7.3 deisel question please

Farmer(Ga) · Jan 8, 2013

My SIL has a late 90s or early 2000ford deisel truck, It was hard to start all sumer now it wont crank up without a shot of starting fluid but will go right back dead, tryed giveing it another shot after cranking up but went dead, Anyone have any idea what to do or try? Him or i dont know a thing about deisel enjns. Thanks James

just thinkin · Jan 8, 2013

Could be a lot of things. Does it smoke white when cranking? If it does then you are getting fuel and the problem could be in the glow plug system. If you have no white smoke then your problem is fuel and your high pressure pump may be faulty. How cold is where you are? Can you plug the block heater in?

danofarming · Jan 8, 2013

sounds like a fuel issue. check around the fuel filter for an air leak, allowing it to lose prime.

rocko · Jan 8, 2013

Not to be an A$$ but do you know enough to change the fuel filter once in a while? Preferably every time you change oil. Done that lately? Rocko.

Wheat Farmer · Jan 8, 2013

You should not be using starting fluid on a truck with glow plugs. You may have lucked out that the glow plugs are not working.

VicS · Jan 8, 2013

My son has had about 10 of these trucks. Generally buys them after some one has trouble with them. It is almost always cracked fuel lines, a cracked or warped fuel filter canister. Or bad glow plugs, or the relay for the glow plugs. Don't spray either in these engines. If they won't start they are getting no fuel or the glow plugs aren't working! There is a Ford Diesel Forum. Vic

Fritz Maurer · Jan 8, 2013

A good forum to visit is The Diesel Stop.com. All Ford, all models. Those guys are sharp. They are not as generous with that forum as Kim is with Tractor Talk. One O/T and you're OUT.

JayinNY · Jan 8, 2013

I can't find my owners manual, but I dont think you need to change the fuel filter everytime you change your oil??? I dont.., But maybe you change your oil every 60,000 miles or so!

State of Jefferson · Jan 8, 2013

First guess is glow plug relay.
Second guess is fuel pump.
Third guess is bad glow plugs.

Only guesses without more info.

Ben

Soilfarmer77 · Jan 8, 2013

If high pressure oil pump reservoir is low on oil, it won't fire. It will suck air and you'll think it's a fuel issue, but its not. It takes a lot of cranking to work the air out.

You can cycle the key and listen for the fuel pump.

All of that considered, I'd still bet it has glow plug issues.

onefarmer · Jan 8, 2013

As an owner of '96 7.3 F250 I recommend....

1) Check the oil, Low oil can cause HPOP (high pressure oil pump) reservoir to be low and no start till it fills.

2) Make sure the glow plug relay is ok. If ok, most likely it is....

3) I now suspect the glow plugs. Most likely in my experience with your symptoms.

As for a forum I recommend

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum170/

It's for years 94.5 to 97 or

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum31/

For 99 to 2003 either will have answers and are a really good bunch.

wilamayb · Jan 8, 2013

I'm gonna guess glow plug relay. It looks sorta like an old ford firewall mounted starter solenoid.

I'm guessing gp relay because I find it hard to believe that you have that many bad plugs. Another problem known about the powerstroke engine is the wiring harness that goes into the valve cover. They have been known to smoke the glow plug harness.

onefarmer · Jan 8, 2013

My 7.3 wouldn't start on four good and four bad plugs. As for the harness, yes they do burn out. I forgot it. A test light IS your friend.

43 m · Jan 9, 2013

I know it seems trivial but check the oil level. If it's low on oil it will act up. Also asothers stated the glow plug relay on the engine under the beauty cover[looks like a starter relay for ford] there are two of them one for the glow plugs and one for the intake heater. Also check the wire harness going to the valve covers.

Traditional Farmer · Jan 9, 2013

How old are the batteries? Batteries that will crank the engine over pretty good still won't let it start.Last Fall my 1999 F-550 wouldn't start one cold morning even though it was turning over pretty good I put the jump box on it and it started right up.Replaced the 9 year old batteries and have had no more problems.Also get the highest CCA batteries you can get in the battery hole.

Hogleg · Jan 9, 2013

Related to the oil issue, you have to use the right oil. They have an anti-foaming additive in rotella and delo (and others with proper diesel rating) of 15-40. 10-30/10-40 and others may not. If the oil is old and/or wrong and foaming, the oil pressure res will not make good pressure. Oil pressure from this pump runs the injectors.

I would plug in the block heater and see if it will start and run. I had the relay go out and would have trouble starting in anything lower than 40 degrees. Plug it in for 3-4 hours and if it starts, you are on the glow plug debug path.

John

cumminspuller · Jan 9, 2013

We used to have a late 99 model 7.3. Most everything everyone else has mentioned could be the problem or a combinatioin of some of them could be the problem. I had to replace the glow plug relay and at about 220k miles had to replace the glow plugs. Oil is a big thing also like already stated. You really do need the right weight oil in it. The HPOP could be the problem since it was not starting in the summer time either. Good luck with it.

Chris

hintocw · Jan 9, 2013

I really can't understand why anyone would want to buy/own a Ford Diesel (esp. a 7.3). My FIL has one of those POS, it's been sitting in the barn for the last 3 years.

dhermesc · Jan 9, 2013

Agreed.

We had a guy destroy a Duramax that way. Dirty fuel filter waxed up in the cold and it wouldn't start. Thought he'd start it like he does equipment on the jobsite. Didn't know he'd done anything to it until the shop that towed it called him with the bad news.

Aaron For · Jan 9, 2013

My truck dd this and fter disproving everything I ended up replacing the HPOP to solve the probem. Aaron

nickg · Jan 9, 2013

Sounds like a fuel ststem issue or oil pressure issue if it was hard starting in the summer as w in that in the summer heat it should be starting fine with out use of glowplugs. Fords have a safety that wont allow it to run if the engine duzent build up pressure while cranking.Take your fuel filter cap off or open the filter housing drain and make sure there is fuel there first to start your elimination process of it being an injector or bad or craked line.Kinda un related but Also check while your looking at things your air filter. These trucks must have a good clean air filter. If the filter clogs and duzent allow enuff air flow your turbo will suck it threw and then you have a real mess.

johndeereman · Jan 9, 2013

When you get it started put some fuel conditioner in the tank. Mine hasn"t been acting right since September last weekend I put some Lucas fuel conditioner in it and its back to its old self. It sounds like you have other issues but this junk fuel we have these days isn"t helping.

7.3 deisel question please

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