[blt93932]

My story starts about 2 months ago, starting became harder and harder, slower and slower, last friday it took a few cycles of the glow plugs, a few slow cranks, more cycles, then it would finally start, when I left work about 5 hours later it took about 2 cycles to get it started. It sat over the weekend, I went to start it monday and notice I had 0 electrical power, batteries were drained, no lights no nothing.

I bought 2 new batteries, still slow start, noticed starter was burning hot...and then...boom it started! I let it run a few minutes, shut it off, tried to start it again and nothing!

Bought a new starter, man does it crank fast compared to the old one!

But...no start.

Tried one final last resort, sprayed some starting fluid, it would run for a second, just off the fluid itself and that's it.

Also, when trying to start there is no smoke coming out the exhaust.

I have a TS-Chip, I've tried unplugging the chip, to no avail.

What could this be?

 

[RT]

Do you have the WTS light before cranking? There are only a couple of parameters you need to get the injectors to fire - sufficient voltage, cranking speed, ICP pressure - one of those isn't there. (and you need fuel, but he computer doesn't know that...)

I would start by checking all fuses. Then I would unplug the ICP harness, forcing the computer to use the default values. Monitory your voltage while cranking. Post back with what you find.

Also - put your truck in your signature - different models have slightly different problems.

 

[blt93932]

I just remembered one other thing, while cranking the tachometer stays on 0, before it would move slightly, could this be the CPS?

 

[RT]

It could be, or it could be that the PCM isn't getting energized - like from a blown fuse.

 

[klhansen]

Also double check the cleanliness and tightness of the battery connections. If you didn't use a post/clamp cleaner brush, they probably aren't making good contact, and the voltage isn't getting where it needs to be.

When checking fuses, always use a meter/tester.

 

[blt93932]

Now things are getting weirder.

I read somewhere that the pcm needs to see 10.5 volts before it fires the injectors. I put on a multi-meter and it only read 9.9, so I hooked up some jumper cables to my car, and the truck started fine.

I drove it around for an hour, turned it off, and it started fine.

I drove it to the store, then to my office, shut it off, went to restart it, and it wouldn't.

I then replaced the CPS, since I just bought one, truck fired right up.

On my next stop, truck wouldn't start...eventually I got it to start by unplugging and replugging in the CPS, drove home, went to start it, and it wouldn't start again!

Jiggled the CPS wires, and it still wouldn't start. Waited a few minutes and it fired right up.


What could this possibly be?

 

[RT]

Could be an intermittent bad connection with your cables - take them all off the batteries and wire brush them. Check the other ends for corrosion and tightness.

 

[Camshaft]

You may need to inspect your cables veryncarefully for corrosion. I have seen it so bad the cable was practically held together by the corrosion itself.

Also- you might have the passenger side cable positive that is bolted to the drivers side cable (this design was changed later on). You may need to remove the bolt to separate to two large lead pieces and clean real well.

My thought is that yor old drivers side battery was not getting charged and was pretty dead - by sitting for a while, it took the other battery down with it.

You need to have both batteries giving juice. One thing you couldvalso do in a pinch is wait for the glow plug cycle to end and then start. The glow plugs work independent of the wait to start light and will kill ya if you have bad connections. If the oil temp is over 130F, they don't come on.

Not sure what to make of the CPS deal - but just sounds like a timing / coincidence issue.