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Old 09-29-2016, 06:51 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
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HELP! 5.9l Cummins Turns strong won't Start! Tried it all-

Hey all-

I've scoured the forums here and everywhere and yet the mystery plagues me...any insight is much appreciated!

I have a '99 BlueBird TC1000 with Cummins 5.9l

Symptom: When first bought this bus started after 2 seconds Everytime. After letting it sit for 7 days or so and working on some wiring (removing the wheel chair lift and putting in Solar bank) I cannot get her to catch! Uncanny. I found a mystery vampire draw that discharged the batteries, recharged them and nothing. Started fine before.

Note: after wheel chair lift and back door buzzer were removed the bus started fine, leaving me to assume it isn't an errant safety wire from these two. Also seems unlikely because the starter is turning over strong and fuel is getting to injectors.

What I've tried: Replaced starter batteries. I have probably 3200 CC now so amps are good. Cleaned all contacts. Cleaned and checked main ground from starter batteries. Cleaned and checked all connections on starter. Replaced fuel filter. Bled lines to injectors and one injector doesn't seem to be receiving fuel. Others do. Solar bank and starter bank have no common connections. Checked fuses that I could find. Tried shifting in and out of Neutral.

What the hell!? It turns over super strong but no combustion. When replacing batteries I arced with a wrench from the Master Switch to a fan housing. Did this trigger something? I checked any fuses I could find up under the headlight housing. Is this one apparently clogged injector causing the whole system to fail? Seems unlikely. Have I not bled all the air out from the fuel filter exchange....although these problems originated before changing the filter.

I was just about to embark on a maiden voyage and now I'm aground....

Thanks for any help you guys and gals can provide-

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Old 09-29-2016, 07:03 PM   #2
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Also, I guess I can't be sure the injector is clogged. It simply doesn't fizzle air and diesel like the others when cracked. Maybe more air in the line? The old fuel filter was pretty dirty with a bit of grime at the bottom of the bowl. Whats a quicker way to bleed air before the injectors? I tested the fuel lift pump and its flowing strong.
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Old 09-29-2016, 07:21 PM   #3
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did you somehow knock a wire losse on the fuel solenoid that allows fuelt to go to the rail?

if that engine has a computer, its possible the short circuit / arc damaged it..

check all of your chassis fuses... its possiuble you popped a fuse or 2 with that arc...
-Christopher
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Old 09-29-2016, 07:58 PM   #4
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There are fuses under a cover on top of the instrument panel, checked those?

The fuel filter can on the engine is full? If not;

Key to start for an instant, leaving in run position until pump stops, (you can hear it) do this several times.
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Old 09-29-2016, 08:35 PM   #5
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Thanks Chris; I'll take a dive for that fuel rail solenoid tomorrow, the computer is a possibility although there aren't any error codes being presented so I think unlikely?, and I've checked the fuses that I know about.... although apparently Don and Mary on 2Kool4Skool know of a secret squirrel panel on the dash that I haven't checked. I hope when I pop that sucker there is a beautiful little burnt fuse. Otherwise, how does one test to see if the computer is corrupted I wonder?
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Old 09-29-2016, 08:37 PM   #6
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Don and Mary I'm really gunning for that fuse panel I hope something is nice and crisp under there! I knew there had to be more around the dash somewhere....as for the fuel filter I filled it with fresh diesel deliciously siphoned from a hose out of the tank before reinstalling the new element.
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Old 09-29-2016, 08:48 PM   #7
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No blown fuses...dammit.
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Old 09-29-2016, 09:05 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by acorncracker View Post
Replaced fuel filter. Bled lines to injectors and one injector doesn't seem to be receiving fuel. -
i think your problem is there. those pumps cant pump air. my money is on air in the fuel line.

have you checked the grid heater is getting voltage?

bleed the lines until your getting fuel on all of them.

good luck!
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Old 09-29-2016, 09:10 PM   #9
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does that have a manual primer pump? I know when i changed my filter.. i filled it up with fuel but still had to pump and pump on that manual pump tp get the main pump all primed up...

when i did, and you can feel it go from pumping easy to pumping hard.. thats when you know you have fuel.. my bus fired right up after I got re-primed.

-Christopher
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Old 09-29-2016, 09:16 PM   #10
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I recently changed one of the fuel filters and didn't fill it, the "bump the starter" routine had to be done several times before she fired up.
Filling the filter is not the best idea, chance of contamination is kinda high especially siphoning from the tank, years and years of gunk.

Don't grind on it too long and wind up with a bad starter too!
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Old 09-29-2016, 09:24 PM   #11
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Hmm. I wish it had a manual priming pump but I haven't seen one and am about 90% certain it doesn't exist, unfortunately. Well, with that advice I will crack those injectors again tomorrow and give it a long run. I have both batteries topping off on the charger tonight so I don't drain them too much.

