Hard start and now won't start when cold
 

HI, I'm new so I'll apologize in advance for my ignorance :) I have a 2004 Dodge 2500, new to me about 3 months ago. Always seemed to have a "hard start", ie would crank quite a bit before firing up, but always fired. First cold snap here in Colorado, about 34 degrees in a.m. it wouldnt start. Thought it was a battery, jumped it started right up. Started fine about 12 times yesterday. Today, no start in a.m. (about 28 degrees). Couldnt get jump to work, plugged in, got a ride to work, came back about 1 hr or so, fired right up.

Suggestions? Got batteries tested yesterday, guy said 975 on one and over 1100 on other... Guys at work said it's common and you just need to plug it in. That seems ridiculous since it's only 30 degrees and I will often be at work for 10+ hrs with no plug.... gonna be a long winter... LOL.

Any advise on preventative maintenance, etc is greatly appreciated!!

I have a 2003 Dodge 2500 with the same problem, OK in the summer months and won't start as weather gets colder. I drove for 3 hours in sleet, stopped for 15 mins and truck wouldn't start up. Any ideas?

check your intake heater to make sure it is working. The heater is usually good but the relay may have failed and no power getting to heater. You need to check with key on and while wait to start light is on, a assistant may be helpful for this. All you need is a test light and about 5 minutes to check out.

Thank you for your suggestion, srsennett! I'm hoping you are right.... that would be a nice easy fix. I'll let you know what happens..........

In 15 minutes or even an hour your engine will have enough heat in it to run easier than a cold start. I would check your fuel pressure at the CP3 Supply should be around 15psi and the rail on start should be around 10k. Gauges are a great idea! It is a fuel issue just have to figure it out! Try to unplug your FCA on the CP3 if it knocks and sounds like crap GOOD now plug it back in How long did it take to recover? 30 seconds or less good more than that check your pressure relief valve. If that's the issue call Todd at T&C Diesel for more info and a new better PRV!

Thank you, Dangerous 1965. Some real food for thought, there. Will check into it. Really great to have this online support!

i am having no start problems it`ll start with either. i tried the unplugging the FCA for a few moments it would recover in about 15 sec. then it would died i tried it a few times with the same results it just going dead.??? any idea :humm:
my trouble came from running fuel from a transfer tank that was full of rust and water a goop. i have removed the tank and cleaned it my fuel pressure does drop with load my truck is a 03 with the 250 hp motor lol i know i`m and idiot i had the truck for over 6 years then i jack up the fuel system with that .

I was in Colorado on an elk hunt back in November of 2011 and I had a no start issue up in camp. Had to hook up to my generator and plug her in to get it to fire. For the entire winter if it was 40 or below I had to plug in. Then it got to the point I was plugging in at 60 degrees. Then it turned to a NO START unless I shoot it with ether. No smoke, no hesitation, idles perfect, pulls like a team of mules, fuel economy is great, just won't start!
I'M LOOKING FOR INJECTORS AS I WRITE THIS! I'm in total denial that it's an injector problem "but" I have guy's on another site telling me not to even run her or I "will" blow the motor! Now I'm spooked into spending the jick on injectors at least for peace of mind! Been having this issue for a year now and the motor runs like a swiss watch, just won't start????? Anyone out there feel the same about her popping a piston due to a bad injector or two?

i wont be driving mine having to start it on either mostly i feel that the next time it wont fire then there will be stuck. if your about to get injectors for yours please keep me posted. mine will be down till next year unless i take a freaking loan out on the old girl and get injectors and a cp3 at the same time. which looks like whats gonna happen

I don't go anywhere without the ether! I only give it a 2 second shot after leaving the key on for about 30 seconds to make sure the heat grid isn't on! Kaboom, but would that be so bad? Hmmmm.........luv my truck!
I see on the home page where you can put in a request for a parts quote from vender members. Did that, now I wait!
I did find a guy in Iowa that will do the entire injector job for $2050.00 parts and labor with a one year warranty. :humm:

If u keep using either then u will burn a piston. Wd40 works best, takes a whole can sometimes but saves ur engine

i keep ether in that truck to haha i`m one of the unlucky`s that has to do their own work or do without. i `ve already started tracking the problem today i ruled out fuel tank, transfer pump/ filter housing/ i`m at the pressure relief valve on the common rail now, i was told that the relief valve would have fuel on the relief side if it was bad ... well it has fuel there but it`s from the line it`s self crazy.. but i can crank it over no new fuel come out of the relief it`sself.

my troubles started from using fuel out of my transfer tank that had been settin for a few years. water and rust, i cleaned the tank

i think i`ll be taking each fuel part off and cleaning it up. :argh:

Hmmm, then I get the guy that tells me you can shoot this thing with ether for the rest of it's life!
I'm old enough to where I remember when diesel trucks had a can built right into the the air intake. You'd push a primer button in the cab for a blast of ether to get them started.

yea unless your spraying alot and trying to run your motor on either, a small amount shouldnt hurt anything. lol i wouldnt want to spray then cycle the grid heater that may be bad

make sure you dont drop any washers from the banjo fittings if they are lost the parts stores do not have the washers with the rubber rings


to the guys with trucks that hard or wont start... i found something to try--->http://www.cumminsperformanceparts.com/fuelrailcap.html

thomas.....I did try the fuel rail cap and it did me "no good"! I was recently told to put the relief valve back in so as not to blow the rail????:humm:

right, i`m currently making a bolt fit the relief valve, personally i`m not worried about cracking or blowing the rail although it is possible

Typically a cold weather start issue (but a good start plugged in) is bad injectors...

