Hi Guys,
Need help. My 03 built 6.0 runs rough on start up at any temp around 50 or below. It is almost as if it is not running on all cylinders. It will start better if i plug in the block heater, but it did not start like this in the past.

It also seems to have a slight miss just above 2000 rpms. Plulled my egr plug last night to see if it would change anything but no results. I change oil every 3000 to 3500 miles & fuel filters are changed regularly.

I have a scanner and am not getting any codes but then I had the icp sensor and harness replaced at this time last year and the dealer found 3 codes that my scanner wasn't reading. 2 egr codes & cam position sensor code were found on top of the icp code I found. So maybe there are more codes currently that my Actron PocketScan Plus can't see.
It passed the egr test when the icp sensor was replaced. I will be pulling the egr valve after my gaskets come in and will verify the valve is not stuck in the open position. My next plan was to maybe replace the cam position sensor. Any thoughts?

Plan on doing an egr cooler delete, cleaning the turbo, installing a home made ccv oil catch system, and throwing on some exhaust manifold gaskets in the next month or 2.
Sorry for the long post.

 

this could be caused by a few things egr being one of them. does truck run smooth after it warms up. are you making oil and or does it smell like diesel. it also could be glowplug related as well check the tech folder all kinds of great stuff in their. and whats the deal with exhaust manifold gaskets are they leaking this could cause it to run rough as well. it can be ficm or injector related to
welcome to fte check the tech folder start with the easy and eliminate things post your results

 

Blade35,
I can't say that I'm making oil but I do have a slight oil leak on bottom of bell housing since i bought it with 67,000 miles. I have drained my oil back into the 5 quart jugs after doing the past few oil changes and still end up with 15 quarts of drain oil. It does seem to have a slight diesel smell but I just figured that was normal due to the egr system throwing all the crap back in the system resulting in us having to use the different API oil grade.
I had the truck back to the dealer 2 years ago before the 5 year mark was up for the oil leak but they threw a new crank sensor on which really didn't fix the leak. It really doesn't leak, it is more of a seep. I get an occasional spot of the garage floor. I figured i would check the HPOP cover when I delete the egr cooler.

The rough idle does smooth out after warming up & is almost non existant when I plug the block heater in, but I don't think I should need to do that in my 45 degree garage.

Yes the exhaust manifolds are leaking a bit. I can see black soot near some of the ports when laying underneath looking up. Speaking of exhaust manifolds, where is the best place to mount an exhaust temp sensor? I saw a picture somewhere of the the d-side manifold being drilled & tapped for the sensor. Would like to drill, tap & plug a hole when I throw the gaskets on. This way I'll be ready when I pick up some gauges.

Shouldn't I be getting a code for some of the glow plug & injector issues?

 

the reason I ask about making oil and if it smells like diesel could indicate a injector o-ring problem. those injector orings tend to wear out and do not seal untill the truck warms up and everything expands. while it is warming up though diesel fuel is leaking out and going into the oil therfore starving the injector for fuel and delutting your oil. causing it to run rough even to the point it is missing. I would watch the oil leval really close to verify this and maybe even send a sample to get tested.this could also be caused by hpo system leaking a little untill warm and not firing the injectors properly.I would also check the egr valve to make shure its not getting stuck open

due to the fact it starts just fine but runs rough for a few minutes untill warm rules out glowplug issuses

you will still want to test the ficm voltage. should be 48volts procedure in the tech folder

the exhaust leak can cause problems because exhaust gasses spin the turbo this may be more evident when you really step on it and need boost to get it going[high rpms]

a crank sensor does nothing for an rear main or bed plate leak.
have you checked fuel pressure
you should really think about getting some gauges for your 6.0
are all your filters oem im shure i missed something other will be along

 

look in the tech folder under ficm test procedures.its fairly easy and will tell you if its in good shape.kinda sound like its not.

 

+ 1 .

 

Steelhead2 & bismic,
I breifly looked thru the procedure, but have a question.
When I had the truck at the dealer last year, the tech looked at the trucks history and commented " you must have got a good one, there has only ever been one injector replaced". He went on to tell me that there is a newer flash available then the one I currently have. He asked if I wanted it done. I told him that he just got done telling me that it only ever had a 1 injector replaced, why would I want to fix something that isn't broken.
My truck buzzes the injectors after shut down. Label has terrible smudged writting on it. Last flash was "347A-12A650-f?6?" "recall pcm-ficm-something" 12/19/06. Atleast this is the latest dated label under the hood.

Will this test procedure work with the flash I have?

 

I personally think the new flash is worth it, but I do think you will lose a little fuel economy.

 

bismic,
Should I still test the FICM per the tech section given the flash I have?
....or get the new flash and start from there?

Guess I should check my batteries for starters.

Sorry to sound so cluesless about this but give me a gas engine and i'd have no questions.
No problem re-soldering a circuit board, did that on the instrument cluster on the 99 f-150 I previously owned. Just don't know if I would have the solder joint issue if I do not have the newest flash.

 

I would still check the FICM and the batteries.

 

12.55 volts on the batterys with truck not running.

 

You need a load test, not a resting voltage test.

 

I would vote for the FICM, friend of mine just went through the same thing. Plugged in no problem on cold starts, started to miss while running, then finally it died.

 

update.
Got the egr gasket and o-rings.
I tried pulling the egr valve tonight with the wire trick, no luck. I got it to come out about 1/16th of an inch before I broke the wire 3 times. I was using .060 thick steel wire, the kind used for tying rebar together. On the 4th try, I bent one of the egr tabs.
I'll have to pick up a small pry bar tomorrow and try a new approach.

Have yet to have the batteries load tested. I plan on stopping at Autozone after work tomorrow and have that done along with having them throw their scan tool on it to see if they get codes that I am not getting with mine. I know amps come in to play, but I had a friend start the truck last night while I checked battery voltage. The truck was still warm after sitting for about an hour. The volts dropped to 10.75 volts while cranking.

I'm then going to stop by the dealer and see if I can get an oasis report for a little more history.

I know there is a ccv section in tech but how about using one of these as a low buck alternative to high price filters?
Hypro 1 In. Poly Strainer with 80 Mesh Stainless Steel Screen - 2114114 | Tractor Supply Company

The oil mist should condense on the cool screen and drain to the bottom. Worth a shot. If it doesn't work well, the hoses will already be run and a different filter could be swapped on. I think I would drill the bottom and install a barbed o-ring fitting so I could mount a larger capacity "catch can" for the filter to drain to.

 

Thats a low crank and resting voltage, load test for sure but be prepared for new batteries both Motorcraft. It may also be compounding ficm issues. The lower voltage could have caused ficm damage. You do need the codes. The other issue is to ohm out the glow plugs, do you have a few bad ones, this will also cause a rough cold run. Finally, are you using a synthetic 5w40 or 0w40 API CJ4 or CI4+ rating oil? Just food for thought. IMHO