Hey guys, I have a 3004.5 Ram 3500 and lately I have had problems with starting in the Morning. I start it up and it runs for about 2 seconds then coughs and sputters and some times dies. I re-start it and usually it runs fine after that. Should I pin the blame on the lift pump or look further? I know that Dodge no longer supports the OEM lift pump, but switched to the one in the tank. Which is better? I can find both on line, but I am traveling and just want to get back home without tearing up my Injector pump. What are your thoughts? Also, I am pulling a 19 foot travel trailer so I want to make sure my Injector pump is getting enough fuel how can I check the lift pump pressure to make sure it is working properly?

 

Start simple first. Whens the last time you changed your fuel filter?

 

about 3 weeks ago. However it had started doing this before I changed it.

 

GM uses the same CP3 injection pump as CTD does and with no lift pump, so if the lift pump is gone on yer truck it will still run as the CP3 has enough jam to pull fuel from the tank. Could be a faulty FCA = fuel control actuator or electrical problem - seeing any codes?

 

How do you pull the codes? I made it home from my trip, truck seems to only have problems at starting. Has power otherwise. Bought a new transfer pump and will install it as soon as I have time. It seems like I can hear the transfer pump running when I turn on the key switch. Usually If I let the pump run, It starts with out any problem.

 

Well I changed the transfer pump today. When I bled the air out of it by turning on the key switch, and bumping the starter, it started fine, but then coughed and sputtered a little bit. After that it seemed ok so I got out and started picking up tools while it was idling then it coughed again and died. I was able to restart it with out any problems and then I revved it up a bit then let it idle till I finished picking up tools. Took it out for a test run and all seemed fine. Then I worked on other things for the rest of the day and at the end of the day it started up fine. Will see if this fixed it. One question I have for you all is what is the best replacement for the lift pump? In the tank conversion, or a drop in replacement on the fuel filter?

 

Still having the problem, and it is getting more frequent! Once it gets past the coughing/sometimes dying stage it runs great! has no problems doing 70 up a hill that has a passing lane for trucks!

 

I had the same problem. It seemed to only happen when it was cold. I started using oem fuel filters and adding some additives. I think it did help for awhile.

Since then I have had to replace the whole fuel system( I installed air dog150, modified cp3, and 50hp injectors) I hope this fixes all my problems.

On a seperate note. I live in california and having a camper shell myself I went to DMV, I had them switch the commercial title on the truck to a non-commercial title. It saved me $250 a yr on registration.

 

Hey guys just reviving the thread to give an update. I finally just figured out what was causing the problems. I was having problems with it dying or coughing and sputtering when it was cold and some surging. I finally took the truck to a place the specialized in fuel systems for diesels ( Prince George Fuel Injection), and they found that the pressure regulator that is mounted on the side of the injector pump was bad. Changed the pressure regulator and now it runs like it is brand new again! Also they checked my injectors and said all looked good. The did however suggest that I look into adding a Racor filter to my fuel system. The went on to say that several guys have been in with the 6.7s that have had injector failure and Dodge would not warranty them because they had run water through them. Dodge's claim was that they should have drained the filter when the water in fuel light came on. Unfortunately Dodge's water in fuel sensors are junk! What the shop suggested is to put in a Racor 660 filter with a 2 micron filter between the lift pump and the injector pump. Racor is known for their fuel filtration systems on boats and they are one of the best filters for removing water from the fuel. Just something to think about

Norm