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95 Stalling problem, now it wont idle

ThatGuy

New Member
Messages
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Location
Outskirts of pittsburgh
Explain your problem in concise language (ie: Cranks but won’t fire).
cranks, fires occasionally, difficult to stay running for longer than one to 5 minutes

Demographics: tell us about your truck and your ambient conditions:

- Year: 1995
- Truck model and class (ie: c2500) c2500
- Automatic
- Mileage: 331k
- Replaced parts and mods (IP, PMD, chip/PCM, TM, injectors etc) no mods, recently replaced fuel filter in fuel manager
- Model: ‘S’ or ‘F’ engine, NA or Turbo, EGR? turbo
- Ambient outside temp: (indicate *C or *F) around 60? estimated. (east of pittsburgh)
- What fuel are you using? (#1 Diesel, #2 Diesel, Bio, VO, WVO, etc) get go diesel. unsure of different types
- What fuel additives are you using? none habitually, I added 2 cans of seafoam to a full tank (42 gal) 3 months ago.
- Where are you located? 100 miles east of pittsburgh pa

General maintenance: inspect and evaluate the condition of each. When were they last changed?
- Air filter 3 months old
- Fuel filter 3 months old then today
- CDR Valve? no
- Coolant – last flushed/replaced at NA
- Oil – synthetic/regular, changed at: 15w40 3 months old
- Batteries – state of charge, (matched set) replaced at : charged today
- Battery cables and grounds (removed, cleaned and tightened): today
- Glow Plugs - how many miles on them? no idea. may be original What type? __no idea__
- Injectors - last changed at __no idea


History: (Describe how the problem first appeared.)
- What were you doing when it happened?
First warning signs were slight hesitation while driving, felt like one cylinder missed or I hit the brakes hard very quickly but the deceleration was to fast. this happened maybe once every 15 mile trip to work if that. This then progressed to the car stalling or cutting out like
this
or this persons problems.

- How was the truck running fine before this problem appeared? There were no problems whatsoever before the first sign.
- Has this problem ever happened before? Not to my knowledge. I have had this vehicle for a little longer than 3 months.
- Describe any related factors that might be part of the problem. as far as I know, my father did not keep the gas tank filled for the 3-5 years that he had it. I have since kept the tank filled when I could but it has run close to empty (3-4 gallons left) once or twice. I filled the tank the day before it quit for good.
- Have you checked for DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Codes)? (Y.N) no And? ________


Diagnostics:

1] Starting:
1a] Does the engine start? _sometimes._
1b] Does the engine crank over? _yes_
1c] Are your batteries fully charged? yes
1d] Have you removed, cleaned, and tightened all battery connections? _yes_
1e] Does your Wait to Start light come on for a time? How long? I have not seen that light at all
1f] Does your glow plug light come on? _yes, 4 seconds give or take. The time decreases if i have attempted to start it previously.
1g] Do you see smoke from the exhaust while cranking? What color? white for a short moment.
1h] Does the Service Engine Light Glow during Start/bulb check? yes

2] Fuel Issues (if not running): I changed the filter in the filter manager and I must have not secured it correctly as when I attempted starting it, fuel poured out from under the cap. It is now tight.
2a] Can you hear your lift pump working? _yes____
2b] Do you get a steady flow of fuel from the water drain (T-handle) ? I have not checked that yet.
2c] Loosen the inlet line from the IP – is fuel coming out (Lift Pump on)? _I am unsure what the IP is.
2d] Loosen an injector line and crank the engine - does fuel come out? _I have not tried that yet
2e] Do you hear a vacuum (hiss) when you remove the fuel cap? _yes but I have not checked since my last fill up.

