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Reference Material: Stalling/Fishbiting/No-Start

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Engine Stalling

One of the most troubling issues for any vehicle owner to be driving down the road, minding their own business, when the engine decides to go on holiday and go to zero RPM. Weather you are at 70MPH or 7, it doesn’t matter, you still lose power steering and power brakes. Your colon may still be powered though…… but I digress.

Anyone who has ever heard, seen, or knew a friend of a friend that had a 6.5TD, knows about this notorious stalling issue. For some of us, that’s good. How you ask? People didn’t want their 6.5 anymore because of this little flaw. Good for us, because we have a few nuggets of wisdom to pass on to you to help prevent this problem.

There are several reasons for stalling. Listed below are a few items that tend to come to mind whenever we hear the word “stalling.” There is one other term that you may not be as familiar with. That is called “fishbiting.” That is a near-stall or “miss.” It is a split second loss of power. Some of this items are inter-related, so read on.

PMD/FSD – This is the same thing. PMD stands for Pump Mounted Driver. FSD stands for Fuel Solenoid Driver. Why the difference in terminology? Location, location, location. It’s the same do-dad, just indicates if you’ve moved it to a new and better home. You’ll need to check out the PMD reference material thread to read up in depth on it’s failures. But don't stop here. There are more reasons that you may have a stalling issue... read on.

Fuel Supply issues – One of the most common failures is not supplying the injection pump (IP) with the proper amount of fuel. The Lift pump is responsible for that. This is another one of the most common items to fail on the fuel system aiding in “stalling.” See the lift pump thread. See also fuel leaks thread

Dirty Fuel Pickup Sock – The sock in the bottom of the fuel tank helps to keep out the big crud from entering the fuel system. If the sock plugs up, fuel flow is restricted, and can lead to stalling. See the "Snot in my Stockings" thread

Ignition switch failure – This is the relay that powers everything when the key is on. We are not talking the key tumbler here either. Here is a thread to help

Engine Grouding is another key issue - check the braided cable between passenger head and firewall. See this thread for more info.

Optical Sensor Filter Harness – Usually limited to Pre-96 vehicles (OBD-I) computer systems, this plugs into the 6 pin connector on the top of the IP. It gets a bad connection, or the wiring breaks and causes the ECM issues. Can result in fishbiting, or other problems too. Not necessarily a stalling item, but something to consider. OBD-II vehicles did not come equipped with it, but check to see if one is installed in case you have replaced IP that had one installed on it.

Bad battery connections and grounds – Sometimes overlooked, your battery connections and engine grounds need some TLC. Removal, cleaning, and reinstallation of these major connections will help insure good clean connections. Breaking these connections through corrosion and vibration can lead to stalling or other problems. If you didn't click this link before about engine grounds, here it is again.
No-start condition can be any of the above also. You may also want to check your ECM-B fuse in the case of a no-start but engine crank condition.

So what’s your reason for stalling? Could be one or more of the above listed items. Take time to review the links within each category to see which may be causing you problem. A comprehensive diagnostic checklist has been provided at the top of the 6.5 Forum to assist us in helping you find the root cause of your problem. Fill it out completely cut and paste the questions with your answers, and we'll be glad to assist you. Holding back on information holds you up, and can cost YOU time and money.
 
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