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The "Wait to start" indicator on the dash does not come on and the beast is hard to start first time. (The coldest it ever gets here is maybe 60 F at night). Apparently no intake heat happening. This just started happening after a mechanic had it to fix the power steering. Don't see any loose wires in the area. Any suggestions?

About a week ago my wife went to drive my truck and it wouldn't start. It cranked but didn't even try to fire. Oddly the lift pump (airdog 150) ran when the key was first switched on but not after cranking like it always has. Also weird wad the lack of any attempt to fire. A few minutes later I tried again and it fired right up. Today after getting tires it did it again the techs had to push it out of the shop. Once again after about 15 mins of messing around it fired. Same symptoms. Now's its fine again. The truck runs fine once started, no codes, and its runs 14-15psi of fuel pressure. Reading about the internet I see the asd relay being a potential issue. I hear this supplies power to not only the lift pump but also the injection pump. Does any one have any information about this relay? I am baffled as to why the airdog turns on when the key is first switched on but not after it has been cranked.

My 1998 Dodge RAM 2500 Truck just stopped dead in the street and won't even try and start. IT has a 5.9 L inline 6 cylinder, 24 valve Cummins diesel engine. I hooked up an OBD II and got the following error codes listed below. The forum here has testing procedures but the first requires the engine be running (it won't start) and the other require a DRBIII scan tool (expensive). I'm just trying to get this running again without major expense. Any suggestions on where to start without the DRBIII? I can check wiring as indicated. Do the combined codes point to a specific item that needs replacing (the fuel injection pump?) with certainty? One thing I looked as said erasing the codes with the OBDII may allow it to start and run. I'm hesitant to do this since it appears some onter information may need to be read by the DRBIII if I have to take this to a shop. Any thoughts or recommendations??P0121 - Accelerator Position Sensor Volts Do Not Agree With Idle Validation Signal P0234 - Turbo Boost Limit Exceeded. Problem detected in turbocharger wastegate. P0253 - Fuel Injection Pump Fuel Valve Open Circuit. Problem sensed with fuel circuit internal to fuel injection pump. P1688 - Internal Fuel Injection Pump Controller Failure. Internal problem within the fuel injection pump. Low power, engine derated, or engine stops.P1689 - No Communication Between ECM and Injection Pump Module. Data link circuit failure between ECM and fuel injection pump. Low power, engine derated, or engine stops.Thanks! JimRAM

it is interesting to note that the FSM says to replace the whole starter, instead of servicing the wear parts. it worked with no problem...then one day....*click*click* i wondered if you could push start a diesel, but realized that i couldn't get that truck up to speed to even try:lmao: i will mention that while i was waiting for $ and shipping to my door, i took the contact that was the most wore, and made the hole for the stud longer to allow the contact to be closer to the plunger. worked no problems until i got the contacts(6 months later, i know im a procrastinator) (1) Disconnect and isolate negative cables of both batteries. (2) Raise and support vehicle. (3) Pull back protective rubber boot from solenoid battery terminal far enough to access and remove nut securing battery positive cable wire harness connector eyelet to solenoid battery terminal stud (Fig. 10). (4) Remove nut securing battery positive cable wire harness solenoid connector eyelet to solenoid terminal stud.(17mm) (5) Remove battery positive cable wire harness connector eyelets from solenoid terminal studs. (6) While supporting starter motor, remove three bolts securing starter motor to flywheel housing(8 or 10mm 12 point bolts, use box wrench or suitable socket) (7) Remove starter motor from engine (certain diesel engines have an aluminum spacer mounted between the starter and the starter mounting flange. Note position and orientation of spacer before removal). now you can take the nut on the other side off(15mm). then a phillips screwdriver removes the 3 cap screws. when the cap comes off the plunger springs out. there is a little ball behind the spring(mine didn't come out, but remember it is there, don't lose it). with the plunger out of the way, you can take the out side nuts off the studs. because of the plastic guards, i could not get a good enough bit with a wrench. and impact wrench made short work. with the nuts off, you can remove the studs. the contacts are press on the studs. swap the old contacts for the new ones. try to keep the contact touching the backplate while tightening the nut(they try to twist when you tighten). take the spring off the old plunger and place on new one. put the ball in if it came out. insert new plunger. replace cap. connect the to the stud and install starter on truck!

