest of the truck, will it really make any difference to have 6 or 12 ounces of fuel get warm for just a couple of seconds before it's sent out through the FPR and back to the tank?

We've read of guys all over the North leaving their heater unplugged. Some have even deleted the fuel bowl all together (which means no heater) and they don't have any issues. If your fuel is going to gel due to the temps, all of it is going to gel and having a few ounces that gets thawed out won't do you any good if all the stuff in the tank is worthless.

 

the fuel bowl heater has just a tiny drop of solder that keeps the ring in place, when it breaks off it shorts the fuse and pops it, you really dont need it if you treat your truck right. if you wantt to fix it more power toyou! just solder it back together, the fuel bowl kick stand is reverse thread if you try and remove it!

 

Thanks everyone!! I'll talk to the shop tomorrow about the fuel bowl idea. Is the fuel bowl heater on only to begin with (similar to glow plugs), or is it on all the time?

It's so frustrating for me to sit here and not be able to do anything with it. I'm not a person to sit idle. Oh well ... I smashed my right hand (yes, I'm right handed) last night ... of course on the truck! Didn't break anything, but it is immobilized for a bit. I guess this just forces me to sit and baby my hand.

 

Pulled the fuse this morning. Didn't check it with a meter, but it looked perfectly intact!

@#$Q#@$!%!@#$% Now he's dealing with someone else's emergency so I won't have my truck for Thanksgiving!!

 

Truck is STILL in the shop. Mechanic replaced the IDM, made no difference.

It keeps reporting intermittent problems with the CPS. I replaced it a few months ago with an international part. When this started, it reported issues with the CPS, so I bought one from a Diesel parts shop (connected to a Freightliner service center).

What else could be causing this? Mechanic is thinking a problem with the wiring harness.

I used c00nhunterjoe's 10K mod with the resistors crimped in. If one of the crimps failed, would it cause this?

 

All connectors should be soldered, not just crimped if that's what you did. I'd for sure remove it and put it back stock and try it. Also check the wiring harness from the cps, could be chafed.

 

If it is only setting a CPS code, it is from extended cranking . If the scanner is not reporting RPM , there could be a CPS or wiring issue . If the batteries run down easily , that may be the problem . IDM needs to see at least (IIRC) 10.5 volts to fire injectors .. Have the garage scan ICP Pressure & IPR DC % and tell us what it is . IS the WTS light coming on?...Is the CEL on for more than a flash ?

 

Stopped at the shop today... not good news.

Oil Pump (not HPOP) is not pushing oil up into the HPOP. HPOP reservoir is bone dry. No pressure anywhere.

This is going to hurt.

 

Did they fill it and try to start it?

 

Though it is not real common, the empty res can be from extended cranking also .. I m not sure the shop is the best place to have your truck . Did they verify that the C Case is full ? ..Is the oil due for a change (what weight oil is it) ?

Low pressure oil pump problems are not intermittent...

 

CC is full. I verified that before I took it there.

Oil is due for a change, but it leaks enough that over half of the oil is fresh since oil change.

5W-40 full synth Rotella T6

I don't know if the shop tried to fill it and start or not. I will ask. It's gonna take a couple weeks for him to get to it (small town ... one guy).

I've had a few times where it has started in the cold, then died after 30 seconds or a minute. The HPOP is really noisy when it's cold out. Below about 30, it whines pretty good. HPOP was just replaced about a year and a half ago. Unfortunately, that shop owner is having legal issues, so I can't take it back there (not sure I want to).

I'm getting very close to having it towed to a Diesel shop in a nearby town. AAA will cover it if I have to tow it.

With the expense of replacing the LPOP, I want to make ABSOLUTELY SURE that's the problem before he tears into it. I'm driving my father's '97 Dodge RAM gasser right now, so the sooner I get my PSD back, the happier I will be (I drive about 18 miles one way to work, sometimes multiple trips per day).