3] PMD / IP Issues unsure what that means.
3a] Location of PMD (on pump, on intake, remote mounted) _______unsure____
3b] Condition of Extension harness (if used) Vendor or Homemade? _______NA__
3c] Condition of grounds / ground wires to IP / PMD. Check Harness. ______Unsure___ I know there is one ground strap near the front passenger wheel well that is broken. I have been unable to fix this yet.
3d] PMD Make: _____Unsure of what this is___
3e] PMD Age: _____________

4] Stalling Issues
4a] Do you experience stalling only when hot? __temperature independant__
4b] Does it stall under particular circumstances? (ie hit bump, or on accel) _not to my understanding
4c] Does pouring cool water over the IP seem to help with restarting? __I have not tried this yet
4d] Is stalling momentary (engine recovers)? __It used to be. now it is permanent.
4e] Does SES light come on when engine hiccups? _Yes
4f] Does cruise control quit working when engine hiccups? ____No CC___
4g] Does re-starting seem to reset engine, restoring cruise and power? _________
4h] Changes to dash lights or instruments during stalling events? ____SES light illuminates, now I am seeing the service throttle soon light. this is new__

5] Running Issues
5a] On cold start, does upper rad hose get hard before engine warms up? _not sure______
5b] Any bubbles or oil film in coolant overflow tank? ____Unsure will verify tomorrow morning___
5c] Any white slime on oil surfaces (dipstick, CDR, oil Fill cap)? ___no___
5d] Excessive white smoke from exhaust on cold start? _____no____
5e] Excessive black smoke from exhaust under hard acceleration? _______I am unsure what is deemed excessive. this is my first diesel I would say yes, but have no experience to back this up___

6] Performance Issues
6a] Do you have gauges (boost, EGT) ? _____no______
6b] Maximum boost under load? ____________
6c] Have you added a performance PCM (reflash) or Chip? ______no________
6d] Have you changed exhaust / downpipe / crossover? _________no_______
6e] Wastegate – mechanical or vacuum (OEM)? ______vacuum I was told there was a problem with my wastegate engaging

7] Temperature-related Issues:
7a] Single or dual thermostats? ___unsure_________
7b] Have you replaced them lately? Manufacturer of replacements? ___no______
7c] Have you pulled and cleaned Radiator and coolers lately? ______no______
7d] Have you replaced the fan clutch? Manufacturer of replacement? ___no_____
7e] (winter) Have you tested your antifreeze? Good to what temp? ______no____
7f] (winter) Are you using a winter grille cover? _____no______

List and describe any other factors which are not addressed in this checklist. We can’t see, hear, smell, or touch your truck, so the more descriptive information you can give, the more likely it is that somebody can assist you.

I have tried some of the methods of testing described in the above mentioned posts. When the engine stalls, I open the valve on the filter manager and hear the release of air. (unsure of suction or over pressure) after I do this, the engine will start mre readily, but dies very quickly. I tried opening the valve again and I hear more air. this seems to indicate the problem is building up quickly.

Last night, when I was driving home, it stalled out a few times and I was able to restart it while coasting, but it eventually disabled the vehicle. it was towed home. I changed the fuel manager filter, completely different style. (original and first replacement when I bought it) had a metal cap with white plastic knob/valve and a cap ring that held it down. this new one is all black plastic with the element protruding and a flat rubber ring as a gasket. It was secured incorrectly once, then correctly a second time. the element looked clean, yellowish but free of debris. I was informed of an inline filter on the rail and plan on changing this tomorrow morning but I am unsure if this will stop the air in the filter manager. I have recently had an issue with my brake line blowing out. I replaced this line but I may have accidentally bent or disturbed this line when removing the brake line as they are very close and share a mounting bracket. I was originally worried that my fuel supply was being interrupted but now that i am aware of the air issue, I have other thoughts. I could use any suggestions you may have.
 
sounds like you might have multiple issues lets start with fuel first. the fuel filter manager (FFM) has a water drain hose that comes to a brass T at the front of the engine. that brass T will have a short hose attached to it normal test for it is to have the engine running and open the drain T. If everything is working properly you should get a steady flow of fuel coming out of the hose. If you don't you have either a lift pump (LP) problem or an oil pressure sending unit (OPS) problem. The OPS is a common issue with the 94-95 trucks. LPs aren't noted for their longevity either. Next and maybe more common is the pump mounted driver (PMD) which is a black or possibly grey electronic box that is mounted on the side of the injection pump (IP). the most common symptom for a failing PMD is stalling all though there are a bunch of other symptoms which can be PMD related. If your getting black smoke you probably have an issue with the vacuum system that controls the wastegate. vac pumps fail regularly plastic lines crack as they age and the electronic solenoid on the drivers side valve cover fails as well. this should give you plenty to think about if you have other ?s just ask
 
