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03 Duramax shut off won't restart

22K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  jc1843 
#1 ·
Yesterday, I start my rig up and backed it up a slope in my driveway. Left the vehicle idling for about 5 minutes while I moved another vehicle in the drive. As I walked back to my Duramax, she turned off and now will not restart.

I bled the water pepcock and primed the filter, still no response. She turns over fine but just won't fire. No smoke in the tail either, fule is low but not enough to activate low fuel light (was actually headed out to refuel). Can't figure this one out, hate to call a tow and pay GM big duckies for something I might can do. Any thoughts?

By the way, this a 03 with 149k on it.
 
#2 ·
I would get some fuel in a can an put it in the tank and reprime the system. I don't ever trust that low fuel light. I have never seen mine come on and I have ran it to where I had to put 25 gallons in it ( I have a 26 gallon tank). You could be having injector problems, but it still sounds like you have air in the system.
 
#3 ·
Thanks

Appreciate the post but I ended up having it towed to the... DEALER$HIP Getting ready for the royal bend over. I replaced the fuel filter and reprimed the system yesterday but still nothing. She turns over fine but still acting like no fuel. I don't think fuel is even getting the injectors because there is no hint of smoke or fumes in the tail. I am really perplexed at this, I hope it is something minor (if that's even possible). Once she's fixed, I plan to sell and possibly move to a newer one.
 
#4 ·
I'd think that you got a big gulp of air in the fuel system. Bad injector(s) would not act this way. I've had the low fuel light come on and less than 1/4 mile later it stopped running. Added 5 gallons of fuel, primed her and went on my way.
Are you getting good fuel out of the bleed port?
Any chance you wrinkled the o-ring on the filter and gave it a place to suck air? Filter runs in a vacuum.
 
#6 · (Edited)
OK Gunny, here's is where I eat the crow. Damn thing was "Out of Fuel". Here's my beef, the OBC read 92 DTE, the fuel gauge indicated just under a quarter, no fuel light on and clean fuel to the filter after the prime. tech asked where it was sitting when it shut off. I told him it was on a 23 degree slope, he said that was the issue. Apparently the fuel pickup is centered in the middle of the tank and all fuel had gone toward the front of the tank while on the slope. He said he was only reading 24 lbs of pressure and the system requires 63 lbs in order to send fuel (?????). And thus "A big gulp of air" entered the system. What an ass I felt like. Paid the $86 for the embarrassing info and the $60 for the tow as well as the $40 for the new filter but somewhere this will be listed as "Priceless". Well, thanks for the correct advice, just wish I didn't resort to the tow so quickly.
 
#7 ·
got an '03, had dealer change out fuel filter and oil change last Sat.
no problems on why home, went out today, haven't drove since dealer work and will turn over, but not start.
tank has 3/4 in it.
it is sitting in driveway with an incline, slight...
any ideas?
 
#8 ·
Sounds like an air leak......

>>>>Dealer may not have installed filter correctly<<<<

Crack in WIF sensor
Crack in filter housing
Pin hole in fuel line from tank where it may have been rubbing against the body or frame
Bad FPR, my buddie had a similar experience when the dealer wasn't careful changing his filter, allowed trash in system and contaminated the FPR.
 
#9 ·
You might try this--if you have a shop vac-- use the blower part -clean the vac first and inside of the hose-- place a clean rag over the hose to catch any dirt-- place the hose over the fuel tank filler tube and run it for about 5 minutes. That will pressurize the fuel system all the way from the tank to the CP3. Now check for any fuel that may have been pushed out. That will show where the system might be sucking air.

(You can use a air compressor, but you need to keep the pressure to about 8 lbs in the tank, The shop vac will not over pressurize the tank)
 
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