I wonder if I can do the quick starter "pop" for 2 seconds that gets the fuel pump running for 20-30 seconds while the injectors are cracked. Will this still push fuel to the cracked injectors without having to keep turning the engine for excessive periods?

Also, I wonder why I lost prime in the first place? Maybe just sitting for a week allowed a miniscule gap somewhere to become enough to upset the lines? This is before replacing the fuel filter obviously, which was supposed to be a possible solution but may just be another problem now ha. Well with topped off batteries I'm going to let those lines pump for quite a while, hope I get everything straight streaming and free of air. Last time I did this I was aground on a sandbar in my 28ft boat Chaos with the tide going out so this isn't that bad, at least I have firmament and time.
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Old 09-29-2016, 09:28 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2kool4skool View Post
I recently changed one of the fuel filters and didn't fill it, the "bump the starter" routine had to be done several times before she fired up.
Filling the filter is not the best idea, chance of contamination is kinda high especially siphoning from the tank, years and years of gunk.

Don't grind on it too long and wind up with a bad starter too!

Yeah, hopefully I didn't put any debris that high in the system. I was certain that the fuel filter would fix everything and didn't want to waste time going back to the gas station for fuel.

My thoughts on the starter exactly
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Old 09-30-2016, 12:27 PM   #13
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"I wonder if I can do the quick starter "pop" for 2 seconds that gets the fuel pump running for 20-30 seconds while the injectors are cracked. Will this still push fuel to the cracked injectors without having to keep turning the engine for excessive periods?"

No. The lift pump just supplies the inj. pump.

The engine will run w/o a lift pump (eventually killing the inj. pump) but not the other way around.
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Old 09-30-2016, 12:30 PM   #14
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shouldnt the lift pump fill up the fuel filter though and prime the portions of the fuel system before the injector pump?
-Christopher
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Old 09-30-2016, 12:32 PM   #15
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shouldnt the lift pump fill up the fuel filter though and prime the portions of the fuel system before the injector pump?
-Christopher
Yes.......But it won't push fuel through the injectors as Acorn asks.
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Old 09-30-2016, 02:31 PM   #16
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Solved!!! Sort of....

It certainly wasn't all for nothing but, the eventual stroke that fired her up was a little simple.

I in the course of this I have discovered countless extra fuses, 200 amp shunts, relays, and serpentine wiring all throughout this bus. Cleaned and inspected every main contact throughout, run a volt meter across almost all the major circuits and solenoids, discovered the meaning of several mystery buttons, changed the fuel filter (which I knew needed to be done but was willing to stave off for weeks), and intimately familiarized myself with BlueBird and Cummins literature.

Having arrived at the most likely issue revolving around fuel and air, I bled and bled the injectors, probably about 12 rounds of the "bump" starter and let the pump work method. I would have liked to bleed the line going from the filter to the high pressure pump but the nut was totally boxed in and inaccessible. So without recourse and imagining the spector of sending the bus to a Cummins mechanic with maybe weeks of waiting and thousands of dollars I had my friend spray a dusting of starter fluid in while I cranked. Turned over in 4 seconds. Rough for 3-5 and then purring. Ran around the neighborhood until reached temperature and started right back up afterwards.

Relieved, a little frustrated with all the work that was negated by a simple can but, glad regardless.

I know starter fluid is controversial but, I think the benefit of solving this with the risk is way worth it. Now, of course, where the air came from over that week that the bus sat will have to be addressed sooner than later however it runs now and the hope is with regular use this won't continue. I will try some injector cleaner in this next tank for shits and giggles.

Thanks for all the help! I definitely got to know this bus more than expected these past 5 days ha.
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Old 09-30-2016, 02:44 PM   #17
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Great news! From what I understand, the 5.9l Cummins is a good candidate for starter fluid when the going gets tough (or the "get going" gets tough?). It's worth disabling the grid heater, though, so you don't end up with starter spray igniting in the intake housing.
I wouldn't attempt starter fluid in my 7.3l with glow-plugs. The big yellow danger sticker is enough to deter me
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Old 09-30-2016, 04:03 PM   #18
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I think the cummins is Ok with starter fluid... I know of a lot of guys with old dodge pickups that pop them in winter with starter fluid if they forget to plug them in.. or their grid heaters are bad..

PB-blaster is a little less harsh but will still fire in a diesel...

I wont use starting fluid in ANY diesel V-8... I watched a guy years ago Nuke one of the 6.2 GM's with it..

-Christopher
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Old 09-30-2016, 06:37 PM   #19
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My te444 has a cold start system with a can of ether installed under the hood from the factory
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Old 09-30-2016, 07:05 PM   #20
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My te444 has a cold start system with a can of ether installed under the hood from the factory
I've never heard of an ether cold start system for a T444e so don't know how they work, but I would guess that they disable the glow plugs while using it. Do you know much about the system? I'm curious about it's operation...
As mentioned, my T444e states very clearly NOT to use starting fluid. It has a real pretty picture of an explosion occurring inside of a hazard symbol.
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