If you are getting air out the fuel filter manager then my guess would oil pressure switch or lift pump. I never could get my lift pump in my 95 to run except when the motor was running. I had to make to a jumper wire. Remove the relay on in the fuse box under the hood. Using a scrap piece of wire (insulated) with the ends stripped jump the top left and bottom right terminal if I remember correctly. You should hear the lift pump. If you hear the lift pump then it is probably the oil pressure switch. The 93 parts truck I have would exhibit the exact same symptoms as your truck unless I bypassed everything and wired the pump to a constant hot. When my OPS went out in my 95 it would also cause the similar stalling issues.
 
Thank you for the info guys. I will be testing the water drain valve if I can get her idling. and I will look to see if jumping the those contacts under the relay helps her stay on. I know I can hear a definite "click" after I turn the key and wait a few seconds. Hopefully I can get away lucky and only need a relay.
 
http://i.imgur.com/VcnjabZ.jpg
In the picture you can see my test line bent up a little. I did this so I could see the end as it was pretty far back. I was able to get her idling for a few minutes but in that time, that hose was bone dry. Before I pulled it into that position though, I looked under the engine to see if there was anything coming from the hose at all and nothing. I have not tried the jumper on the relay yet though. I Tried starting it after she stalled out and she cranks like a champ but no hitting whatsoever. Before i tried anything this morning, I opened the valve on the FM to relieve pressure, now that she wont start, I opened it again and there was a good spray that came out. I saw a few drops of fuel fly away from the FM when I opened it.

As far as the jumper is concerned,are these the correct places to jump?
http://i.imgur.com/s3XeMLq.jpg?1
 
Looks like the correct places to jump.

Do you have a spare PMD? When you have a no start you can swap PMDS to she if she will fire. I usually will plug my spare in just to see if she will run on the spare to eliminate that as the no start problem. I will probably get some flak on this one but I have just set the spare on the manifold to see if it will start then shut it back off pretty quickly if it does. Although it will surely die now my current PMD has 60k on it and both times I have stalling issues it was the OPS and then the lift pump itself.
 
Do the 1995's have this test lead at the back of the Under Hood Fuse Box?
LP Prime2.jpg

If So, you can jumper from either the battery input or the AUX A/B terminal to run the lift pump.
LP Prime3.jpg
 
So I tried getting it started after lunch and I got a lot of the same. Cranks but not firing. I openeed the FFM valve and the brass T handle. Air came from the. FFM and this time fuel came from the line. I tried starting again and just barely touched the gas and it started firing and missing. I kept this up a bit and after a lot of hesitation and misfiring while I held the gas down a little, it is running. While I was starting it and trying to smooth out the idle, there were a lot of misses and white smoke coming from the exhaust and engine bay.

I am fairly sure that the problem won't just go away, but this intermittent stalling and getting going again has me thinking that it is something other than a mechanical problem. And it just cut out after about 5 minutes of idling.
 
My 95 does not have that test lead either.

We bought a 93 6.2 c2500 vin j motor parts truck. We got it for cheap because it would not run/ or stay running. After alot of effort with the throttle wide open you could eventually get it to start. Then it would run ok for a few minutes then start running rough and die. When you cut the key on you could hear the lift pump running. Finally pulled the pulled the lift pump fuse and hard wired the pump so that it was running before start up. As long as we bypassed the OPS and the relay the truck ran fine. The only thing I can figure is the ops was intermittently powering the lift pump and eventually the old IP could not pull enough fuel and she would suck a little air. Then it would shut off and be almost impossible to start. When you did get the 93 to start after she had cut off she would blow alot of gray and white and spit and sputter and generally run crappy. Sometimes it would clear and run for few minutes and sometimes it would shut back off.

