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03 2500 starting and dying help

JoshikusIII

New Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2018
Messages
6
Location
Brooks, KY
To preface, I've had it for about a month, this was the last bit of a tank of 89 octane and chevron fuel system cleaner. Truck has 197k miles on it, 150k on the engine. IMO it runs well for the mileage. Maintenance was done in the early years of the truck but just in looking at things like air filters and the engine bay, hasn't had any attention except oil changes in a while.

Yesterday while driving home the 8.1 died on me, so I drifted to the side of the road, called my wife, got on cafcna  to search, she came with some gas just in case. About 65 miles was left on the readout and almost 2 full notches on the fuel guage. I kept trying to restart until she got there. Put some of the gas in, waited several minutes pondering what the issue could be and read more on cafcna and she started up and I drove about 15 miles freeway and it dies again 2 miles from home. Tried restarting, tried restarting, tried putting more gas, tried restarting. At this point I'm just killing battery and wearing out the starter so my wife pulled me home with her 98 Durango. I'm sure that was a sight for some passersby on the road.

It doesn't seem to be alternator or battery related, but I don't know, I'm not the sharpest mechanic.

So I went and bought a cheap code reader, no codes. It's acting like it's out of gas. I read the 01 and 02 models had crankshaft sensor issues, but I'm leaning towards fuel pump or clogged fuel filter. I don't have much money and just basic tools so I'm just trying to get it running without spending 100 bucks on this 100 bucks on that until it's fixed as we need two vehicles for work and picking the kids up. Any insight is appreciated.
 
Borrow fuel pressure gage from auto parts store and check.

Turn key on should pump up to some high number I think over 50PSI....

Then turn key off and watch... should remain high for some good while...

But if it bleeds off record how long it takes to get to some pressure say 15 or 25PSI...

read threads on here about FUEL PUMP
 
Yep, like ygmn says check the fuel pressure..

Just turn the key to the run position, do not start it and listen under the truck by the passenger side behind the driver and you should hear the fuel pump run for a few seconds. If you don't hear anything there's a good chance it's the fuel pump, could be the relay but unlikely. 
 
Thanks

I actually had a fuel pressure gauge surprisingly. It read nothing at all when I turned the key on. I guess it could be faulty it's been at the bottom of a toolbox for 15 years. I did hear the fuel pump kick on though. I went and got a fuel filter to change it and with any luck that's all it will be.
 
The other thing it could be is the fuel pressure regulator. If you have a return fuel line then there will be a regulator in the fuel line on the intake manifold, drivers side rear. If you don't have one then it's at the fuel pump. So it looks like it's the fuel pump if you have no pressure at the fuel rail.
 
what was fuel pressure?

everything else you are doing is guessing.
 
I agree about the guessing. Not sure what else to do with no codes tripped. Fuel pressure was absolutely 0 on the gauge I have. I will check the regulator when the rain stops.
 
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