I have a 1990 IDI that not wanting to start. When I hit the key I get a click and the I hit it again and it will start cranking and but doesn't want to start, or even sound like it trying to fire but I do get smoke out my exhaust pipe. Its not the weather since its been in the low 50's here lately. Any ideas what this could be, or where to start. Any help would be highly apprecited.

 

how long are the glowplugs staying on?i would imagine a new set of plugs is in order from the sounds of it.also how fast is it spinning over? if you can count the revolutions its too slow you cables could be bad or you just may have corrosion on the cables as well

 

if you just get a click and start cranking, you arent letting the glow plugs warm anything up. the glow plug controller should click, voltage drop for about 10 seconds (if your glow plugs are all good) then you will get a cycle of clicking for a few seconds. the shorter the voltage drop after the first click the more bad glow plugs you have.

 

A good starting system, the wait to start light should stay on for a solid 15 secs when it's really cold out.

A good engine with good batteries, starter and cables will pop right off in almost any weather!

 

Thanks for the replys. I dinked around with it some more today and still not starting. Here are a few things I noticed:
I just replaced the glow plugs 2 years back and I drive my truck about 2K a year. Batteries are newer and sound like they are cranking good. Good cable to battery contact. I'm getting about 6-7 seconds on my WTS light. I do not hear any clicks, and my voltage gauge is not moving during the WTS light of after its off. Could this be my GP controller?

 

sounds like burnt out glow plugs.
im betting 2 or 3 are not working at all,and the others are no longer in spec.
what kind of glow plugs did you use?
did you just test them again?
whenever the WTS light goes off under 10 seconds (besides when the motor has been running previously) the first place to start is the glow plugs.
only takes a couple minutes with a test light,to spot a totally burnt out plug.
all 8 glow plugs must work for the newer style (like you have) glow plug system to work properly.
its the best idi gp system,but needs to be maintained.

 

I used Motorcraft GP's (made in Germany) because of what I had read on this site. What causes plugs to go bad that quick? Any tips on testing or replacing GP's? I had a shop replace them last time.

 

you can put the glow plug to a battery and if it dont heat up its bad. and glow plugs usually go out at least once a year its common on older ford diesels

 

i wouldnt say going out once a year is right. Ive had almost all my gps in my truck for a long time without replacing them. I think Dave S. is on year 8 with the same glow plugs.....

 

Might be a wiring issue in the glow plug harness. My understanding of the glow plug system for 87 and up is the controller will compensate for one dead plug, but if 2 or more fail, it will not switch on at all. The idea is to prevent a burnout of the remaining plugs.

There is a large plastic quick connect near the dipstick (I think it may be black on that year of truck). This connector is poorly protected against the elements and can corrode over time such that less power makes it to the glow plugs. I simply bypassed the connector in my 86 truck. You will see to rather thick wires in that connector, those are the ones that carry power through the glow plug relay.

One way the engine should start is if the block heater is plugged in for a few hours. Unless something else is wrong, it should start without any asistance from glow plugs. This would be one way to be absolutely sure its a heat ignition issues (glow plugs) and not some other problem like timing, fuel contamination or weak injection system.

 

others have good suggestions here too.
but i think the first thing i would check would be a little 5 minute test.
simply pull a terminal off a glow plug,and hook your test light wire up to the + bat terminal.
now touch the tip of the gp(that the terminal just unhooked from) with your probe.if your light comes on,its "probably" ok.-least you know it's not totally shot.
now plug the wire back on,and check another.
do this with the key OFF.
my guess is,your going to find a couple that are bad.
if the test light doesn't light up on one,its burnt out and doesn't work at all.
it's very easy to do,and you can replace them yourself.don't pay a shop to do this.they're as easy to change,or perhaps even easier (no doubt easier on modern cars with front wheel drive,let me tell ya lol) than changing spark plugs.seriously.

now if all light up,then cool.on to the next tests.

 

Well I did the test on the glow plugs today and they all seem to been good! I was hoping I was going to find some bad one's so I can get my truck back on the road. Any ideas what my next step should be?

 

Did you test them directlly on a battery or with the multimeter?

I had 3 bad ones in my 6.9 years back, they all tested fine with the multimeter, and when I took 'em all out one at a time and tested them directlly on the battery, 3 were bad, they heated up, but did not became red like they should, they only got hot and smoked.

Yes they were Autolites....

 

bummer.
well continue on then.check here:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...le-system.html

 

I didnt pull them, or check them with a ohm meter. I just did the quick test light trick that someone on this thread had suggested. What symptoms whould I have if my glow plug controller was going out, or shot?