Cummins 5.9 12v crank no start no fuel

[BlackJohn]

Originally Posted by Ronnie

You can get prime up to the injection pump without the fuel solenoid on. What the fuel solenoid actually does is move the fuel rack in the injection pump to a no fuel position, so the injection pump elements (plungers) simply do not send any fuel to the injectors. Once you get fuel to the injection pump then the fuel solenoid must be on to bleed the injectors, and then you must crank the engine to complete this step. The fuel line at the injectors will need to be loose. then will be closed in turn as fuel appears. Wear safety glasses for this, please

However I am believing by what has been said he is not getting any fuel to pump to the fuel filter or injection pump.

Thanks Ronnie for the explanation and clarification.



John

[Booyah45828]

Open the bleed at the filter and pump the hand pump until you get fuel.

If you don't get fuel, either the tank is empty, fuel line between the tank and pump is leaking, or the pump is junk.

You can remove the line between the tank and the pump and apply suction to it. If you get fuel that way, it tells you that the line and fuel level are good.

Or you can assume that they're good and replace the pump. I usually troubleshoot things before replacing parts.

[AZtom]

Alrighty, sounds like I have a good checklist of things to go through. I'm going to try and tackle this over the weekend and see what happens. Thanks guys.

[yfrank14]

Just add my 2 cents.
I have a pick up, 1995, 5.9 cummings.
Fuel line went, lost prime, i pumped the primer for two days, (well, it seemed like two days) before it would start.
I ditched the stick and just laid on top of the engine.
So, just so you know, hand priming can take for ever.
Also, i have an electronic copy of the 5.9 shop manual . i might still have an online link for it.
Not sure what year your bus is or if it is the same engine they put in pickups, but if you think it will help, let me know. I will post the link or email you a copy of the manual.

[yfrank14]

It is also a lot easier to get prime if you remove the fuel filter, fill with fuel, replace filter.
And, if your filter has no fuel, and it emptied while sitting, i would guess you have a fuel line leak and/or fuel filter leak.
When you have a leak, at least in my puckup, i assume your bus is the same, the fuel returns to the tank or leaks out.
Once started, check for leaks.
It only takes a pinhole. Wrap rags around the lines to see if they get any fuel on them.

[AZtom]

Thanks Frank, my bus is a 96 and I think it's the same engine as in the pickup. I keep watching YouTube videos on the dodge trucks replacing fuel filter, and lift pump and everything looks exactly the same

[yfrank14]

ps://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwDkuRJfDNZER0p1WTNyTTdid1E/edit

My manual is for the 95, but i found this for the 96.
I didnt download it, but it looks real.

[AZtom]

Ok so here's where I'm at. I took off work early today to see if I can work on it just a little. My plan was to replace the fuel filter but apparently I bought the wrong style of fuel filter. I loosened up the top bolt on the fuel filter and pump the manual pump about a hundred times.

Believe it or not it started to Bubble and about the 150th pump a steady flow of fuel started coming up. I tried to crank it over nothing. I loosened up the very last Injector line and pumped about another 200 times but still got no fuel.

Do I just keep pumping? Or is it something else that's causing this.

[Ronnie]

Once you have fuel to the injection pump, no need to pump lift pump anymore by hand.

1. loosen all injector lines at the injectors just half turn or so
2. turn key on
3. best to have someone else inside to crank it so you can watch for fuel
4. as it is cranking fuel should start appearing at injectors
5. tighten injector lines as fuel appears and bubbles stop
6. engine will likely start running rough until all injector lines are tightened.

Be careful as the fuel is under high pressure, so safety glasses are in order.

[cadillackid]

when you get the system primed enough to do good that pump will get really hard to press.. if its still spongey then you are still building up on air pressure someplace.. if fuel came out.. you close up anything you opened except perhaps an injector or two. but keep pumping till its pretty stiff..



I have a DT360 and when I lose prime I push on that and eventually it gets to where I can hardly pump it.. thats when I crank for a few seconds.. then go pump again until its tough to pump.. usually the second time the engine will fire off and the lift pump brings enough fuel at that ppint to keep it running..
-Christopher

[BlackJohn]

This is the best lesson for newbies who do not pay attention to the fuel and let it get down. These are not car engines and you have to learn and respect them or you pay the price which is very frustrating.
Ten bucks of fuel added to these tanks is a drop in the bucket and likely won't even reach the pickup for the fuel.



