Hard to start

A week ago I went out to start the truck and it after the glow plug light went off I tried to start it like always and it just cranked and cranked... no fire.. then I repeted and repete and It finally started with lots of white smoke. Could this be the glow plugs going bad? I replaced the relay already. Also yesterday it did the same thing and I plugged the block heater in for about 15 min and it fired right up after that.

Maverick26 said:

A week ago I went out to start the truck and it after the glow plug light went off I tried to start it like always and it just cranked and cranked... no fire.. then I repeted and repete and It finally started with lots of white smoke. Could this be the glow plugs going bad? I replaced the relay already. Also yesterday it did the same thing and I plugged the block heater in for about 15 min and it fired right up after that.

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What is it? If it's a Powerstroke you can go to this site and search to find out how to test the glow plugs.

Binder said:

What is it? If it's a Powerstroke you can go to this site and search to find out how to test the glow plugs.

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Shoot, sorry.. Yes. 1995 PSD F350.

Binder said:

What is it? If it's a Powerstroke you can go to this site and search to find out how to test the glow plugs.

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Of course its a PSD, you dont need glowplugs to start a cummins.:kissmyass:

CHOP SHOP said:

Of course its a PSD, you dont need glowplugs to start a cummins.:kissmyass:

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Given it's not a Cummins but could be something else......:kissmybutt:

CHOP SHOP said:

Of course its a PSD, you dont need glowplugs to start a cummins.:kissmyass:

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Correct but 5.7, 6.2, 6.5, 6.9 and 7.3 IDI's have them so do most other light duty deisels... Industrial stuff has a grid heater like a cummins. So having glow plugs don't mean it's a PSD automatically... :flipoff:


I'd start testing the glow plugs if you start finding bad ones just replace the whole set. Under no circumstances would I use anything other than Beru (reboxed as motorcraft) glow plugs. Champion, autolite etc all go out and can do major damage to the engine.

WHITE TRASH said:

Correct but 5.7, 6.2, 6.5, 6.9 and 7.3 IDI's have them so do most other light duty deisels... Industrial stuff has a grid heater like a cummins. So having glow plugs don't mean it's a PSD automatically... :flipoff:


I'd start testing the glow plugs if you start finding bad ones just replace the whole set. Under no circumstances would I use anything other than Beru (reboxed as motorcraft) glow plugs. Champion, autolite etc all go out and can do major damage to the engine.

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I hear Bosch are good also?

Find the diagnostic procedure for the glow plug system. From the what I have read it is common for the glow plug relay to fail as well as the under valve cover harness connectors.

I had the relay, harnesses, and glow plugs all replaced replaced in mine in January after a finding a bad conector on the passenger harness, a couple of bad glowplugs, and a failing relay. It starts easier now than it ever has in the time I have owned it.

Maverick26 said:

I hear Bosch are good also?

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Not from what I've read on oilburners... Not saying they are complete crap but I wouldn't use them personally. You can get complete. sets of beru plugs on e bay for the same price as the others at the local parts house.

How are the batteries? Check you UVC connections (Under valve cover) where they go under the VC's. If you have any burnt plugs replace em. Replace GP's at the same time. The factory type GP relay is junk right out of the box... Buy a Stancor and forget about it.

Could be a dirty fuel filter or losing prime.

Ok guys so I replaced all my glow plugs cause I was getting some bad readings on atleast 2 of them, relay is new also and it still is doing the same thing. If I plug it in it starts great.. if I dont it starts like it is ice cold.. Is there a oil temp sensor some where that controls the gp heat? The "wait to start" light stays on for about 10 seconds each time.

One other thing to check when it's cold----the high pressure oil pump resivoir could be bleeding off overnight, causing long cranks/smoke after startup; there's a little plug on the housing just in front of the filter housing...before cranking it over, remove the plug and look down with a flashlight, or find a coathanger or something to find where the level is....The oil level should be within an inch of the top of the housing....if not, then there's a leak in the high pressure oil system...
when you had the valve covers off, did you check the harnesses very closely, and the plugs on the vehicle harness side??? AND, have you replaced that clutch yet???:stirpot::redneck:

Have you checked the amperage output from the GP relay on the two wires going out to the GP's?? Initial amperage should be 180-200 amps, and then slowly drop to about 100 amps after about 15 seconds...

Ok kev, I will check that oil level tonight. I am having Eds do the clutch next week also. I did check all my wires and they all look good and had good voltage but I will check the relay also. I get a little oil on the top of the motor like it is leaking from somewhere too. Not sure if that has anything to do with it... I check the oil about once a week in everything I own and it needs a quart about every 2 months.

After thinking about it I think you are right cause of the oil starting in the intake man. I think this could be my problem.. I will report back.

Maverick26 said:

I get a little oil on the top of the motor like it is leaking from somewhere too. Not sure if that has anything to do with it... I check the oil about once a week in everything I own and it needs a quart about every 2 months.

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You could have a leaking high pressure oil line or leaking right fom the high pressure pump. Either of these could cause the HP reservoir to bleed down...

That's the high pressure oil pump and the two lines right above the arrow are the HP oil lines. The little doohickey with the oil on it is the injector pressure regulator. All of these items have O rings....

Yes, that is just a web picture, not my rig but I do have a bit of oil on my intake man that is just starting. I will look if I can see in seeping and check the oil level tonight.

Just in front of where the arrow is is the high pressure oil resivoir (tall, tank lookin thing on top of the front of the engine-I can see the driver's rear corner of it in the pic...)...on top of that toward the driver's side is the plug I am talking about...let the rig sit overnight, and check in the am...if it's down, you have high pressure system oil leak/bleed-off somewhere. You'll need to remove the top engine cover if it's there to see it...