12 valve help

pipeline

pipeline

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Nov 8, 2005
Location
Albemarle
I'm new to diesel's but have a mechanic background. I have a 97 Dodge 3500 dually that I purchased a few months ago. It has a few quirks but Hasn't been to bad till yesterday. I was letting it warm up and smelled something burning then I noticed smoke coming from under the hood. So today I had someone else help me look for the location of the source of the smoke. I quickly saw something on the drivers side of the block start glowing red and smoking as soon as the switch was on. It was coming from the top of something that looks similar to a fuel bowl/filter. Any Ideas on what this is?


I also have a problem with the truck going out of overdrive at times. It will intermitantly change in and out of OD. While it is doing this the Tach will quit and the voltage guage will drop. Was told this might be the tp sensor?

Also my cruise control doesn't work.

Wondering if tp sensor/apps is the problem
Thanks, Eric
 
Sounds like the grid heater, aka air inlet pre-heater, kind of like a toaster oven element to pre-heat the air (this is why you don't use ether staring fluid). Dunno if its stuck on or what. The relay is up front on top of the drivers side rail, as you might imagine, its got a beefy cable to/from it, right off the drivers side battery. It'd be nice to have with winter coming, but you could probably run with out it, especially while you diagnose this. It might be different if we were in Montana or some place that got real cold.
 
RenegadeT said:
Sounds like the grid heater, aka air inlet pre-heater, kind of like a toaster oven element to pre-heat the air (this is why you don't use ether staring fluid). Dunno if its stuck on or what. The relay is up front on top of the drivers side rail, as you might imagine, its got a beefy cable to/from it, right off the drivers side battery. It'd be nice to have with winter coming, but you could probably run with out it, especially while you diagnose this. It might be different if we were in Montana or some place that got real cold.
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Fri. night I plugged in the block heater for the first time. It started fine Sat. morning but that is also when the smoke started. would this have something to do with it also?
 
Your glowing orb is likely the fuel shut-off solenoid. The grid heater is up top where the intake pipe meets the engine, and the solenoids are on the driver's wheelwell. I don't think it's gonna be that.

You'll also want to replace the starter contacts (Search for "LarryB" for these) When you do the shut-off solenoid - they're linked, and doing the contacts will save you several hundred later when the starter sticks engaged.

The O/D issue could be TPS, could also be the tach pickup on the front of the engine. That might solve your cruise control also, but that could be a separate issue, since the CC motor sits right under the driver's side battery and gets eaten up by acid.

Join the dieseltruckresource board - these are all common 2nd Gen problems.
 
Rich said:
You'll also want to replace the starter contacts (Search for "LarryB" for these) When you do the shut-off solenoid - they're linked, and doing the contacts will save you several hundred later when the starter sticks engaged.

.
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What is this you speak of? I have a 95 model that has burned up 2 shut off solenoids. I have replaced the relays on the firewall as well but every now and then it sticks. I've been unplugging the solenoid harness when it happens and the truck dies so it doesn't burn up the solenoid again.
 
Rich said:
You'll also want to replace the starter contacts (Search for "LarryB" for these) When you do the shut-off solenoid - they're linked, and doing the contacts will save you several hundred later when the starter sticks engaged.

.
Click to expand...
Thanks I found it :cool:
 
here is a pic. of one of the problems. Look at the wire going in at the top left.

ai125.photobucket.com_albums_p71_egulls2_dodge.jpg
 
Ohhh yeah, the pre-heater... mine was disconnected also.. :D
 
hey i think you got a oil leak. haha. about time for me to replace the front crank shaft seal on mine. isnt the saying for dodge the same for jeep... if it aint leaking then its out of oil.
 
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