Random hard start.

[Manimalmother]

So two times now in the past two days my truck has taken 5 or 6 seconds to start. On a cold start it starts right up. It seems that if I shut it off and wait 20 or 30 minutes is when the hard start occurs. If it sits for 4 or 5 hours again it's fine. If I shut it down and instantly restart it it's fine. No obvious leaks no smell of diesel fuel. I have a wait to start light and I can hear the lift pump turn on. No codes. Any ideas?

Should have looked at the other thread first.

Edited September 13, 2019 by Manimalmother
Typo

[Manimalmother]

So it seems I have the opposite problem as the other thread.  Mine cold starts fine.  I wonder if it's my starter.  It is original as far as I know.  It at least has 160k on it.  Batteries are less than 1 year old.

 

I have put the HD kit in it from genos now that I think about it.

 

No injector lines are leaking and the fuel return on the back of the head is dry, along with the Tee.  I don't think it's losing prime.

[Haggar]

Manimal

 

If you think you are in a situation where its gonna act up, (or while hot see if it starts like its cold, when it doesn't pour cold water over the vp.)  You could also try just a bump with no start, that should leave the lift pump running for like 30 seconds.   Then try a normal start.  (this would circulate cooler fuel through the pump cooling the circuit board.)

 

You won't like where I am heading, but it is a known failure mode of the VP.   (while hot the circuit board doesn't make some specific contacts, but when cold it will....)  (my brother's vp was opposite.  you heated it to get it to run right.  Hot air gun was very handy.)

 

Hag

[Manimalmother]

2 hours ago, Haggar said:

Manimal

 

If you think you are in a situation where its gonna act up, (or while hot see if it starts like its cold, when it doesn't pour cold water over the vp.)  You could also try just a bump with no start, that should leave the lift pump running for like 30 seconds.   Then try a normal start.  (this would circulate cooler fuel through the pump cooling the circuit board.)

 

You won't like where I am heading, but it is a known failure mode of the VP.   (while hot the circuit board doesn't make some specific contacts, but when cold it will....)  (my brother's vp was opposite.  you heated it to get it to run right.  Hot air gun was very handy.)

 

Hag

 

I'm kind of leaning towards the starter.  I've noticed that when the problem occurs it turns over slower than normal.  I am going to pull it and rebuild again.  It's been a while.

[Haggar]

That would be much more awesome than that shall not be named.....

 

GL

 

Hag

[Manimalmother]

Just now, Haggar said:

That would be much more awesome than that shall not be named.....

 

GL

 

Hag

Exactly.  I'm gonna throw $30 at it and pray it works.

[Manimalmother]

Good news.  It was the starter.  I removed it and it was an ultima.  Replaced it with a new, non reman Ultima from oriellys.  The truck started almost instantly.  It was crazy how fast it started.  I guess my old one had just gradually been slowing down and I got used to it.  

[Mopar1973Man]

Typically the starter armature brushes cause the loss of power. One one brush fails out of the 4 then you half power. 

[Evan]

Nice. That's great news.

 

My truck did the same thing it actually started not starting but would start if the key was cycled then just quit starting all together. At the time it quit starting I had a work truck so I just quit driving it for a couple weeks and researched starters and ended up buying Larry Bs rebuild kit for 60 bucks.

That was probly 8 years ago.

Edited September 21, 2019 by Evan

[Manimalmother]

If mine had been the original I would have had it rebuilt.