crawfjc
11-05-2008, 16:22
:(:(
Ok so here is the written background and treatments I have performed recently on my 95 GMC 6.5 Diesel 2500 Vandura (121,000 miles). It all began innocently enough…when the vehicle would start, I would put it gear and it would stall. As the story goes with all the others I have read, it then became very difficult to start. The WST would come on for a split second and then go out. After turning the key many times back and forth I would occasionally be fortunate enough to get the WTS light to remain on for 10-12 seconds and the engine would then immediately start, but I really had to keep the RPMs up to prevent if from stalling out. My research told me to change the glow plug relay and the glow plugs. Upon doing that (I only was able access 7 of the 8 plugs successfully at this time), I turned on the key, the Wait To Start (WST) light came on for about 12 seconds, and the engine started immediately. Hallelujah I thought! So I started to drive around the block and the darn engine stalled halfway home...then started and I made it home. The next day it started and I went to get some fuel and again it stalled on the way home. This time it took about 30 minutes before the engine started. Further research seemed to indicate that I should change the PMD to a FSD heat sync located outside of the “valley” of the engine. $370 dollars later plus another $45 for an extension cable (plus an awful lot of blind pushing and pulling) I finished the new heat sync installation. Excitedly, I got into the vehicle and began cranking…and cracking…and cranking without success. I plugged in my engine heater outlet as well as jumped the battery with another vehicle to ensure I had adequate cranking speed to start the vehicle. All sadly, without success. Each time I tried to start the vehicle, the WTS light would come on for about 2 seconds during the initial crank and then go out. Then each time after that, the WTS light would flash on and then immediately go off. With each on/off sequence I would hear the relay click on and off (because I wasn’t confident enough to put the doghouse cover back on LOL).
At that time I learned about The Diesel Page so I joined and ordered the 6.5 trouble shooting manual. More web research led me to believe that I might need to ground the FSD which I did…no change. Additionally, while everything was open, I removed the gas filter, cleaned the canister, installed a new gas filter and bled the line. I also learned of the paper clip test to read the DTCs. I was getting 14, 31, 42, 57, and 58. Reading accounts/suggestions from others seem to indicate that 57 was the problem code so I began trying to look at all the negative connections (I feel a little lost when it comes to electrical stuff). In my ignorance of my van, I discovered that I had a 2nd battery under the vehicle behind the driver’s seat. Severe corrosion presented a challenge to both access and removing the battery. Purchase notes on the top of the battery would place the battery at 10 years old…hmmmm, it was only labeled as a 60 monther. After changing that battery along with two new connection studs, I got in the vehicle and it fired right up. I ran it for five minutes and then it shut off. I re-read the DTCs and got 31, 48, 57, and 58. I then reset the codes and cranked the vehicle again…it fired right up. This time I let it run for 3 hours and turned it off. I read the DTCs and again got 14, 31, 42, 57, and 58. I tried to start the vehicle again and it wouldn’t start having the same scenario as listed previously (in italic font) would occur. I tried to reset the codes as I had in the past by pressing the brake and accelerator pedal simultaneously without success. I read the DTCs again and am only receiving 57 at this time. I just waited 6 hours and tried to start again without success…still getting only 57 on the DTC.
Next, I have examined 4 of the 5 grounds that I found; unscrewed, cleaned and tightened…there are two small wires that go from the primary ground under the front upward…one I think goes to the IP(?) and I don’t know where the other goes…additionally, I grounded the FSD back to the battery with a separate wire…should I have done that or not?
I've gone through the 25 questions that TDP wanted me to answer and they can be listed in separate post. So where do I go from here? It seems something strange is going on in the grounding system…or the FSD? All advice/comments would be considered helpful.
JC
Ok so here is the written background and treatments I have performed recently on my 95 GMC 6.5 Diesel 2500 Vandura (121,000 miles). It all began innocently enough…when the vehicle would start, I would put it gear and it would stall. As the story goes with all the others I have read, it then became very difficult to start. The WST would come on for a split second and then go out. After turning the key many times back and forth I would occasionally be fortunate enough to get the WTS light to remain on for 10-12 seconds and the engine would then immediately start, but I really had to keep the RPMs up to prevent if from stalling out. My research told me to change the glow plug relay and the glow plugs. Upon doing that (I only was able access 7 of the 8 plugs successfully at this time), I turned on the key, the Wait To Start (WST) light came on for about 12 seconds, and the engine started immediately. Hallelujah I thought! So I started to drive around the block and the darn engine stalled halfway home...then started and I made it home. The next day it started and I went to get some fuel and again it stalled on the way home. This time it took about 30 minutes before the engine started. Further research seemed to indicate that I should change the PMD to a FSD heat sync located outside of the “valley” of the engine. $370 dollars later plus another $45 for an extension cable (plus an awful lot of blind pushing and pulling) I finished the new heat sync installation. Excitedly, I got into the vehicle and began cranking…and cracking…and cranking without success. I plugged in my engine heater outlet as well as jumped the battery with another vehicle to ensure I had adequate cranking speed to start the vehicle. All sadly, without success. Each time I tried to start the vehicle, the WTS light would come on for about 2 seconds during the initial crank and then go out. Then each time after that, the WTS light would flash on and then immediately go off. With each on/off sequence I would hear the relay click on and off (because I wasn’t confident enough to put the doghouse cover back on LOL).
At that time I learned about The Diesel Page so I joined and ordered the 6.5 trouble shooting manual. More web research led me to believe that I might need to ground the FSD which I did…no change. Additionally, while everything was open, I removed the gas filter, cleaned the canister, installed a new gas filter and bled the line. I also learned of the paper clip test to read the DTCs. I was getting 14, 31, 42, 57, and 58. Reading accounts/suggestions from others seem to indicate that 57 was the problem code so I began trying to look at all the negative connections (I feel a little lost when it comes to electrical stuff). In my ignorance of my van, I discovered that I had a 2nd battery under the vehicle behind the driver’s seat. Severe corrosion presented a challenge to both access and removing the battery. Purchase notes on the top of the battery would place the battery at 10 years old…hmmmm, it was only labeled as a 60 monther. After changing that battery along with two new connection studs, I got in the vehicle and it fired right up. I ran it for five minutes and then it shut off. I re-read the DTCs and got 31, 48, 57, and 58. I then reset the codes and cranked the vehicle again…it fired right up. This time I let it run for 3 hours and turned it off. I read the DTCs and again got 14, 31, 42, 57, and 58. I tried to start the vehicle again and it wouldn’t start having the same scenario as listed previously (in italic font) would occur. I tried to reset the codes as I had in the past by pressing the brake and accelerator pedal simultaneously without success. I read the DTCs again and am only receiving 57 at this time. I just waited 6 hours and tried to start again without success…still getting only 57 on the DTC.
Next, I have examined 4 of the 5 grounds that I found; unscrewed, cleaned and tightened…there are two small wires that go from the primary ground under the front upward…one I think goes to the IP(?) and I don’t know where the other goes…additionally, I grounded the FSD back to the battery with a separate wire…should I have done that or not?
I've gone through the 25 questions that TDP wanted me to answer and they can be listed in separate post. So where do I go from here? It seems something strange is going on in the grounding system…or the FSD? All advice/comments would be considered helpful.
JC