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3406e help

Beetle_Spin

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Joined
May 8, 2022
Messages
47
Location
south east texas
I've got a 1999 western star that has been sitting for 5 years. ran great when parked but now cant get it to run for the life of me. will turn over all day fine and busts off on either but won't run on its own. I've changed the battery's both filters hand primer and checked fuses any help is greatly appreciated. I'm just about bald after 3 weeks of messing with this thing and pulling my hair out. also please be kind im new to diesels but very handy on gas engines.
 

skyking1

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Nov 3, 2020
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Location
washington
welcome to the forums :)
Someone will be along with some questions for you. I don't know enough to be helpful on the subject.
 

funwithfuel

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Mar 7, 2017
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5,518
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Will county Illinois
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Mechanic
5 year old fuel? What did the fuel look like? Is the check engine light on? Can you retrieve any flash codes? How about vermin damage, any chance the harness has been devoured? Did you remove the air cleaners, any bee or birds nest? There should be 2 10 amp fuses, either at the batteries or at the starter connections, how are they? These are the most basic checks. Good luck
 

JPV

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Aug 20, 2015
Messages
756
Location
S.W. Washington
You need to make sure it has fuel pressure while cranking. A guage on the pressure tap on the fuel filter housing is the best way to check that but if you pump the hand primer while cranking and it gets really hard to pump that is good, if it doesn't that is bad. Does the hand primer get real firm and do you hear a little squeak when pumping it without cranking? There is a pressure regulator valve that could be stuck open if not.
Usually the only thing that keeps those from firing up in my experience is the ecm has lost power or ground (or failed but that is very rare), low fuel pressure that can be caused by a few things, or a failed crank sensor if it is the version of motor that only has one. Does the tach move while cranking? Those are a few basics anyway. If you post the serial number of the motor someone can tell you which pins at the ecm are power and which are ground, there are a few of each.
 

JPV

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Messages
756
Location
S.W. Washington
To retrieve flash codes turn the key on, turn the cruise control on/off switch off and hold the set/resume switch up for a few seconds and watch the check engine light. They are 2 digit flash codes and if there are a few it takes a minute to cycle through so it might take a few times through them to make sure you have them right. A 55 code is "all clear, no codes".
 

Junkyard

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Jun 5, 2016
Messages
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Location
Claremore, OK
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Field Mechanic
A couple things come to mind for me, as mentioned the ECM fuse, fuel pressure and related fuel system issues. Sitting 5 years and not knowing what shape it was in before it was parked I wonder if you don’t have injector o-rings that are dried up/junk and/or injectors that are shot from sitting with nasty fuel/oil in them. I’ve had some come out that looked like they sat on the bottom of the ocean.

Might not hurt to pop a valve cover and see what things look like under there once you exhausted all the external issues. I’m leaning toward a critter getting into the wiring.
 

Beetle_Spin

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Joined
May 8, 2022
Messages
47
Location
south east texas
primer pump gets hard just sitting and while turning over can also hear a squeal or fuel going into the tank check engine lights don't cut on I'm starting to think a wire is broken or a mouse chewed it somewhere ill have to trace it all out
also tac moves but goes from zero and drops down below zero
also any way to test the cam/crank sensors with a volt meter or something
 

funwithfuel

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Will county Illinois
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I think those are hall effect sensors iirc, measuring with ohmmeter kills them. You need to measure frequency coming out. It's been forever, maybe someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
 

Truck Shop

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Dec 7, 2015
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WWW.
A handy tool to have in cases like this is a Cat Harness Bypass P/N 129-2018.
Code for Engine Speed/Timing Signal-{190-02}.
 

Beetle_Spin

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Joined
May 8, 2022
Messages
47
Location
south east texas
i havent located any broken wires found a 20 amp fuse behind the ignition that was busted up swaped it still no start got underneath looking for and broken corroded or any wires hanging chewed etc and discovered the starter is extremely loose other than that nothing interesting for now ill keep yall updated and keep searching
 

Beetle_Spin

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May 8, 2022
Messages
47
Location
south east texas
sorry for all the posts i believe the cam sensor has power and is working the tac moves when turning over fluctuates a 1 or 200 rpms when turn over also have power at the plug im at a loss on it
 

funwithfuel

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Mar 7, 2017
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Will county Illinois
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Mechanic
Tach is driven off flywheel speed sensor. Engine position should be on bottom of cam gear housing. Should have 4 wires going to it. Additionally, Engine speed sensor for engine should be on front of flywheel housing close to engine block, opposite starter. Sometimes, again , it's been forever, i think you could remove the cam sensor, pull the little blue probe out a little and stick it back in. Don't take that for gospel, its been 20 years.
 

JPV

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Aug 20, 2015
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756
Location
S.W. Washington
The check engine and stop engine lights should both come on when the key is turned on, if neither do and they are not burned out it sounds like there may not be communication between ecm and cab. I believe there should be 3 positive pins at the ecm, 2 are battery voltage and 1 is keyed voltage. The fuse for that may be in the fuse box and I believe the one that will cause those lights to not come on. If you can post the serial number I might be able to give you the pins to check at the ecm if you are not sure. If everything is grounded through the starter that can cause problems as well.
 

Beetle_Spin

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May 8, 2022
Messages
47
Location
south east texas
ill have to grab the vin tomorrow after work there are alot of grounds on the starter ill have to find a socket to fit the starter bolts never delt with any of this desighn also i havent seen the check engine lights on yet it i believe someone cut the wires for the pins behind the dash the data error light came on when i removed a fuse but the starter being loose and not grounding everything off sounds like a good place to start i will give a update tomorrow if i can find a socket to fit that star looking bolt
 

Beetle_Spin

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Joined
May 8, 2022
Messages
47
Location
south east texas
also thank yall for the patience and info
also sorry for sounding goofy about the bolt been a long day at work a 5/8 12 point socket will work on that bolt ill tighten it up tomarow if if iv got one
 
Last edited:

1466IH

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Feb 4, 2014
Messages
613
Location
prairie du rocher, il
The truck VIN is not going to help much here. Need the Cat engine serial number that should be on the rocker box cover. I know the older 3406's also had ESN stamped in the block on R/H side inline with the camshaft
 

Truck Shop

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According to my cat schematic pin 35 tps +, pin 6 battery + key switch, pin 4 + unswitched.
This truck didn't have Cat ID theft deterrent possibly?
 
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