Hey guys' I have a 94 dodge ram and I was driving and just climbed a hill and as I was slowing down to go through a town my truck shut down and just before the oil light had come on. Right away I pulled over and coasted to the side of the road and stopped and checked the dip stick. The oil level was full and I added a bit more to bring the level right up to the full mark.

It would crank but would not start. I ended up getting it towed to a shop and I guess they had pumped the go peddel and when turning the key it started up right away! They also changed the fuel/water filter and turned up the idal, so in park or neutral the truck idals about 700 to 800rpm and once dropped into the gear it drops as low as 200 or 150rpm and the oil light comes on as the pressure is so low and just about to stall.

I am still out of town and will take it to my diesel mechanics once I get home but would really appreacite any advice from you all if you might know what it could be or maybe what is happening to my truck!

Thank you so much fellow diesel guy's!!

 

so the oil pressure dropped right before it shutdown on u?

 

yea the rpm dropped so low that I guess the low oil pressure sensor shut off to save the engine.

 

The oil pressure light comes on because the engine is turning so slowly. This is a secondary effect of the problem, not the cause of the engine shutting down.

The fuel system and engine control system on a 1994 is stone simple and entirely mechanical. There's no computer involved in running the engine or in setting the idle speed, and no way for the engine to "know" that the oil pressure is too low. It will run happily with zero oil pressure until the bearings seize up.

The stalling, no-start, and low rpm are signs of a fuel problem. Blocked fuel filter, cracks in fuel hoses, problems with injector pump (especially in light of your mods), weak lift pump, or mis-adjusted shut-off solenoid are areas that come to mind, roughtly in that order.

 

fefarm is correct....I would have a good look at the shut-off, maybe take it off and tie the lever full up, take it for a spin and see what happends. Thats the quickest way to rule it out.

 

thank you so much! I am going to try that but working out of town right now so I will have to check it out on Thursday or friday. I at least know where to look. Thank you so much for the advice guy's!!!

 

I did a search and saw posts before so I am going to check the solenoid... the blue wire running from the solenoid for cracks, corrosion or full out disconnection...the fuel shut off relay as well as this seems to be a simular problem as I am having with mine.

 

You can check it but it's probably not the problem or it wouldn't start at all.
Turn the key to full on. Reach under the solenoid and lift up on the linkage. If it stays up then the solenoid isn't the problem.
Have you changed your fuel lines yet?
Have you checked the filter on your fuel heater?
The primary filter?
Is there fuel dripping from your transfer pump?
Is your air filter plugged?

Remember: If you hear hoofbeats, don't expect zebras.

Peter

 

[QUOTE=Sleigher;1601887]You can check it but it's probably not the problem or it wouldn't start at all.
Not true !!

 

No there is no dripping of fuel just some oil drops that I hear is the truck marking its territory. I have not changed the fuel lines but the fuel filter heater I will check. Right now where I am its very hot with temps about 30 degrees plus so I did not think it would be a heater or glow plugs, but never hurts to check. I will also take a look at the primary filter. As for the air filter its a K&N and is a bit dirty so I will clean that to make sure.

 

the air filter shouldnt make that big of a difference unless its completly closed off. the full shut off would do it if its hanging up but it wont fall down and hang up while running unless you lost voltage. there is no dripping of fuel because cracks in the return lines wont cause your prob. there would have to be huge cracks in the suction side to cause your prob. and you wont get fuel leaks from those. no glowplugs on your truck. try and do what logskidder said and tie up the solenoid and try it if no go then you got major fuel problems to competly die on you. now im not an auto tranny guy so i dont know what kind of stall they cause if there is a failure seeing as how it idles ok in park aand as soon as you put it in gear it has issues. just throwing that out there.

 

Make sure the shut-off is lifting the lever up the whole way.

 

Ok guys question with key on at start p[position should the lever pull itself up? Mine doesn't but when i start it she fires right up after a few cranks.Is it supposed to do that i was thinking with key on it should pull up but i may be wrong.

Chris

 

It is not the fuel heater that would be wrong. There is a small screen in the same housing. It is a filter that doesn't usually get checked or cleaned. I didn't know I had one until I replaced my pump. I'm in California so I also opted to disconnect the fuel heater entirely. Actually, the truck was at Cummins, trying to decipher a fuel issue, and they (Cummins dealership) suggested taking it out of the loop as it wasn't something they used for other applications with the same (5.9 B series) engines.
As far as the solenoid goes: when you turn the engine over the "pull in" position of the solenoid is used as well as the "hold in" position.
The blue wire often corrodes at the battery terminal and the 12 volts is not supplied for pull in.
If your linkage slipped or the linkage broke then you might not be opening the valve all the way but I don't think it is likely after driving up a hill with everything working fine that this happened all of a sudden.
The coils can burn out and while I've read that they either work or they don't I do think that the pull in portion of the coil can work sometimes and not work other times. Why do I think that? Well, that's what happened with my truck.
The solenoid got very hot (smoking) because of the starter getting stuck. I thought it was history but it started up fine. Worked for a few weeks then all of a sudden it wouldn't pull in. You could raise it by hand and the truck would start and run fine but every time you shut it off you wondered if it would start again. There were a couple of days when it would start with the key but most of the time you had to get out and lift the linkage. Finally it was every time and I bought a new assembly. All was well.
It was not loose or corroded wires. I replaced all of that and moved the coil wires off of the battery to a terminal block so corrosion would not affect anything.
That is all.

P

 

thats what caused your problem in the first place not a bad solenoid, the starter solenoid contacts sticking causing your fuel solenoid to draw more amps to pull in. the worn starter contacts were also drawing more current, not leaving you with enough for your fuel solenoid to pull in.