Starting up weird... [UPDATE]

[slow_90firebird]

Hey guys sorry I been away a while- been pretty busy lately. I'm going to school now in Oklahoma, and working part time at autozone. Anyway I drove the dodge here 1700 miles last august, and only been using it rarely for short trips since.

Last week I went to my roomates house in mccurtain county, it was 230mi round trip. I filled up before I left and didnt realize until I was already pumping that I was getting B10, or 10% biodiesel, from Love's.

During the trip it seemed to run ok, maybe a little less power but it was hard to tell. Ever since it sat 2 days at his house with that B10 it has been kinda funky starting up... I thought it was just the cold weather and I forgot to wait for the grid heaters.

I put a tank of regular shell diesel in when i got back to durant, and now it still starts funky - but only if the truck sits for a few hours or more. The past 2 days have been fairly warm, like 50 or 60, not even cold enough for the preheat cycle. But it still happens.

What it does is it still fires on the first or second revolution, no excessive cranking. But when it catches it kinda chuggs for a second then goes to a really low idle that slowly comes up to normal, over maybe 5-10 seconds.

Before, it would always start right up and immediately idle at whatever was the normal speed - a little less RPM when cold and it would come up as it got warmer. But never anything really low like this chugging.

I'm debating driving this truck back to CT for Christmas and then back to OK in January. But not if something is getting ready to let go. Its a 93 W250 Auto with 286K on the stock pump and motor, with a new LP lift pump installed last year that has worked great.

Thanks!

[RCCUMMINS89]

It's possible that you may have a small fuel leak and it is refilling the fuel filter/lines for a little bit.

Mine does that if I work on the injection pump and/or put on a new fuel filter without filling it....it'll fire right up but then labor for a few seconds.

[slow_90firebird]

My IP is a little damp always has been since i took the top off for the 3200 spring 3 years ago. But no drips or leaks.

I need to get a video next time it does it...

[cmann250]

FYI all diesel is B5, so B10 shouldn't be a big deal. IMO truck stop fuel is literally the bottom of the barrel. Unless you always fill up at that same station, I'd blame that. If the issue persists after 2 or 3 tanks of good fuel, then something else may be up. A combination of sketchy fuel and old fuel would throw a warning in my mind.

[slow_90firebird]

Here was last nite:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1QPVW8zkkI

I dont think all diesel is B5 here- I never seen it on the pumps at least...

[PToombs]

Caleb, fuel out this way is straight diesel.

[cmann250]

Not to be a tin foil hatter, but I think its a government mandate. They don't have to tell you about it.

Maybe it's gas being E10.

I may be getting old and senile hanging around you old guys (Pete!)

[RCCUMMINS89]

Fuel out here is straight diesel as well. Crappy diesel, but diesel non the less.

It seems, though, that a lot of fuel from around the country has crap (additives) in it.

[PToombs]

Yeah, gas here has that ethanol crap in it. Great for the places selling fuel line for weedeaters and chain saws and stuff.

[slow_90firebird]

I got to thinking, and I wonder if I might be worrying over nothing? I realized that every fall in CT sometime in september my truck would start to smell strongly of Kerosene, smoke white at idle, and lose 3mpg. I always attributed it to the "winter blend."

Now, its December, i'm in southern oklahoma, and I havent noticed any Kerosene smell or smoking at idle yet. Is it possible that due to the warmer climate, gas stations might be selling summer diesel all year round? Because if that was the case, then I might see how it would be harder to start in the 40's and 50's.



On a side note, there are so many gas stations around here that sell ethanol-free gasoline. I have never seen anything like it until I got out here to OK. They call it different names, like "100% Gas" or "No Alcohol All Gas" or "Pure Gasoline" or "0% Ethanol" but its all a few cents more per gallon. Why is this just oklahoma, not other states?

[RCCUMMINS89]

There are a few gas stations around here that don't have ethanol in it....... not many but a few.

[KB-Cummins]

Just from what I saw in the video, I don't know if I would worry about it. Any biodiesel has cleaning properties beyond that of standard #2. I guess its possible that putting the b20 in cleaned something out in your fuel system that is choking the fuel supply a little at start up, although somewhat unlikely. If it really bothers you, for no more than the cost of a new one, you might try changing the fuel filter and seeing if that doesn't solve the problem.

[PToombs]

We have ethanol free gas here at the Fastracks and a few other stations. Of course it's the premium so you pay top dollar!

[CumminsPower59]

Here in IA, there is only B2 blends at select carriers, most is standard #2. From October to march"ish", fuel is treated, and I do notice a 2mpg loss on my pile...and 5-7mpg loss on my VW. Most gas stations have ethanol, and standard 87. Not a fan of ethanol myself...maybe in newer stuff, but not in anything of mine that burns gas...

[slow_90firebird]

Ok guys heres a short update...

The hard starting has gotten worse in the cold - I have to try 2 or 3 times, and it finally keeps going and lopes for a little bit like a car with a big cam. After 5-10sec its always ok though.

Yesterday, I tried something new. The truck sat all night before- so it was cold. I went under the hood and manually pumped the plunger on my LP piston lift pump. I did it like 30 times or more. Went into truck, turned the key, and it fired right up first try with just a very minor stumble and went straight into a nice idle.

I am guessing there is some part of the fuel system that is supposed to be under pressure even after the truck shuts down, and somehow that pressure or prime is bleeding down.

I checked for external fuel leaks and cant find any - i kept a real good look when I was priming the lift pump figuring if it was a cold leak I might see something... nope. What do you think? Fuel draining back to the tank? Fuel draining into the oil? Fuel going out the injectors? Im not sure whats common on these trucks?

Either way, once its going it runs just as good as it ever did. I still plan to drive the truck back to CT tomorrow...