• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

1995 M1078 Cranks But Won't Start

Phoenix77

Well-known member
240
543
93
Location
Greenville, NC
I read all the threads I could find about other people's encounter with this issue before starting a new thread.

I'm trying to diagnose as much of the issue as possible remotely as I await approval of my EUC.

I saw that with weak batteries it may crank, but not start. I noticed this pic of the dash in the listing: note the volt gauge. Is it worth buying a battery (or 2) and a voltmeter to the recovery, or is it less likely to simply be a weak / dead battery or two (2)?

For what it's worth, my HMMWV also from Ft. Bragg had dead batteries. The auction didn't mention any attempt to jump the truck (because they're lazy).

Thanks in advance.
53d5424c-9de5-4434-9198-8f4fce4e8934.jpg
 

NDT

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
10,457
6,530
113
Location
Camp Wood/LC, TX
Need more info on what you plan to do. Most of the time the GP folks will push your truck onto your conveyance. When my "won't start" LMTV from Bragg got here on the drop deck, two hot batteries and she fired right up. Yours might be out of fuel or plenty of other issues.
 

Phoenix77

Well-known member
240
543
93
Location
Greenville, NC
Need more info on what you plan to do. Most of the time the GP folks will push your truck onto your conveyance. When my "won't start" LMTV from Bragg got here on the drop deck, two hot batteries and she fired right up. Yours might be out of fuel or plenty of other issues.
Fuel gauge shows ~1/2 tank, I'm hoping it's batteries and nothing more intricate.
 

Reworked LMTV

Expedition Campers Limited, LLC
Supporting Vendor
1,506
1,174
113
Location
TN
I assuming the you primed the fuel system and the primer bulb got firm?
 

spankybear

Well-known member
884
911
93
Location
WA
Just because the gauge is showing something doesn't mean there is power on the truck. There are no lights on the dash and the oil pressure isn't at zero. I am thinking there is no power... When I power up my truck the oil will go to zero.

I think there would be no harm if you link to the listing so we can look at all of the pictures...
 

Ronmar

Well-known member
3,845
7,474
113
Location
Port angeles wa
Yea, what Spankybear said, electric gauges Are useless untill they are powered. Could be weak batts, but it needs enough 12v to close the relays to even crank... could be no fuel in the gallery, could be a bad run solenoid, could be as simple as a 4 pin relay in the 5 pin slot for the start unhibit relay... never hurts to take a set of batteries to a recovery...
 

Phoenix77

Well-known member
240
543
93
Location
Greenville, NC

Thanks for the input this far.

I'm going to buy a couple batteries (should I buy all four?) to take with me along with some Diesel and I've already bought a handful each of 12v and 24v 5-pin relays as well.
 

Phoenix77

Well-known member
240
543
93
Location
Greenville, NC
Are you planning to drive it home?
I live a couple hours away, so that's my plan - whether I get it running on the GP site or have it towed to a heavy truck repair place in Fayetteville first - at some point, I will be driving it home and not having it towed there for troubleshooting
 

Asymair95

Active member
115
50
28
Location
Tucson, AZ
Bring a full compliment of tools and fluids with you and plan on several hours of pmcs before you leave. Check out member awesomeness he has a checklist of known problem areas with these trucks.

I drove mine home too, but it needed a ton of work before we left the lot.
 

Phoenix77

Well-known member
240
543
93
Location
Greenville, NC
I just visited my LMTV at the GovPlanet yard today while there to pick.up some other stuff.

All four (4) batteries are dead, per voltmeter. Good new is they are NAPA, and we're manufactured 3/20, so I should be able to get them replaced for free...

The rest of the truck looked pretty legit aside from cosmetics in the cab, but whatever on that front.
 

coachgeo

Well-known member
5,147
3,462
113
Location
North of Cincy OH
I just visited my LMTV at the GovPlanet yard today while there to pick.up some other stuff.

All four (4) batteries are dead, per voltmeter. Good new is they are NAPA, and we're manufactured 3/20, so I should be able to get them replaced for free...

The rest of the truck looked pretty legit aside from cosmetics in the cab, but whatever on that front.
hmmm.... new batteries and then they still decided to auction her off..... look her over realllll close.
 

coachgeo

Well-known member
5,147
3,462
113
Location
North of Cincy OH
hmmm.... new batteries and then they still decided to auction her off..... look her over realllll close.
drain fuel tank.

Look for coolant followed by water coming out first (or visa versa) then fuel. replace with new fuel. Coolant for sure identifies another problem. Just read up on this.

 

Phoenix77

Well-known member
240
543
93
Location
Greenville, NC
drain fuel tank.

Look for coolant followed by water coming out first (or visa versa) then fuel. replace with new fuel. Coolant for sure identifies another problem. Just read up on this.


Thanks for the link; hopefully it won't come to all that.

The yard monkey at the GP site said most of the units they just got run fine, and there are at least 50 FMTV trucks there now, so I think Ft Bragg is purging.

It is the largest military installation in the world, so phasing out 90's trucks doesn't necessarily mean they're disasters.

At least, that's what I'll keep telling myself...

My 1986 M998 HMMWV just needed new batteries and clean out the fuel cell to run reliably, for example. Granted, I did just put in a new rear diff, but the old one was original to the truck.
 

simp5782

Feo, Fuerte y Formal
Supporting Vendor
12,125
9,384
113
Location
Mason, TN
Op. You are wasting your time trying to diagnose a non running truck when you aren't even at it. Could be 30 things or more.

Start with fresh fuel. Make sure the solenoid has power. Then go from there with filters, fuel lines. If you don't know proper running diagnostics asking for folks to do it for you isn't shooting in the dark and hanging on a prayer

There is a guy there at the yard that fixes trucks that need small repairs to get running. He must have not thought it was too simple. The last 6 trucks I have picked up from there the fuel tanks have been full of nasty fuel or full of water.
 

Phoenix77

Well-known member
240
543
93
Location
Greenville, NC
Op. You are wasting your time trying to diagnose a non running truck when you aren't even at it. Could be 30 things or more.

Start with fresh fuel. Make sure the solenoid has power. Then go from there with filters, fuel lines. If you don't know proper running diagnostics asking for folks to do it for you isn't shooting in the dark and hanging on a prayer

There is a guy there at the yard that fixes trucks that need small repairs to get running. He must have not thought it was too simple. The last 6 trucks I have picked up from there the fuel tanks have been full of nasty fuel or full of water.

Thanks simp; I'll bring a pump and fresh diesel with me, drain the tank and put about 10 gallons in.
 

Coffey1

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
3,871
497
83
Location
Gray Court SC
Don't rely on the guy who does small repairs at yard
He said he try every thing to start a truck we picked up. Got it home batteries and about 20 minutes ot was up and running super simple dang I remember now they were trying to slave jump it and the slave port wasn't completely hooked up.
 

Phoenix77

Well-known member
240
543
93
Location
Greenville, NC
Sadly, not yet. My EUC was submitted to TSC a five (5) weeks ago and by all accounts should have been approved two (2) to three (3) weeks ago. 😒
 

Phoenix77

Well-known member
240
543
93
Location
Greenville, NC
Don't rely on the guy who does small repairs at yard
He said he try every thing to start a truck we picked up. Got it home batteries and about 20 minutes ot was up and running super simple dang I remember now they were trying to slave jump it and the slave port wasn't completely hooked up.
Yeah; I have had a lot of interaction with the main guy at the yard and he doesn't inspire confidence. They do the absolute bare minimum.at best to disposition items to sell.
 
Top