CM 870 hard start issue

[Evotrucker]

Hey guys! I'm new here.

also Rawze thanks for the invite bud! :D

so recently i got a 05 volvo vnl 670 with a cummins cm 870 in it and its had several minor issues that i could deal with since i dont mind getting dirty to get a job done right. so the truck has had a hard start issue since i got the truck. I wasn't sure when the last time its had the fluids changed so i changed the oil, oil filter, fuel filter, fuel water separator filter also changed the coolant " I fucked up and didn't put a bucket to save the old coolant....". so when i was changing the fluids, i noticed in the fuel water bowl, bubbles were coming up... not good, so when i took it off, i noticed that it wasn't put on right. when i put it back on with the new filter. i figured the engine took in some air when they changed the fuel water filter.... i drained the fuel like 3 or 4 times and cycled it in the process. still not a fix for the hard start :/.... also i put in 4 new batteries and cleaned the brass bars for the battery's and the positive and negative cables.
after i did that the truck would turn over and start right away. the next morning id get up to see if the truck would fire up and it wouldnt.... so 3 days ago i cleaned the ground that connects the battery's and bunch of other cables with it. when i tried starting the truck up, she fired right up!!! im thinking okay thank god it was just the ground that needed to be cleaned.... so i got up the next morning to start her up and she wont..... white smoke keeps coming out the exhaust when i try to start the truck.... fuel pump works fine... ohhh another thing if i hook the truck up with my dads and let it run a bit, she starts up.... not sure why or how. so today im giving up and taking her to the shop to get a diagnoses on the issue if nobody here can help me narrow down what the issue is.


Thanks everyone ahead of time!