Please help!
I have a 1993 ford F250 Diesel with a 7.3 International diesel Dead cold 35 degrees outside when I turn the key to the on position it turns the glow plugs on for about 1 or 2 seconds then the relay starts to click.
Have replaced the Glowplug controller/relay assembly and all of the glowplugs. I have a Haynes manual for the ford and chevy "pickup" diesels. Have not been able to find the problen. any help would be greatly appreciated.

250 dollars and a lot of time later I am looking for the dynamite.

thanks
archie =) =) =)

 

Maybe your fuel is gelling and not flowing thru the injectors properly. I have similar problems when it is 35 or lower outside. I have major starting troubles and if I do get it started, it will blow black smoke for well over 20 minutes until the cylinders get warmed up. I have an external coolant heater that warms the coolant and circulates it thru the radiator and block. As long as I plug in at night, I have no starting problems.

A little trick I learned to get you going if your engine is cold and won't fire is to get a glove or some thick cloth and hold it over the exhaust outlet while someone cranks your engine over. This increases the backpressure on a diesel and will usually get your engine to fire, even if the glowplugs are only marginal. I did this the other day when mine was stuck on a field and I couldn't plug it in. Worked like a champ. Good luck...

 

Hey that is a neat trick... I never thought of that. Here in AK, diesels have a hard time starting up in the cold mornings. I know my dad had his fair share of starting probs during the winter with his '90 F-250 IDI 7.3l stick. That thing sure had a LOT of low end grunt.

 

Check to see if you have power to your glow plugs, if you do, check the continuity of the glow plugs.

 

My deal told me to never touch the gas peddle when startin, wrong. Another starting trick for the diesel is to double or triple cycle the glo plugs. My truck 1990 7.3 NEVER started below 20 degrees without pluging it in. I started giving it half throttle and double cycle the glo plugs and it start right up @ -15 degrees, the clodest it has been in Maryland since I started this trick. Try it, your'll like it.