Truck won't start

[aaklingler]

I bought a 95 that had been rolled and now I can't get it started. It cranks, It has fuel in the bowl and it's pumping. When I hook the batteries up the theft light blinks for a while then goes out, is that normal? Are there any inertia type switches? Also, while I'm cranking the tach doesn't move I changed the CPS and it's the same. The PO said he had it running after it was rolled but it ran rough. It also has oil running out the exhaust but the pan is full. Anybody got any ideas on how to get it running? I opened the fuel filter and there was ice in there, I cleaned the ice out, drained the fuel out, put a new filter in and it filled it back up. I've had the block heater plugged in. I tried starting it, cranked for 10 seconds with the tach dead and then it started and the tach started working. It stayed running for 10 minutes or so, but its really rough. Last I checked all fuses are good. I unhooked the fuel heater. I put half a bottle of fppf fuel additive in the filter bowl and split the other half between the tanks. The truck started, tach still dead until it fires, ran for 30 sec. or so and shut off. It will fire for a sec about every time I try to start it and it does smoke at least some of the time.

 

[rammertide07]

head gasket?? not too familliar with every little problem that it could like like a lot of these other guys have. All my suggestions are from my own experience. I have a 96 PSD that blew a head gasket and ruined my wiring harness. I could still drive it but it was REALLY rough and would not get over 30mph. With the tach not reading right it may be a sensor....??? idk just throwing out some ideas. Did you drain ALL of the fuel out of the tanks and lines? Try adding a small amount of alcohol to your tanks to mix and burn the water off.

 

[DaveBen]

DON"T add alcohol to ANY diesel engines or fuel systems. This will cause major problem$.

Dave

 

[aaklingler]

How and where did it ruin your wire harness? Mine won't even run now. I haven't drained the tanks yet, its only a month old but I guess I'll try draining the bowl and putting fresh in there. The check engine light will come on sometimes while cranking.

 

[IHC Power]

Theft light

Your problem is probably in the theft light, the body control module can lock users out from driving the truck if it's been tampered with, other than that there is an inertia switch on the passenger side lower kick panel that cuts of fuel in the event of a roll over, check all the basics first, inertia switch, fuses, etc..... Try disconnecting the batteries again and remove the float charge, ie turn ignition on, check for an aftermarket alarm those can reek havock on a trucks electrical system too. Hope this helps and good luck..

 

[BJS]

Your problem is probably in the theft light, the body control module can lock users out from driving the truck if it's been tampered with, other than that there is an inertia switch on the passenger side lower kick panel that cuts of fuel in the event of a roll over, check all the basics first, inertia switch, fuses, etc..... Try disconnecting the batteries again and remove the float charge, ie turn ignition on, check for an aftermarket alarm those can reek havock on a trucks electrical system too. Hope this helps and good luck..

I do not believe you'll find the intertia switch on the '95 because we have mechanical fuel pumps, I'll try to remember to look at mine when I get home this evening

 

[rammertide07]

I never saw the truck after I took it to the repair shop...my dad did. I had to leave out of town right after I took it to the shop.

How is alcohol bad for a diesel? Keep in mind I'm not talking about pooring a bottle in a tank. More like using as much as you can put into the alcohol bottle cap. My 96 has had it done to it rarely and has 575,000 miles with no known problems from doing it.

 

[DaveBen]

You don't want to mix water with anything. Drain the water out and don't use alcohol. Water will mess up destory the injectors, so get rid of it before it gets through the injectors. If you mix rum and Coke, you still can taste the Coke and rum individually and they remain separate molecules. Same thing with water and alcohol.

Dave

 

[rammertide07]

You don't want to mix water with anything. Drain the water out and don't use alcohol. Water will mess up destory the injectors, so get rid of it before it gets through the injectors. If you mix rum and Coke, you still can taste the Coke and rum individually and they remain separate molecules. Same thing with water and alcohol.

Dave

Ok, what exactly does the small amount of alchol do to an injector. 7.3 injectors are pretty resilliant and can actually pass small particles through them unlike the 6.0. I did some research for the use of alcohol for water in the fuel system... "Isopropyl alcohol is a major ingredient in "gas dryer" fuel additives. In significant quantities, water is a problem in fuel tanks, as it separates from the gasoline, and can freeze in the supply lines at cold temperatures. It does not remove water from gasoline; rather, the alcohol solubilizes water in gasoline. Once soluble, water does not pose the same risk as insoluble water as it will no longer accumulate in the supply lines and freeze. Isopropyl alcohol is often sold in aerosol cans as a windscreen de-icer.".... Yes, draining the fuel system would be better. Alcohol or HEAT is a quick fix. You can mix strawberry flavoring with water, you taste strawberry. Water doesn't have a flavor. The alcohol you are talking about is a different form from isopropyl alcohol.

 

[aaklingler]

Can you explain how the theft system and body control module work. The theft light seems to come on only after the batteries are reconnected for a couple minutes. I've been leaving the batteries hooked up now for the last week or so. Is it only when the light is on that it won't or even after it goes out the truck still won't go? I'll unhook the batteries and check for an inertia switch. I haven't seen an aftermarket alarm system, where are they usually placed?