Won't start, loses prime, what's next??

MelissaC · 11-06-2009, 06:41 PM

I have been reading a lot of posts on here for a while about trucks losing prime. We have an 03 chevy duramax. We started out with slow starts for a while then it just wouldn't start at all without gas on a rag over the intake. It runs great when we get it started. We have replaced the fuel filter, bleeder screw, water in fuel sensor and just received a new fuel filter housing from dmaxwrenchkit.com. I just knew that would fix it, but no, still won't start. We are out a lot of money with no results. My husband replaced the filter housing tonight but never could get it to start after bleeding it so he used gas on a rag. It ran fine for an hour or so. He killed it and it won't start. Any advice would be appreciated.

mijdirtyjeep · 11-06-2009, 06:45 PM

Just throwing out a random thought, but when it does start is it knocking or lacking power. Does it smoke at idle at all when you do get it started.

MelissaC · 11-06-2009, 06:49 PM

No, it runs great when we get it started. It has a lot of power. No smoking either.

mijdirtyjeep · 11-06-2009, 06:59 PM

HUM, I was just thinking the injectors had high return rates and if too high the CP3 can not build enough pressure to fire the engine. But with the gas soaked rag it would give it that little extra fuel it needs to fire.

MelissaC · 11-06-2009, 07:09 PM

Yeah, not having any of those problems. It runs really great when it starts.

**delong_1** · 11-06-2009, 07:11 PM

it would be helpful to be able to log it while cranking to see what the fuel pressure is doing.

happyduramax · 11-06-2009, 07:15 PM

sounds like the cp3 pump is going bad , we had one in the shop , and with the tech 2 we where watching the fuel preasure and when it hit i belive arounf 5,000 psi it wuld start. it would have exstended crank , we put a pump in it and it was happy , i'm not saying that is your problem , but you need a scaner to see what the preasure is