Chrysler Repair: 01 dodge ram 3500:no fuel pump action, dodge ram 3500, fuel pump relay

Question
Well hello. I just bought a 01 dodge 3500 and we had to prime it by sticking air in te tank and putting diesel on the filter and the guy toled me it was te fuel pump and that it would work for abought 3 weeks wich was going to give me time to have it fixed but the next day I went out to start it and it wouldn't run! So I bought a new fuel pump and put it in and I still can't hear it come on I would like to know what I should do to fix it? It's my every day driver plz help

Answer
Hi Kevin,
The fuel pump depends upon fuse 17 (15 amp) working and also on the fuel pump relay. So check the fuse to begin with. Then have a helper turn the key from off to run position while you listed for the fuel pump to run for about 1 second and then stop. Then when the helper tries the 'start' position you should hear the fuel pump again though it may be hard to hear it over the noise from the engine. If it doesn't seem to run you could try switching out the relay with another one of the same part number that is not needed for the engine to run and see if that works.
If the fuel pump still won't activate when you are cranking it over, then you need to borrow a fault code reader and plug it in to the socket that hangs down under the dash at the left hand end of the dash to learn if the engine controller has recorded a specifc fault code number which will explain why the engine won't start. So try and borrow a fault code reader and plug it in there and get any fault code numbers which are 4-digit and are preceded by a P.
That fuse 17 is based upon the '04 manual so I can't be certain that it is the same for your '01 model.
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Thanks,
Roland