Power Stroke Diesel starting issues

jdfamily

Member
Hey guys I have an old 1996 Ford F-250, power stroke diesel, been a good old truck.
Lately having starting problems. Today it was not that cold around 50 and it just
would not fire. I have replaced the glow plugs a year back, so doubt that is it.
What else could be causing the problem? It turns over fine, just not even a cough.
Thanks.
 
(quoted from post at 19:47:30 03/16/19) yep!
I had one awhile back. Wouldn't start. I thought it was turning over fine. Mechanic said it need batteries so I put them in and it started right up.
They need to crank pretty fast. At least mine did.
 
Check glow plugs and glow plug relays those idi engines won?t start when it?s a 100 degrees if the glow plugs aren?t working . Also the high pressure oil pumps like thinner oil like 5 w40 synthetic so they can build fuel pressure to the injectors
 
Engine could still have glow plug control solenoid trouble, just like the early IDI engines did. Will it start after the block heater has been on awhile? If so could still have pre heat issues, or worse could need injectors if truck is high mileage.
 
Short across the main lugs on the glow plug relay and then try to start it. Another thing could be the crank position sensor, fuel heater shorted out and blowed the fuse that also powers the ecm.
 
If the batteries are old replace them the batteries have to crank them over good.The batteries in my F550 were 8 years old,it was getting hard to start sounded like it was turning over OK.
Put in 2 new batteries it went back to firing right up,put the old batteries in tractors, the one battery wouldn't hold a charge but for a day or two before it started to go down.So that was the problem.Do not replace just one battery either.
 
PSD is HUEI injection. No pump. Probably the glowplug relay or glowplugs. Could also be the under valve cover harness. Always us Beru or Motorcraft plugs ONLY.
AaronSEIA
 

The first thing I would check with a amp clamp...
Cold the glow plugs pull 20 amps @ 8 X 20 = 160 amps... As they warm up the resistance drops as does the amperage they pull... You can also put the amp clamp on each side (left are right bank) to check amp draw so you are testing 4 glow plugs at a time 4 X 20 = 80...

Are you can go to the plug on each bank and do a ohm test on each glow plug its not hard to do and plenty off info out there...

Cheap glow plug relays are a problem also the good its a simple system EZ to figure out...

If you block heater is operational and plugin it in gives a fast start glow plug system would be my first test... I said block heater operational some don't work confirm that....

By all means OEM glow plugs... We can get deeper once you confirm the glow plugs are healthy the bad you will need a good scan tool...

Google "7.3 powerstroke wont start cold" lot's of good help
 
Seems like I remember them having trouble with an oil pressure sensor or some sensor that was right on top of the motor. Engine would crank and crank but no start. I think you can check it by watching the oil pressure gauge and see if it raises while cranking
 
MOST of these posts have good info. It COULD be any of a number of isssues, but the most likely culprit would be the Glow Plug Contoller/Switch/Relay/Module, what ever you want to call it. As mentioned by others, I recommend using Motorcraft parts. We’ve seen too many problems with the not-much-cheaper parts. The DY861 unit is $50 from RockAuto, ZD11 Glow plugs $9.47/each, CM4884 Harness $52.

Another bit of advice, resist the urge to use starter fluid. It can swell the end of the glow plugs making them difficult to remove and cause the end to break off in the cylinder when trying to remove them.

And, I can’t resist the correction, but the 7.3 PS is a HEUI injection system, not IDI, and therefore foes not use an injection pump.

-Scott
 
I was thinking mine may be a little slow too. I have 30,000 miles , never replaced anything since new. How long should the engine crank before starting? Assume cold start in a 50 degree garage.
 
Thanks guys, so appreciate your comments and information, guess I will be real busy tomorrow.
Will try start with the obvious and then work through the list of items to check. Any ideas
on a good sequence to start off with, to eliminate issues, maybe the simpler issues first? Or
just go through all of the issues you mentioned to insure the problem is addressed. I have
230,000 miles on it, would love to trade up, but like the old girl, and the prices of the new
ones are out of my budget.

Thanks again.
 
I have a '99 with 260.000.
First check the fuse IIRC #10 for the filter heater, as someone said it also is the circuit for the ECM. Stupid engineering, No need for the heater

There was a early recall for the CPS, 90% of the time it is the cause for a no start. Replace it with a Motorcraft grey one.

I also had a problem with the HIPOP pressure sensor,it is right on top front left of the engine. Just take the plug off and if there is ANY oil in there replace it, spendy though.

Also if you ever have any shifting problems check your 3rd brake light, if it is burnt out it will effect the TCM, they share the same ground.
 
Did you put 6 volt glow plugs in it. If so there most likely shot. I had a mechanic work for me for several years. All he worked on were Ford diesels. When the original glow plugs started going bad, he scrapped the original 6 volt ones and went to 12 volt glow plugs. It cured the problems with them. He replaced gobs of under valve cover electric connenctions, high pressure oil pumps, etc. Company that owned 23 of them traded them all off for Duramax and cut their repair Bill's and down time. He went back to Colorado because I did not have enough work for him.
 

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