Guys, my shop foreman has a '96 F350 PSD 5 speed with 220,000 miles on it. About two years ago, he was running down the road and she died. He said there was no warning, all gauges were good. He replaced the HPOP, CPS, and lift pump, with no results. He unplugged the glowplugs and ran it on ether.
He may sound like a parts replacer, but the PSD is something none of us in the shop have experience with. He has been a Cummins/Cat/Detroit mechanic for 20 years. We don't have any diagnostic tools at the shop for this pickup (we're a heavy truck repair shop), so we have not been able to scan it for codes. He really does not want to throw an ECM at it yet. Any ideas? This dang pickup has a whole shop full of Cummins/Cat mechanics stumped, including me. Any pointers would be appreciated.

 

Check all the fuses, especially #22 under the hood. A shorted fuel bowl heater can blow the fuse and take out power top the PCM.

Does the tach work while cranking? No tach=bad cps. What CPS did you put in it? Where did you get it? There are a few aftermarket ones that just don't work.

Check connectors at the valve covers, 2 on each side. Look for burnt or corroded pins.

 

Tell him he should not use ether. We can most assuredly help him fix the problem so it is starting properly. If it starts with ether and then runs fine after that then the problem he had originally is gone, maybe. Here's what I'm thinking. Maybe it was a CPS and then he replaced it after the truck was sitting for a while because he couldn't figure it out right away. The oil had leaked down out of the HPOP and although the CPS solved the no-fire situation he needed to get the HPOP filled back up to get it to start. Once the ether fired it up long enough to get the oil pumped back up into the HPOP reservoir then it would fire the injectors and she would run after that once it was started. NOW, it will run once it is started with ether. Because he has disabled the glowplug system it is a hard start situation. He thinks he needs the ether because it will have a hard time starting without the help of the glowplugs. Ask him if it starts up fine when the engine has already been started up that day and the engine is warm. Tell him to hook the glowplug system back up and troubleshoot it and then he should be fine from here on out. It's just a guess but the ether will not make an electronically controlled diesel engine start and keep running if it still has an electronic malfunction. It will however help a non-starting electronically controlled diesel engine start and run that has no electronic problems just a COLD steel engine condition.

 

If the truck is just dead and sitting have him check or change the IPR and make sure the HPOP is full.


When I originally answered the question I thought he had the truck running and was using it with ether to start it all the time but while re-reading your original post I noticed the title and then I thought that maybe the truck is just sitting and not being used.

 

He reshecked all of his fuses and all fusible links, but everything was okay. We are still pulling our hair out over this thing. We don't have much time to do anything with it as a group now, because our shif is getting split up (going 24/7), and our foreman, the owner of the truck, is going to weekend shift, and the rest of us are going to third shift. We really want to get this thing going.
Is it possible it could be the throttle positions sensor? I know in our heavy trucks when they go out, they default to idle. Any ideas?

 

Is the truck running at all? Does it even idle? If it is a total no-start I would do the following after plugging in the block heater for a couple hours. 1. Hook the glowplug system back up. 2. Make sure the HPOP reservoir is full of oil(rectangular aluminum box on top of the front of the engine). Pull the plug or the oil pressure sender and look inside with a flashlight and make sure the oil is within 1/2 inch of the top. Close it up and try to start it(fully charged batteries). 3. Jump the two big posts on the glowplug relay with a screwdriver for 45-60 seconds and try to start it again. 4. Unplug the ICP and try to start it. 5. Pull out the IPR and replace the o-rings or replace the whole IPR. 6. If she doesn't start by now then tell him to carefully and thoroughly inspect all 4 plugs to the valve covers. Look inside them with a flashlight and make sure all 5 pins are straight and clean. Oil is okay on them. What you are looking for is melted plastic around the bases of the pins.The plastic inside the plugs should all be smooth with sharp corners and edges. While he's there he can also easily ohm out the pins to test the connections and wiring and functioning ability of the injectors and the glowplugs. 7. You said he replaced the CPS already but if it isn't running by now I would suspect the CPS he put in.

Try all those things slowly, methodically, one at a time and I'll bet you she starts. I'll bet it ends up being the IPR.

 

pull the IDM out on the drivers side inner fender butted close to the fire wall, give it a shake and check to see if thier is water in it, the odd person on here has had problems with these things. After you do f350_haulers checks of corse.

For it to run and die, to me it sounds like either 22 fuse, IDM, CPS not in any specific order

 

We checked all of those things. Remember, we are Diesel mechancs, so we did go by process of elimination, and things were done correctly, then rechecked. Our shift is now split, so I won't be seeing this thing much. I do appreciate everything you guys have posted here. Thanks for your help.

 

Also, I forgot to higlight this: it died, and will not restart. It wouldn't even try to fire on its own, only with ether. We have gotten to the point where we believe it is purely an electrical problem, because all of the mechanicals have been checked/replaced.