So I've started to notice that in the morning my truck has hard a little harder time starting. By harder time I mean, just cranks a little longer then it typically would. We haven't had to cold of mornings (high 30's low 40's) but it used to be 1 second or less and it'd fire up. This morning it was 3-4 seconds and then she fired up. I did just change some things with the Smarty so the battery was on for a little longer then normal before actually cranking but this isn't the first time it's happened. My driveway is at an incline so engine bay is slightly higher then the tank. So I'm wondering...

 

Could it be batteries? Before starts my needle is juuuuust above the lowest marker on the battery gauge

Intake heater no working properly? I have noticed more white smoke then usual on cold start ups

Fuel leak? Haven't seen any spots in the driveway, and the system definitely primes once the key gets to 'ON' typically see 5-10psi needle jump

 

So what do ya guys got?!

 

 

Park nose downhill and report back.

That was the plan, but I also didn't want to make any assumptions based off todays start up since I sat with the key in the 'ON' position for a few minutes before starting. Maybe I'll park up hill again tomorrow and do a normal quick start up just to see if it does the same thing again or not.

 

I'm planning on going through and checking to make sure things are tight before tomorrow. Going to double check the injector bolts, banjos on VP. I know for sure the bolts on LP are tightened to spec or more, my only concern is if I didn't get enough Loctite on it =\

Had the same problem a couple of years a go. I replaced the starter and all was good.  The contacts in the starter solenoid  were bad causing the starter motor to turn slow. Another year it was low voltage/amperage in the batteries causing the same problem.  These engines like to spin fast making compression to fire off.     

Yea the batteries are probably 5 years old now, but I don't think the PO drove the truck much in that time so the truck sat a lot, so even though they're not that old, I sorta think that maybe be at least part of the problem.

 

I know that this sort of thing leads straight to an air leak but it doesn't seem like it's being starved of fuel because it fires up nicely, just takes a little longer.

Alright so parked nose downhill last night. Did the same exact thing I did yesterday morning, made sure the key was on for about the same amount of time and she fired right up. 

 

Soooooo....

 

That means a leak somewhere right?

More than likely yes.  

 

check the back of the head and the fuel return t near the firewall.

I checked the T last night and it looked dry as can be. Where exactly at the back of the head?

 

I suspect it's coming from my input bolt to the VP. I felt down there last night and it had some 'moisture' just couldn't tell if it was fuel or not. Same thing happened on my 99 too, minus the longer crank times.

Pretty much right in the middle of the back of the head.  Follow the t up to the head.

 

 

Replace the washers on the VP they are cheap.

Ok checked the T and back of the head and no signs of anything moist or wet. Back of the head I can't say with 100% certainty since I can't see it but feeling around its dry. 

 

Double checked the banjos at the VP and they were dry! This was after running errands and the truck got up to full op temp.

 

So I checked all lines and fittings all the way back to the tank and nothing's leaking moisture. I guess that doesn't rule out an air leak but I don't know what that'd be coming from. 

 

I double checked my batterey terminals to make sure they were clean and tight and found this on the passenger side batterey.

 

 

Could this be the culprit? I know the truck started quicker this morning but it was also warmer and hadn't sat as long as the previous night so not sure. 

That could be it, but I would think you would notice the truck cranking at a slower rev only on one battery in the cold. 

 

I'd replace the cable regardless.

Edited March 31, 20169 yr by Me78569

Yea definitely going to replace it. What's the specific name for that cable that links the two?

 

Also if I'm not showing any signs of leaks anywhere else what else is there to check? I have been getting erratic/stuck needle reading on my isspro since install, just haven't had time to call to see about a replacement. I guess I could run my test gauge for a while as a bandaid fix.

with that terminal clamp cracked your basically running on battery.  Think of it this way, if the nut  holding the cable to the starter motor was loose how well do you think the starter motor would work.  You can buy battery cable ends at any auto supply store for an interim fix until you get that cable replaced.  Order a new one or find a battery supply house that also makes custom cables or make them your self.  

http://custombatterycables.com/application/dodge_ram.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlEUqZSyo4I

I see that the battery was manufactured in12/2012 so it's 3 years and 3 mo. old. The installation date tag was never punched out but batteries are usually installed within a couple of months of being produced.

Yea that's sorta what I was thinking too. Figured since it's cracked it's not getting a constant solid connection so when cranking it could be in and out of connection causing the longer crank times without it feeling bogged down and turning off one batterey. Or it just hasn't been cracked that long so it hasn't had time to drain the one batterey.

 

I know the batteries aren't that old but I'm half tempted to get new ones just to start fresh. I know from 08-15 the truck was only driven 60k-ish so it wasn't driven much so that batteries sat a decent amount in their lives. Plus they're already lookin a little worn, and they don't fit in the stock trays haha

All of last year (1-1-2015/12-31-2015) my truck was driven just over 4,000 miles and the batteries are fine.  If you're worried about a lead sulfate problem the truck would have to not run for months at a time.  Driving the truck around a few times a month will keep the lead sulfate problem at bay.  Don't do a short drive/idle cycle, the battery will further discharged and the alternator can not fully replace what's been taken out by the starter motor.

Batteries naturally discharge over time and sitting in a vehicle with a patristic drain does not help. If you add high temps to the equation, 77° or higher, a battery will go flat that much quicker.  Lead sulfate crystals will coat the plates and harden.  When this happens the battery's ability to recharge is impaired and it's load capacity greatly diminished.

Awesome, thanks for the insight on that! I'll hold off on batteries for now then. In the meantime I contacted the guy at the link you posted about getting new cable and terminals made so waiting to hear back on that.

 

Another theory to this harder starting that I'm thinking is with my fuel pressure gauge. I don't run an isolator, and my gauge has been giving erratic readings and the needle has gotten stuck many times. In wondering if something internal is broken down and causing air to leak in somehow. 

If you are really worried about the batteries you can pop them out and take them to a place like autozone. They should have a load tester that will tell you if one or both are bad. Make sure you specify a load test though. I was fighting similar issues a while back and it was a combination of one bad battery and a weak starter. If you suspect it is your starter, you can pop the solenoid housing apart to check the contacts. Rebuild kits are readily available, that way you can keep the original rather than replacing it with a reman. Hope this helps!

Edited April 1, 20169 yr by leathermaneod

 

Lead oxide will decrease electrical flow. You can have the biggest batteries you can stuff in the tray but will get very little power through a oxidized terminal end. Also as the lead oxidizes its no longer soft it turn brittle like you seen and breaks easy just putting tension on them. 

Yea I think I'm going to work on swapping out the whole battery cable setup out for something better quality with the military style connectors.

The military or Ordnance style battery terminals are awesome!!! I needed new ends on my cables and switched to ordnance terminals. I also replaced my crossover cable(between the two batteries) with 2/0 cable and had the ends crimped on by the local tractor dealer where I got the cable.

Alright well just wanted to update you guys on where I stand now with this. The problem is no longer present. I've been parking uphill in my driveway and been having normal cranking time, although I have found that my truck doesn't like starting cold. Even after letting the WTS go out it fires up with a quick hiccup and then smooths out and idles fine.

 

Anyways, I did change out a few things I have to assume one of which fixed my problem. Of course I did it in the worst troubleshooting form and did them all pretty much at the same time so I can't pinpoint to what exactly it is. But I changed the following.

 

Changed Smarty programming from catcher 3 to Fuel saver mode

Replaced a bad ISSPRO fuel pressure gauge

Tightened down the fitting at the back of the head by like a 1/32nd of a turn. Also, for those who haven't had to do this, prepare to get your Ethan Hunt on!