Electrical failure

[nape]

Make it go away please!!!!!! What can cause a kill switch to fail? I have one that has failed, replaced it with one, used but working, and it failed in a few days, 800 miles. What in the world can cause this? Where can you get a new kill switch? Nape

[nape]

I forgot to include that the glow plug system does not work on this truck. It is a 90 model suburban and it has worked sporadically but now only works during the crank cycle. It all seems to be a problem with grounding but I can not seem to find it. If I put a new kill switch will it fail also???? Nape

[john8662]

Which kill swich, the solenoid on the injection pump? Make sure the one you had was actually bad, if you take that solenoid and ground the casing, and then energize the solenoid terminal on the pump. The solenoid should do something. There are two solenoids on that top cover, one for advance and the other for shutoff, the larger one is shut off.

[nape]

The solenoid works but not completley. The truck will crank right up but then starves for fuel. I checked out everything else and then replaced the solenoid from another pump. This fixed the truck but then it repeated itself about 800 miles later. The solenoid seems to work fine but the longer you run it the weaker the truck gets. The engine never now runs correctly and I am afraid to replace and ruin another solenoid. I don't know where to get a new one. Nape

[john8662]

Have you tested the solenoid off the engine? For example, use two wires to energize the oid solenoid directly off the battery, for a test, leave it on and see if it duplicates itself. If the solenoid proves to be defective, in that it won't hold it's setting through extended use, then you're right in that it's bad. Otherwise you might have some idea of somewhere else to look in the wiring, grounds?

I've talked to a local pump builder and he informed me that he rarely see's a shutoff solenoid fail, although he has seen them fail. He mainly replaces them when the caseing on the solenoid cracks. Similar problems with two solenoids, I would be suspisious of something else. For a new solenoid you could probably contact Diesel Injection Service www.dieselpage.com (http://www.dieselpage.com) or a local diesel shop, install that one, and see how far it goes.

[nape]

John, thanks for the info. I am going to try something I have just found out. A local pump man told me that the overflow line out of the pump has a check valve that can stick effectively cutting off the fuel supply. He says to remove the fitting from the pump and knock out the ball and spring and clean them. I am going to try this next. Thanks again, nape

[nape]

Success!!!!!!!!! The overflow fitting was indeed stopped up with a glass epoxy looking substance. My fitting had no check valve. I cleaned out the stuff with a small drill bit, buffed the fitting, washed it out with ether and reinstalled it. The truck runs great!!!!!!!! I looked at the other kill switch and removed the same fitting (from the original kill switch) and it was stopped up to. Thanks to all. Nape