John

[cadillackid]

depends on the tank.. I onlky have a 30 gallon tank so 4 gallons or so would make enough of a rise in the level... my DT360 just loses its prime occasionally for some reason.. havent been able to track it down
-Christopher

[AZtom]

Okay I think I found the culprit but you guys tell me what you think. I did as instructed and loosened up all the injector lines pumped a bit then I try to crank it over still no fuel. When I was pumping I heard a gurgling noise which didn't seem right to me and I did smell fuel. I looked underneath the bus and saw a small puddle of diesel. I found where it was dripping from and followed it up to the engine. The fuel hose coming from the tank to the lift pump is covered by this corrugated plastic stuff. I pulled the plastic stuff back a little bit and the fuel hose deteriorated the rubber part crumbled and I could see the interior woven fabric stuff of the hose like a fire hose or something.

I'm guessing this would cause it to lose pressure ultimately leading to my major problem.

[o1marc]

On my way home from Seattle I was going to post a question here about how bad it is to run the tank dry one time? I thought my bus had a 100g tank, but then I realized that was the bus I bought in OKC. This one apparently has a 60g tank. Any new vehicle I've ever bought I ran the first tank dry to see how accurate the gauge was and how far after "empty" you can go before you are empty. Doesn't sound like something I want to do even once on this motor. If everything is working correctly the fuel pumps won't prime the system?

[cycle61]

Originally Posted by o1marc

On my way home from Seattle I was going to post a question here about how bad it is to run the tank dry one time? I thought my bus had a 100g tank, but then I realized that was the bus I bought in OKC. This one apparently has a 60g tank. Any new vehicle I've ever bought I ran the first tank dry to see how accurate the gauge was and how far after "empty" you can go before you are empty. Doesn't sound like something I want to do even once on this motor. If everything is working correctly the fuel pumps won't prime the system?

Generally correct. If you run it dry, expect to have to prime it somehow.

[Rivetboy]

"I pulled the plastic stuff back a little bit and the fuel hose deteriorated the rubber part crumbled and I could see the interior woven fabric stuff of the hose like a fire hose or something".

Been there done that on my 91 tc 2000 5.9 Cummins also.
Replaced both lines from the tank to the engine. That hose is pricey shop for it.
The connectors, I believe, are called Pushlok and can be re-used if you do not butcher them up when removing the old hose I.E. do not use a knife and nick them.

[Ronnie]

Yes that looks like trouble to me, you are most likely pulling a small amount of air in when you are pumping, there by defeating all the priming you are trying to do. The fuel system must be tight, no leaks. Good luck at least you are making progress, and learning a bit too.

[Ronnie]

O1marc,

I have two fuel tanks on my Dodge with the 5.9 and if one runs dry and I catch it right away, it will pick back up. But if not then I am on the side of the road priming.... Plus this is really hard on the injection pump, so really best not to do.

There are exceptions, the two cycle detriot deisels are self priming, and the Cummins HBI engines are self priming too.

[slammer]

Try putting air pressure (8_10#) in fuel tank while turning over engine

[yfrank14]

The first thing you have to learn is, if you have a leak in the fuel system, when you turn the engine off, fuel drains and air gets sucked in to the fuel system. Air does not burn.
Depending on the size of the leak, you might hand pump it enough to start it, but you will lose prime as soon as you shut it off.
You are wasting your time bleeding the
injectors.
Replace the leaking hose.
Then prime.
I am not a mechanic, i am not going to argure with those telling you to bleed at the injectors. I never did. In , i belive 1993, cummings switched to a high pressure system. On the older engines, mecanics would test by opening an ecector line and placing thier finger over it. The new system would cut through thier finger.
So, if you bleed at the injectors, be carefull.
When i blew my fuel line, i had to prime it everytime i stopped untill i found the leak, then i replaced the line, filled the fuel filter, bled, primed. It started.
Tryng to bleed or prine or start it while you have a leak is like trying to fill a bucket that has a hole in it.