spunbearing

I just purchased a 91 dogde diesel yesterday and it ran perfectly. It started at the touch of a key and sounded beautiful. I started my 300+ mile trip home and 8 miles into the trip the truck died and wouldn't start again. I don't know much about diesels and am at a loss trying to figure this out. I have isolated it to a fuel problem. The injectors aren't getting fuel and I don't know why.someone suggested testing the solenoid so I put a test light on it and it was getting voltage and I can hear it click. Any ideas? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Jeff

Mexstan

First question that comes to mind is: how full is the fuel tank? What does the fuel gauge read? Did you fill it up before you started your trip or did you just jump in and start driving?

spunbearing

The truck had about 1/8th of a tank of fuel so I put about $40 of fuel in the tank. The guage reads almost full.

Mexstan

Hmmmm. That eliminates a few possibilities. Did you try contacting the person you bought it from to see if they have any suggestions? Maybe they will admit to a known problem. When you bought the truck did you manage to find out any history? Like when was the fuel filter changed last? When the engine died, did it just die suddenly like you turned the key off, or did it sort of just gradually lose power?

Mexstan

Forgot to ask, does it have a fuel pressure gauge and if so what was the fuel pressure?

spunbearing

The man was the original owner of the truck. He's a disabled man and soldme thr truck because he had a knee surgery and could no longer drive a manual. There is no fuel pressure guage but I checked to see if fuel was getting to the injector pump. I have pressurized fuel getting to the injector pump but not the injectors. The man that I bought the truck from was very suprised that there was a problem and he went as far as to drive to where I was stuck and wait until my tow truck arrived. He didn't know of any problems.

Mexstan

I do not know your vintage of truck so can't offer any more suggestions. Hate to say this, but it sounds suspiciously like a bad injector pump. Let's hope some more knowledgeable gurus jump in here soon.

AlK

If you are getting fuel to the injection pump, then my guess would be that it is related to the fuel solenoid. Check the spade connectors to the fuel solenoid. They are a known problems on the first gen trucks. Make sure that you have a good tight connection. Failing that it is quite likely that the solenoid itself has failed internally. A minimum of ten volts is required to allow the solenoid to lift the plunger off its seat. A minimum of six volts is required to hold the plunger in the open position. In a pinch, remove the solenoid and take out the plunger. If the truck will now run, the manual fuel shut off lever will have to be used to turn off the motor.
---
Al

Mexstan

Did you find out what the problem was? if so, please let us all know.

Shovelhead

Not trying to be funny,
But are you sure you filled it with diesel?

That mistake has been made a thousand times before.

hvanflee

Shovelhead, That was my first thought also, 8 miles into the trip with a newly filled tank, sounds suspicious, like bad fuel or wrong fuel.

I have a friend from work that filled her gasser with diesel because the GAS pump/tank at the service station was filled with the wrong fuel. Stuff happens.

Call the service station and see if they had a problem with mixed fuel, they should pay for it if they made a Boo-Boo.

Good luck with the new/old 91.

Bill Tomlinson

I had a similar problem with my early '91. A really bad connection at the fuel shut-off solenoid was the cause of a total failure to fire. (just when I was showing my brothers how easy the diesel started -of course) I removed the connector and cleaned the end on the pump with a brass brush. I added a bit of dielectric grease and a new connector. No more problems in that area. You may have a few minor problems due to the limited use your truck has had recently. Things should sort out after it has worked a bit.

Several times the truck would quit on hard acceleration on the highway. It would slow down, lose a lot of speed and then just start running again. I think the cause was poor fuel filter. Changing it made it all better. I even pulled a ten ton load up 8% grades in the mountains and it did not miss a beat.

Bearfoot2

Unless it is high mileage for a '91 it should still be under warranty for the lift pump and injector pump, both of which are known problems.

Stan

RCW

First, follow the advice regarding cleaning the electrical connection on the fuel valve, and check for gasoline in the fuel tank.

Although, my suspicion is that you likely have plugged filters. If the owner let it set with a nearly empty tank, and likely did not drive it that much, you probably stirred up a lot of rust, algae, and gunk when you filled the truck. That stuff will plug the screen in the fuel heater, and plug your primary filter in short order. If by chance you filled with gasoline, you will also need to change the filters after you drain and flush everything, as gasoline will disolve the wax buildup in fuel system and plug everything too.