just got a 02 6.6/170kmiles/only starts with quick start

[joshin SD]

i need help this is a work truck and i need to work it.
new filters and still no start unless i quick start it with starter fluid. then se will drive all over the place.

[New2Me]

1st thing quit using starter fluid or you could loose your work truck.Did you prime the filter,If so have you tried priming it before starting?Check the bleed screw to see if it cracked.Check to see that you have installed every thing correctly.

[joshin SD]

filter full, primer pushed till hard, no fule leaking to be seen on the out side, when truck is runing the primer is soft, when truck is then shut off,
primer is still soft, pump primer and it gets hard but not rock hard, smelt the motor oil and let it drip on paper no sign of fule. the truck terns over fine when tring to start but it just wont fireup with out some help.

[Dyno Rat]

I too feel your pain joshin! Even after a fuel filter replacement the truck is very hard to start and some times needs a "kick" to get it to fire. Even after priming the h**l out of it. I thought that maybe the station that I was getting my fuel from may be of poor quality so I have tried several other places and still no luck. I also have thought about replacing the housing that the fuel filter attaches too in hopes that this will resolve the issue (possibly a bad check valve). What else might it be? If it was the fuel pump you would think you would possibly get a SES light or something. Sorry for writing a novel. I've been a member for almost 5 years and this is my first post.

[DieselDale]

Are you guys opening the bleed screw each time you prime and releasing air?

Dale

[sparky1562]

Originally Posted by joshin SD

i need help this is a work truck and i need to work it.
new filters and still no start unless i quick start it with starter fluid. then se will drive all over the place.

Based on your post, I am assuming the problem did not start with a new filter, and a new filter did not help.

1. Make sure you batteries are good. Need 140 RPM to start.
2. Is the problem worse with the engine hot or cold? after sitting for a long time (overnight)? If it happens after sitting overnight, I would suspect it is loosing prime. If not, look elsewhere.
3. CP3 problems or injectors do not neccessarily cause an SES code.
4. pump the prime button until it is hard, then check the shrader valve at the front of the engine and see if you have pressure at that point. I don't think its your prime button, but that would rule that out.
5. You need to take it to someone that can check the rail pressure and see what the pump is doing.

The more info you post, the better we can help you.

And don't use starter fluid!

[joshin SD]

Ok guys,
this truck is new to the fleet as of 2 days ago. Got the real story about the truck. it was a work truck from another construction comp. and awhile ago some one put gas in the tank, only a little bit so it could be 1 to 5 gal. right. then shut off the gas nozzle and then filled it with diesel.
this was 4 months ago. recently the truck would start in the morning with no trubles and drive all over town, but when you shut it off it would not start again till the next day. now i send one of my guys down to pick up the truck becuse now i have the title and it wouldnt start at all. yesterday i whent down the hill to get the truck and with a littel help of some ether she started up and ran on her own for about 20min. so i thought im going to try to limp it home. 45mins. of driving up the hill with no probs. but running a little slow and blowing a little black smoke when the foot is in it. to day i gave it new filters and still the same thing no start unless helped with ether and still smoky. i know ether is bad so the point is the truck not starting, its got to be a fule or golw plug thing...

Josh

[Dyno Rat]

The batteries are 3 months old. The truck is very hard to start in the morning and a little easier in the after noon. Even after priming the filter. I have checked and made sure that after the filter change that all of the the air was vented through the shrader valve and that it was very snug. After priming the fuel system I did crack the bleeder loose and fuel did squirt out. I guess that rules out the primer. The temp outside does not matter in my situation. I have kept a close eye on the oil level and it does not increase over time. The only time I noticed a slight white ploom of smoke was during the cloder day's of January, but that was after 10 minutes or more of trying to start the vehicle without some assistance, even being plugged in all night. The only time it fires up is when I would shut the engine off and then start it right back up again. The vehicle came with auto start and when I first had it, it would start right up. The starter only cranks for 2 seconds and then the auto start thinks the truck is running. Not sure what kind it is. It came with the truck. 2003 with alomost 100k on her, all stock. I do have access to a tech 2. I uset it once before but I was looking at the balance rates and they were all around 0 +/-.3 at idle. I did not look at the fuel pressure while the vehicle was running. Would anyone happen to know what the pressure should be while the engine is cranking?

[myD-max]

stop with the either and have your glowplugs check as well as the injectors the injectors sound more like you problem

[Rigit1]

Originally Posted by joshin SD

i need help this is a work truck and i need to work it.
new filters and still no start unless i quick start it with starter fluid. then se will drive all over the place.

OK I understand you're having troubles with this truck and you NEED it to work. But you won't have the option of fixing it if you continue to use ether. Frankly I'm surprised you're not injured and the engine destroyed already. That shit is EXTREMELY volatile and when it hits the glow plugs boom. I'm guessing so far you haven't tried using it until trying to start first and the plugs aren't hitting any more. If you absolutely positively must use something out of desperation then use WD40. It's still risky, but not near so much as ether. Man I saw a shop spray just the slightest splick of ether after a fuel filter change. Both heads lifted up off the engine and came sitting nicely back down. No longer attached of course. Now as far as gasoline having been in it, typically I'd say it depends. But apparently the truck ran fine with no problems for 4 months after the incident? Mixing in gasoline up to about 10% (one time thing) shouldn't be harmful. "Shouldn't." I don't know what size tank is on the truck but 5 gallons in a 25 gallon tank is 20%. Ouch. But you should have seen the results immediately. Is it low on power or do you have experience of another working Duramax to tell? I'm asking because hard starting black smoke with throttle can be injectors. They won't necessarily cause an ses light. Mine didn't. Now considering the injectors on the LB7 are crap anyway, it could be gasoline and time took them out. You'll have to have them checked for balance rates. You need to check rail pressure as well. Honestly, I think there's more to the story on this rig yet to be discovered.