cold weather starts
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
cold weather starts
I have a 99 7.3. When I start the truck the glow plug light lights up and then goes out. I'll start the truck, which starts fine (I guess that means the glow plugs work). After about 30-40 seconds the truck starts to run rough until the high idle kicks on. Any Ideas?
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,292
Likes: 6
From: Ardenvoir, Washington
The light you are seeing is not the glow plug light.. it is the wait to start light.. There is no glow plug light.. Running rough after start could be many things and probably not your glow plugs.. Could be a bad ICP or IPR or just too thick of oil.. switching to syn oil help alot on cold weather starts.. Try plugging in the engine heater.. if it runs better, then your oil is just too thick to make the HPOP and your injector work properly.. Alot of us here us Rotella shell 5w40 syn oil .. your engine will love it..
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 13,552
Likes: 79
From: Manhattan, KS
Also, where are you and what is a "cold weather start"? For some that might be 30 degrees and for others 10 degrees or colder.
I switched to 5-40 Rotella syn this fall and that has made a big difference in my starts around 20 degrees and colder. No more romps and the truck idles right up nicely.
I switched to 5-40 Rotella syn this fall and that has made a big difference in my starts around 20 degrees and colder. No more romps and the truck idles right up nicely.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,292
Likes: 6
From: Ardenvoir, Washington
Do you use this 5w-30 year round ? If so, it might be the wrong oil weight.. Is it rated at CJ-4 along with SM ? ..the engine needs both. When the engine is at normal operating temps, you really should have 40 weight (5W40 or 15w40)
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Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,500
Likes: 14
From: South Carolina
Motorcraft has a 5w30 for diesels, the jug is almost identical to the 15w40 jug. It came in these trucks when new as break-in oil. I contunued to order and used it till my truck hit 50K miles. Then i switched to 15w40.
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Joe28443
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,163
Likes: 4
From: Hampstead NC
No more miles I put on my truck (9-10k year) I plan on switching to amsoil @ the first of the year and only changing the oil once a year. I hear where 5-40 is good for cold weather. Do yall run 5-40 yearound even in the summer months? Would it hurt it?
Reads ***** rules!
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,105
Likes: 3
From: So.Ca./ N.E. UT
The light you are seeing is not the glow plug light.. it is the wait to start light.. There is no glow plug light.. Running rough after start could be many things and probably not your glow plugs.. Could be a bad ICP or IPR or just too thick of oil.. switching to syn oil help alot on cold weather starts.. Try plugging in the engine heater.. if it runs better, then your oil is just too thick to make the HPOP and your injector work properly.. Alot of us here us Rotella shell 5w40 syn oil .. your engine will love it..
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,292
Likes: 6
From: Ardenvoir, Washington
There is a lot of forum people here have switched with no problems.. The rear main seal is something that just does go bad as a general rule.. This leak is usually caused by the pedestal O rings going bad.. and many think it there rear main cuz it collects and drips from outside of the TC housing..
Reads ***** rules!
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,105
Likes: 3
From: So.Ca./ N.E. UT
Yeah, took mine to the dealer as I did not have time to work on it. I bought a 55 gal. drum of Mobil1 syn for all my trucks, the '03 7.3L had been running dino until then, was soon after the switch it developed a nasty leak. The dealer quoted me $1200 to fix it cause the tech assumed it was the rear main, so after replacing the rear main he filled her up again only to lose all he put in. It was the HPOP, like I suggested to him in the first place, so another week later and I got it back with a new rear main and HPOP for $1200. Service adviser didn't ding me any extra since his tech mis-diagnosed, and he likes that I bring my fleet to them for service. I'm sure many have had no problems with the switch, for me though, having my truck running is more important than waiting for another seal to go bad because of synth. All my other trucks I have ran the Mobil1 synth. since I bought them and no issues. I just won't switch if dyno has been used for a long time already....something about the synth being able to get past the seals easier which causes them to blow, also heard that dyno cause seals to swell and synth. does not????????????