When my OPS went in the 95 I started the first evening I bought the truck and stepped away while she was warming up. It stopped running and then was a bear to start.

When the pump went I was driving down the road and it simply died. Was extremely hard to start but eventually got her going and nursed her home.
 
They salt the roads where you drive? Are the lines rusty? Im suspicious of what you said about disturbing the line, sure sounds like you are getting lots of air. And, once the IP/injectors run dry they can be a real pain to prime up again.
You can try a temp 5 gallon can and pump to bypass the fuel system and see if truck will run.
 
I have to agree with everyone, it sounds like you are sucking air into the fuel lines. Leroy's idea of a separate fuel can is a good idea I would jump on that first.

I did not notice anyone mentioned installing a quarter inch clear fuel line coming out of the injector pump and going to the return line. That's the small 3 to 4 inch long rubber line coming out of the front of your injector pump that loops back down to the metal line, is right behind your coolant crossover tubes that houses your thermostat.

With that line being clear- you can see the air bubbles coming out of the ip when you do have an air intrusion. This is a great permanent & cheap trick to instantly diagnose this problem.

You need to find where it's sucking air in and repair that portion of the fuel line. Then loosen the injector line nuts at each of the injector you can easily reach, just a Half turn. Have someone crank the engine, when fuel is coming out of them Tighten them up one at a time to bleed out the remaining air.
 
Check for damp/leaking fuel line between the tank and the lift pump... That's what happened to me. Changed lift pump twice, changed fuel filter, changed PMD and relocated it only to find a small fuel leak. And that was just when I was about to put an injection pump in it.
 
Thank you guys for all of that information. I will definitely try the fuel can method and putting in the clear line to check for air bubbles. I am really hoping I don't have to drop the tank as I only used maybe 50 miles from a full tank and I don't have a spare 55 gallon drum laying around. I have been pretty busy with work and moving out of my house so I planned on limping it the 75 or so miles on saturday to my new place that has a garage to work in then finishing it there. Wish me luck and a quick drive saturday and I will post my results when I get them haha. Again, thank you guys.
 
my 95 has a 34 gallon tank, also check around for those HDPE drums, I get mine for about 10$ a piece
 
Update.

I made it halfway to my new place without stalling. once it did stall, it was stuck. I pushed it off the road and with the help of a random stranger I went up to the autoparts store. the clerk suggested lucas fuel conditioner as I have been using GetGo fuel and they have a 10% ethanol mixture. I used a little bit of ether to get it firing and half of the bottle of lucas. it ran perfectly after that. Once I got to my destination, it died hard and wouldn't get going. A friend from work came over to help me and we tested some things. It turns out that the fuel pump wasn't running at all. I had assumed it was just quiet. We wired it to the battery and it worked like a charm. Now that I knew that, I tried a new fuel pump relay to no avail. This led me to test my wiring for continuity. the entire wire from the relay block to the fuel pump connector had continuity, the opposite pin, from the negative side of the connector to body ground was continuous also. I checked the relay itself and although i am not sure on which pin went where, there were two and two that had continuity if that makes sense. I was unsure of what signal or voltage was supposed to go to the switch pin in order to check that. I checked continuity from the relay block to the battery and there was no indication of fault there as well. I read the wiring diagram in my chiltons manual and the switch pin goes to a switch that says:

HOT IN START
Crank Fuse
10A

I checked what I think should be all of my fuses and they are all good. I even checked them for continuity in case there was a micro fracture or something similar.
I believe that there is one last option left that I did not check. That would be the wire going to the crank fuse.

I just checked it, jumping the pins on the relay gets it working. but I dont want the pump running all the time. I am out of ideas aside from wiring in a toggle switch. What do you guys think?
 
I chased something very similarly on a few trucks last month..... the pigtail harness under the intake manifold that runs from injection pump to main firewall harness went bad. Chased for days wiring diagrams. It was throwing very random codes and was as simple as plugging in a new harness. I have a few of these laying around as well.

pm me for additional.
 
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