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Car Forum / Dodge / Dodge Trucks / January 200698 RAM startup trouble
I've got a 98 RAM, 5.9L, that has started giving me problems. In the morning, the engine turns over and stumbles like it has run out of gas. After about 30 seconds of constant starting (has to use the jumper cables) it begins to start like a WWII piston engine plane and then starts running. Once started the engine runs fine and can sit and start without a problem. It's just the over night sitting that the problem occurs. I replaced the coil. No change. I'm thinking that maybe it has fuel line leak and is slowly losing fuel pressure overnight. Is this possible. I would think that leaving the ignition on would run the fuel pump and build up pressure again but it doesn't appear to happen. Or is the fuel pump going bad. My son seems to think the fuel filter is to blame. Any ideas on this problem. Get a fuel pressure gauge, and check/verify fuel pressure and flow from the rail. > I've got a 98 RAM, 5.9L, that has started giving me problems. In the > morning, the engine turns over and stumbles like it has run out of gas. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Any ideas on this problem. Original battery? FMB >> I've got a 98 RAM, 5.9L, that has started giving me problems. In the >> morning, the engine turns over and stumbles like it has run out of gas. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > FMB Thnaks for the replys guys. I had the truck towed to my local shop and they're telling me the things has a blown head gasket and that the coolant is dripping down into the plugs. When it gets turned enough, the liquid burns off and the engine runs OK. When it sits overnight, the fluid collects again and the problem starts all over. This engine has 185,000 miles on it. The mechanic is telling me that we need to put a whole new engine in the thing before the engine totally craps out. I can't afford that and am wondering whether it would be worth replacing the head gaskets and possibly having the heads milled and the valves ground. I would like to hear some opinions on whether this course of action might get some more miles out of this engine. Thanks for any help or advice. > Thnaks for the replys guys. I had the truck towed to my local shop and > they're telling me the things has a blown head gasket and that the coolant > is dripping down into the plugs. Then you failed to mention the white smoke that pours out of the tailpipe... > This engine has 185,000 miles on it. The mechanic is telling me that we > need to put a whole new engine in the thing before the engine totally > craps out. Given that it's probably been like this for a while, coolant has mixed in with the oil, and probably did a number on the bearings... combined with the high mileage of the engine, I'd say a rebuild isn't a bad idea. > I can't afford that and am wondering whether it would be worth replacing > the head gaskets and possibly having the heads milled and the valves > ground. No need to mill the heads unless it overheated and they warped. No real need to grind the valves, either (though with the heads off, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have the heads freshened up). You can do that for now, and when the time comes, buy a reman'd short block (engine block and rotating assembly only - no heads). At least that way, the money you put into the heads now won't go to waste. I spent half the night trying to go to sleep but kept thinking about this truck. I'm thinking my mechanic has his head up his a**. When attempting to start and after it starts, no white smoke comes from the tailpipe or anywhere else. We just put a new radiator, water pump and thermostat in the truck on Xmas eve and I went and had the oil changed right after that. There was no evidence of oil in the coolant and the oil change guy probably (hopefully) would have noticed coolant in the oil. Prior to the oil change, I did not see any sign of water in the oil when checking the oil level. Also, I would think that a blown head gasket would be blown in certain area and might possibly contaminate one ormaybe two cylinders. I would think that the gasket would have to be disintegrated to cause enough fluid to accumulate to cause the hard starting. The mechanic said they did a test and it showed that a gasket had a problem. Maybe it does but I'm thinking this is not the problem. I'm still thinking that this is a fuel or ignition problem. When trying to start the car, I can detect a slight gasoline smell under the hood. I've replaced the coil. It couldn't be the rest of the ignition because once the car gets started, it runs OK. Opinions? >> Thnaks for the replys guys. I had the truck towed to my local shop and >> they're telling me the things has a blown head gasket and that the [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > (engine block and rotating assembly only - no heads). At least that > way, the money you put into the heads now won't go to waste. when was the last tune up performed?? might also check and possibly replace the fuel filter. and in case anyone is wondering i am mr.d-150's son. You need to put a fuel pressure gauge on it to see if it is fuel related. As for you question from a previous post, the fuel pump does not run continuously with the ignition on and the vehicle not running. The pump will run for a few seconds when the ignition is first turned on and then shuts down. This is probably done to prevent the battery from being killed by people that leave the ignition on for extended periods of time with the engine not running. If you want to attempt to build up pressure, you can turn the ignition on for about 5 seconds turn it off for about the same period of time and back on for 5 more seconds. Your description of the way it starts sounds more like a flooded engine than a fuel starved one. Is there any smoke at all when it starts or the smell of unburned fuel?  SignatureIf at first you don't succeed, you're not cut out for skydiving > I spent half the night trying to go to sleep but kept thinking about > this truck. I'm thinking my mechanic has his head up his a**. [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > > (engine block and rotating assembly only - no heads). At least that > > way, the money you put into the heads now won't go to waste. > You need to put a fuel pressure gauge on it to see if it is fuel related. > As for you question from a previous post, the fuel pump does not run [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > it starts sounds more like a flooded engine than a fuel starved one. Is > there any smoke at all when it starts or the smell of unburned fuel? Yes there has been a little bit of white smoke coming from somewhere under the hood and I can there's an odor of gasoline. Is it possible to flood a fuel injection system? I thought that was a carburator problem. What would be causing the flooding? Could it be a sign of the PCM module gone bad? > > You need to put a fuel pressure gauge on it to see if it is fuel related. > > As for you question from a previous post, the fuel pump does not run [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > under the hood and I can there's an odor of gasoline. Is it possible to > flood a fuel injection system? Not when it is operating properly but this is obviously not the case here. > I thought that was a carburator problem. Actually, it is a fuel system problem, regardless of the type. > What would be causing the flooding? If it actually is flooding, the cause could be one or more leaking injectors. > Could it be a sign of the PCM > module gone bad? Possibly but unlikely. The only way to get an idea would be with a fuel pressure gauge as Tom suggested in his first post. Then you could see if, when and how fast the pressure in the rails is dropping and by that diagnose what is happening. Otherwise you are working blind and that makes it a little more difficult. SignatureIf at first you don't succeed, you're not cut out for skydiving |
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