Here is my problem, i did a search of the forums before posting and couldn't find a similar issue.

I have an 05 F350 powerstroke automatic. Everything is stock, no modifications, with about 180,000 miles on it.

When i start it in cold weather (it gets to minus 35 here overnight) it starts fine, then idles for a couple of minutes. At this point it revs up to about 1100rpm (which i think is normal, as it's always done it after a few minutes idling) and promptly stalls. It will do this over and over even once the engine has started to warm up.

I usually use a remote starter to start it as I don't want to sit in it when it's that cold. If i sit in the truck and manually rev it before it does it itself it doesn't stall, and I can then let it idle for a few minutes and rev itself up. If i follow this procedure and then have to shut it off to go back inside or something, and use the remote starter again and let it rev up on it's own, it continues to stall.

This problem doesn't happen in warmer weather, or when the truck has been running and moving for a while. I have the block heater plugged in, and it happens no matter how long it's been sitting. Unfortunately parking it inside is not an option for me at the moment.

I don't get any error messages, it runs fine and has lots of power once it's going, it's just getting it there that's the problem.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

Are we talking an actual -35°F? Not wind chill, which means nothing to non-biological things?

Man, that is cold!

Are you treating your fuel with anti-gel additives?

How long since you changed your fuel filters?

 

Are you adding Fords Fuel conditioner and antigel at every fuel up, is your fuel labelled to -45 or so for these temps. The FICM on the frame heats the fuel, when it revs up it doesnt keep up?(cardlocks are ussually labelled, regular not). Also, at those temps all the time, try an oil pan heater with the block heater and if you are not already, I would run 5w40 synthetic oil for the starting protection of these severe temps. I have the same truck, dont have an oil pan heater, start in outside temps like this, have never had this problem and am running synthetic Delo 400 5w40 (chevron). The other possibility is codes you are not seeing without a full code reader from ford. If I think of anything else, will chime in, still recovering from last night....

 

I know you meant HFCM.

Understood

I seem to remember something about Ford eliminating the heater from the HFCM in '05. Not positive though.

This thread would do better down in the 6.0 engine forum.

 

Thanks for the replies

Yes we are talking real -35 degrees, windchill this morning was -42.

Yes i am adding anti gel additives to the fuel at every fill up. The fuel is winter diesel, and should be rated to these temps.

If it was the heater not keeping up, wouldn't it do it when i manually rev it as well as when it revs automatically?

I changed the fuel filter 3 months ago.

I'll change the oil, and the possibility of adding an oil pan heater. Should probably have thought about asking this before it got this cold, not easy to do anything when you have nowhere indoors to park it.

Does anyone know if i am able to move this post to the engine forum, or do i have to make a new post there?

 

1234567890

 

This is my first winter with the truck. I purchased it last spring, and it had a full service right after i bought it. Had a few things done at that time, but no EGR valves.

The truck lived somewhere warmer for the first few years of it's life, so I don't think it's ever been through these kinds of conditions.

I will check the water trap this afternoon and see if it makes any difference.

The oil will be getting changed on Tuesday, even if it doesn't change the problem, it seems to be the smart thing to do.

I've asked the moderators to move it to the 6.0 engine forum.

Thanks for all the help, if it was a consistent problem (did it both when i rev and when it revs on it's own) it wouldn't seem nearly as strange as it is. I think tomorrow morning i'll forego the remote start and walk out and start it manually the first time, see if it will stall when I rev it at that time.

 

Thread moved to the 6.0 forum per owner's request

 

I went out this morning and started it manually, it started first time and no stalling.

 

So, basically, if you use the remote start, it stalls. If you start it with the key, it runs okay.

Do you know if your remote start has enough delay for the wait to start light to complete? If it doesn't, that's a problem. If it does, then consider increasing the time delay. The glow plugs supposedly remain hot for 2 minutes, even though the WTS light says you can start sooner than that. So on very cold mornings, maybe give it most but not all of that 2 minutes to get the cylinders good and warm. A good remote start for a diesel should have a way to adjust the WTS delay.

You might also want to consider doing the "high idle" modification. Then the night before you can just throw the H.I. switch on, and it will go into a higher idle the next morning.

 

It sounds like the remote is not picking up that the truck in running and doing a shut down.
Does your parking light come on when remote started? Are they still on when it shuts off?

Like bpounds said high idle may fix your problem.