History of the truck. Truck was purchased in 2002 with 43K miles. Engine and transmission were stock except for a K&N drop in air filter. Early 2003 installed a PowerMax programmer from TST which displays boost, transmission temp, and EGT. Late 2003 installed a PacBrake, TripleLoc (three clutch disk) torque converter, and HP valve body from TST. 2007 spring had check engine light and intermittent hard starting local diesel shop diagnosed it as a fault between primary and secondary computer and cleared the code (don’t know what the code was). They checked my fuel pressure which was around 10 at idle and much less under static 2400 rpm throttle. He advised getting a new fuel lift pump. Aug 2007 installed a fuel pressure gauge, engine oil temp gauge, FASS 95, and rebuilt VP44. Fuel pressure 17 at idle 14.5 at WOT. July 2008 installed MagHyTech Double Deep transmission pan and 14CM turbo exhaust housing on the HX35. December 2008 began experiencing hard starting when hot after sitting shut off for more than 5 minutes. Truck had check engine light P0336 CKP sensor. Took the truck to Lithia Dodge in Anchorage who kept it for a week and said they couldn’t find anything wrong and the CKP was fine. I told them to change it anyway. They wouldn’t do it and told me that I had to remove the Fass 95 and any other aftermarket items installed on the truck (Pac brake, converter, valve body, programmer, etc.) as they didn’t understand how they worked or could affect the diagnostic equipment. I told them where to put their dealership and where I would not purchase my next vehicle. Took the truck home and changed the CKP with one from Cummins. Hard starting problem solved. I Installed 18” of clear fuel line at a high point before the vp44 to be able to check visually for air in the supply fuel line. (I have never seen any air) July 2009 began experiencing hard starting when hot and sitting more than 5 minutes again along with stalling when shifted into drive from park or neutral. I Cleaned the Map and IAT sensors. No joy. I installed a set of Edge 80 hp injectors, new connector tubes and O rings, and a CoPilot transmission controller for the PacBrake. I also soldered all connections for the PowerMax programmer and CoPilot. Starting and shifting problems went away. Aug 2009 installed BHAF and 4” MBRP exhaust. February 2010 Shifting and hard start problems returned. Truck starts fine after sitting overnight and completely cooling off, but stalls when shifted into drive. Engine does not idle smoothly seems to hunt for a idle rpm to settle into. If left idling for a longer period (30 min) the hunting grows worse until the tachometer is swinging 100 or so up and down. Revving the engine settles the hunting down a bit but the hunting continues. When the engine stalls after shifting into gear it usually re-starts on the first try. The stalling is worse when the truck is cold than when hot. The restart problem is worse when the truck is hot than when it is cold. Bringing the engine rpm up to about 900 will usually prevent the stalling when shifting. Sometimes after stalling several times and then getting on the road just idling along at 5mph or so the engine will suddenly go rumph, rumph, rumph, rumph, rumph quickly like it’s going to stall then catches itself and revs a little each time to prevent a stall. I have checked the fuel return line, rear banjo bolt, and all fittings and clamps for fuel leaks and found none. I have replaced the VP44 fuel return check valve. I have re-calibrated the APPS memory. March 2010 I noticed erratic boost pressure readings sometimes the boost pressure would read zero under partial throttle where it should have been reading12 or 14 lbs boost. Replaced MAP sensor and the boost reading problem went away. April 1 2010 took the truck to Cummins Northwest to purchase a new IAT sensor suspecting the stalling problem could be due to a faulty IAT and the cold outside air. While there a mechanic looked at the truck and noticed the sticker saying the last ECM program re-flash was in 1999. He thought a re-flash with the latest program might help the problem and I agreed. He re-flashed the ECM and kept his scan tool hooked up shut off the truck and restarted several times and noticed the IAT temp reading sometimes went to and stayed at 160. When it went to 160 the truck would not re-start until enough cold air came through to cool the IAT to below a 130 reading. I went home, changed out the IAT with the new one from Cummins, and took it for a test drive. Still have the stalling and hard starts but not as bad and the idle rpm hunting seems to have gone away. Yes, I have checked the grounds on the ECM and PCM. I have also cleaned all battery connections and used dielectric grease everywhere. So I'm Kind of out of ideas here. Today I'm going to get it up to operating temp then shoot the exhaust temps of each port on the manifold looking for enough variation to indicate a plugged injector or one that may have a lower pop off pressure. If I can't find anything there I may pull the connector tubes part way out and rotate them so the O rings seat in different positions and see if that does any good. I'm open to any and all suggestions to solve these problems. Thanks Jim