I'm new to this. I have 2 Ram 2500 Diesels. One is a 99, the other is a 97. Recently had the same problem with both. Often when trying to start, I have to crank and crank until fuel gets to the injectors. Has nothing to do with how long it sits. It can start right up after sitting for days or it can crank for minutes after sitting for a few minutes. They both had new filters. On the 99, I finally replaced the fuel pump and Uptake (?) pipe coming out of the fuel tank and it took care of it. Did the same thing on the 97 with no luck. It seems that often (but not always) the fuel seems to be draining back out of the line back into the tank. If it were a leak allowing air into the line allowing the back flow, you would expect a fuel leak under pressure but there is none. Me and my regular mechanic (not a diesel specialist) are stumped. Before I go pay an arm and a leg to the diesel mechanic, I'd sure like to figure it out rather than pay to have someone to experiment. Any ideas would be helpful.

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If I have been so lucky as to have someone more knowledgeable than myself read my previous post, Today took an hour to get my 97 started. at one point, it appeared as though I had vapor or ? (not smoke) coming out of the tailpipe. IS IT POSSIBLE TO FLOOD A 97 DODGE CUMMINGS? Is that what I did? This is the first time I saw out of the pipe.

 

sounds like bad injector (s) to me. or lift pump could be losing prime. could be fuel leak also. to get it started do you have to manuely prime the lift pump?

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when it starts does it smoke? could be slipped timing also.

 

i think i would pump the the lift pump a good 20 times or so and see if it fires right up. check your lines from the tank to the pump so see for leaks. pretty much everything monster 12valve said. start with the simple stuff first!!!1

 

Sounds like the check valve on the return line is stuck open or is bad. This will cause the fuel to return to the tank and introduce air into the fuel lines causing hard, long starts.

 

i had the top of the sending unit rot and put a hole in one of my lines at the tank and it gave me the same issue. since the fuel is pulled out instead of pushed out it wasnt leaking enough to notice till i took the bed off to prep the frame for paint

 

 

I have same problem on my 97 so i would like to know what you find. It crankes for long time before it starts, but once it starts it is fine i think fuel prob to just have not had time to figure out. my 94 starts instantley so i know it is not the nature of truck.

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question would slipped timing make hard start?

 

still working on it!