I have started mine at -25*F, it wasn't happy; but it started. Some trucks don't even have the block heater cord installed from factory because they will start at colder than normal temps.

need some education
 

HI,
I started the thread about the hard start in the cold. I am in Colorado, and now am officially tired of getting stranded when I can't plug in so am looking for a mechanic. I love following the threads and learning a little, but definately cannot mechanic my own. So, looking for some info so I dont get taken advantage of since I have to just pick a shop in town...

So...Truck starts great when plugged in. Hard start when cool. No start when under about 40 degrees. No check engine light. It was suggested I replace the batteries, but when I got it tested they read pretty high. Should I get them tested again first? Should I just replace them and see if that helps? What is the difference (in symptoms) between a problem with the hot air intake and injectors? How would I know if it's a sensor rather than injectors? Does just one injector go out? or do you always have to replace them all?

Whew... just dont want to have them tell me something silly and I dont know any better :humm:

Thank you soooo much - and if anyone has any suggestions for someone in Greeley Colorado - len me know!! :)

have the same problem on a 2003 with 190K on it (actually have had the problem for 2 years) it is progressively worse this winter... i am intending on replacing the injectors, but after seeing the cost was considering just tips... anybody know what exactally goes wrong with the injectors ?

Thought it was fixed.....
 

Hi,
So, my 2004 Dodge was not starting unless plugged in if it was less than 40 degrees or so. Took it in, they said hot air intake was fine, narrowed down to injector #1, and it needed a new tube. After tube and torquing down, it was good to go. Started up after being left out overnight (which it refused to do before, unless plugged in). Had it back for a couple weeks, next cold snap, I plugged in overnight just to be sure. Then got stranded again at work when it sat for 10 hrs while I was working and temps were around 30-40 degrees....

When its plugged in starts up great. You can hear the intake heater working. Runs great otherwise...mechanic said it was all good to go...

Kinda tired of carrying an extension cord with me everywhere and parking illegally to be near a plug, LOL.

Any ideas??

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ooh, also, someone told me that the computer just needed "flashed" at the dealership. Then my mechanic said oh no dont do that... that he has had a lot of problems with people who took trucks in and got that done and now they're having all kinds of other problems....
????

So why is it that we can't or don't change just the tips?

i took my truck a few weeks ago to a shop and they said 1 or more injectors was returning to much fuel, i didnt let them test which injector it was i`m planning on replacing them all.

replacing the tip alone wouldnt fix returning to much fuel, that fuel metering part is above the nozzle.

Okay, so what about changing just the injector bodies if the tips are good? Has anyone done this and what were the results?
I have no fuel pressure at start up but the truck runs like a swiss watch after it starts.

That's if an injector sticks open, not when they wear out...if its not smoking or filling the crankcase with fuel, it should not hurt anything to drive. Mine did the same thing (started getting the longer starts) then an injector hung open...when they hang open, the truck knocks like a rod broke and you blacken entire interstate highways. Right before all this, I started getting a lope when the truck went into high idle...it was about a week later the injector hung open, right when I was just about home, from a cross country trip.

This time of year, every year since the common rails were introduced; there is multiple threads about cold no starts, but starts with ether or after being plugged in. In almost every case, it was injectors.

I had Formula 1 Diesel Flux Is tips installed when my injectors let go...then had issues with the solenoid on one of the (old) injectors...finally replaced all of them with new sticks with the Flux I tips. If I owned a common rail today, and had injector issues; I would call one of the shops and have their tips installed on new bodies.

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Its the tips that are bad, not the bodies...the bodies contain the solenoid, the tips are what control the fuel flow and spray pattern.

HI MY 2006 CUMMINS IS MY FIRST DEISEL I INHERITED MY DADS LIFE INSURANCE AND BOUGHT THIS TRUCK FROM A DEPUTY SHERIFF IT HAD MAJOR BLOW BYE IT BLEW AND IVE MANAGED TO REBUILD IT BYE THE BOOK I STARTED IT DROVE AROUND THE BLOCK SHUT IT OFFF CRANKED IT WELL IT SNOWED REAL GOOD HERE IN KENTUCKY AND I CANT GET IT STARTED AFTER IT MELTED ITS LIKE ITS TIGHT HARD TO TURN OVER IVE 18000 IN IT IM OUT OF MONEY :argh::argh::argh::nope::scare2::scare2:

Well that was a treat to read!:s: Dude, loose the caps and use the period key! Just say'n!:tu: