Notices
6.0L Power Stroke Diesel 2003 - 2007 F250, F350 pickup and F350+ Cab Chassis, 2003 - 2005 Excursion and 2003 - 2009 van

"cold" starting problems

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 10, 2011 | 10:09 PM
  #1  
73stang's Avatar
73stang
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
"cold" starting problems

Hi, I am a new owner of the 6.0L f250, and diesels in general. It has 112k miles and appears to be in great condition. However, I noticed how it has a hard time starting in the morning, probably about 45-50 degrees. It starts quickly, but has a rough idle for several minutes and lots of smoke. The only reason i could think of is that the tank is full of cheap, 5-10% bio diesel fuel... any ideas? Remember I am a noobie to diesels!
 
Reply
Old Apr 10, 2011 | 10:29 PM
  #2  
bismic's Avatar
bismic
Fleet Owner
Community Builder
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 27,881
Likes: 3,595
Club FTE Gold Member
When were the fuel filters last changed? What brand filters were used?

What oil is in it and when were the oil and the filters last changed?
 
Reply
Old Apr 10, 2011 | 10:45 PM
  #3  
73stang's Avatar
73stang
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
Is it bad if I don't know a single answer to those questions?
 
Reply
Old Apr 10, 2011 | 10:49 PM
  #4  
bismic's Avatar
bismic
Fleet Owner
Community Builder
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 27,881
Likes: 3,595
Club FTE Gold Member
Start w/ fluid and filter changes.

For filters, use ONLY the following filter brands (except air filter and tranny filter):
Motorcraft
Racor
International

The Tech folder has write-ups on the filter change procedures.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/3...ch-folder.html

For air filter, use the OEM Donaldson w/ the blue synthetic media.

IMO start your 6.0L education w/ this thread:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...-problems.html
 
Reply
Old Apr 10, 2011 | 11:47 PM
  #5  
73stang's Avatar
73stang
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
Thanks for the help, i think I have to learn all of the maintenance procedures for this truck.

Oh, and the truck came with an AEM Brute Force air intake, not the stock one. It recently blew out the minder for whatever reason so I had to replace that
 
Reply
Old Apr 11, 2011 | 01:00 AM
  #6  
XB70's Avatar
XB70
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 564
Likes: 0
Ford specifies a maximum of 5% biodiesel.

If it's 45 degrees in the morning, how cold was it during the night? Diesel fuel can start to cloud at 45 degrees. it's my understanding biodiesel doesn't do well in colder temperatures.
 
Reply
Old Apr 11, 2011 | 05:37 AM
  #7  
dawiz's Avatar
dawiz
Junior User
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by 73stang
Is it bad if I don't know a single answer to those questions?
not at all if you just bought the truck. here is a simple way to know. change all of them now and take note of mileage. never trust what the previous owner did for maintenance whether they told you it was just done or not.
 
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2011 | 01:17 PM
  #8  
weekendwarriorfsw32's Avatar
weekendwarriorfsw32
Master of Strokes
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 6,808
Likes: 25
From: CA
Club FTE Silver Member

Tomorrow were going to run AE on his truck to go through everything. Do some KOEO and KOER test, glow plugs, and injector buzz test. Drain the water separator and pull the EGR valve to see what the cooler looks like and also clean the valve. So far the truck seems very solid and runs very well.
 
Reply
FTE Stories

Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts

story-0

Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make

 Brett Foote
story-2

Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?

 Brett Foote
story-6

2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

Top 10 Ford Trucks Coming to Mecum Indy 2026

 Brett Foote
story-9

5 Best / 5 Worst Ford Truck Wheels of All Time

 Joe Kucinski




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:15 AM.

story-0
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

Slideshow: Top 10 Ford truck tragedies.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-18 19:34:33


VIEW MORE
story-1
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make

And it might be even better than that.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-18 19:26:42


VIEW MORE
story-2
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!

Slideshow: Does lowering an F-150 Lobo RUIN the ride quality?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-05-18 19:20:37


VIEW MORE
story-3
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home

Slideshow: Ford's bizarre fishing-themed Explorer concept has resurfaced after spending decades largely forgotten.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:07:46


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!

Slideshow: The 10 best Ford truck engines we miss the most.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 13:09:47


VIEW MORE
story-5
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?

Slideshow: first look at the 810 hp 2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road!

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-12 12:50:07


VIEW MORE
story-6
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!

Slideshow: Everything You Need to Know about the 2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-05-07 17:51:06


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!

Slideshow: 10 most surprising Ford truck options/features in 2026.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:17:22


VIEW MORE
story-8
Top 10 Ford Trucks Coming to Mecum Indy 2026

Slideshow: Here are the top 10 Fords coming to Mecum Indy 2026.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:49:49


VIEW MORE
story-9
5 Best / 5 Worst Ford Truck Wheels of All Time

Slideshow: The 5 best and 5 worst Ford truck wheels of all time

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 16:49:01


VIEW MORE