Hey everyone,
I have an 05 f250 6.0.
We have started to reach 38 at night here in northern IL already. The trucks been having a rough time starting ans it's not even that cold yet. Any recommendations on the truck that I can do to have easier starts. Sometimes cycling the glow plugs 4 5 6 7 times isn't enough to get her going. I plug it in most of the time on bitter days in the winter but sometimes I leave it parked where I cannot plug it in. The batteries seem just fine. I think one is a little weaker so I will get new batts. Thanks,
Jordan

 

You need to check for DTC or codes and see if you have glow plug issues or wiring issues or GPCM issues. That's where I would start.

 

Run 5w-40 oil. Make sure your FICM is not dipping below 45v when cold cranking. Have a monitoring device to watch the batteries, alternator, glow plugs and add an anti-gel to the fuel.

 

Oh, you really don't want to do that. One winter having the truck up in the Poconos I did that to try to "help" with the cold weather starting. A few months later I was replacing the motor due a glow plug tip taking out cylinder 5.

Next fall I was talking to an engineer from a competing vehicle manufacturer whom I've known for years about what happened and the first thing he said was "Did you keep trying to heat up the glow plugs before starting?". It seems they don't like to be heated much longer then the controller timed event.

Close to $15,000 is a lot for a replacement glow plug.

My name is Jack and I used to cycle my glow plugs three times in the real cold.

Or maybe I just got real lucky.

 

Not to mention the fact it's hard on the batteries

 

Yep, pulls a lot of reserve.

 

You may find that waiting a little after the light goes out it will help. The GP's are still on after light is not. Also with my '03 and the original injectors I found using Archoil 9100 in the oil helped a lot, I did have injector stiction, now with new injectors I don't have that problem, it fires right up even at -10 even without plugging in although I still run 9100 every other oil change. You will find that 5W40 synthetic oil and 9100 will really help, also when the time comes for a starter use the 6.4 starter as it spins the engine a lot faster.