It's been a real raininy day all day and my truck won't start now when i got off of work. I have a '89 f350 7.3 idi 5spd. The truck started just fine as usual today when i left for work, but after work, i started the truck and it was running for a minute then shutoff and some steam or smoke came from the hood. Now the "wait to start" doesn't turn on, but as i turn the key i get "water in fuel" on the light below and the motor turns but never starts. Any help is greatly appreciated to what my problem may be! The only thing i can think of right away is to replace the fuel filter?

 

replace the filter and fill the filter with diesel 911. That stuff seems to work good when water gets in the filter. If the filter is not too old maybe just take it off dump it out and fill it with the 911 and try that

 

Ok,will probably make a trip to NAPA for some diesel 911 after morning milking, thanks for the input!

 

I replaced the filter and used Diesel 911 and I'm still having no luck. Another problem is I'm not even getting when I turn the key a "Wait to Start" light now, or the "Water in Fuel" either.

 

It sounds as though you had some bare wires and when they got wet they shorted out. the smoke you seen was probly the gp relay/controller frying. that would explain the no WTS light. simple test of the plugs to make sure they are still good.

 

Also if the seal at the back of the hood is bad REPLACE it you can be getting water inside your engine!!!

 

I replaced the glow plug relay and it still hasn't started yet nor tried to, the motor just turns. I'm gonna put the multimeter on the glow plugs tomorrow and check but I also was wondering what else I could check as a culprit?
Thanks y'all

 

Check the fuseable link on the main engine wiring harness. I lays on the inner fender on the passenger side. The fuel heater went bad on my 90 and fried that link.

 

All my wires look fine from what I've been able to trace. I pulled out my glow plugs however and found the dreaded Autolites, ordered Motorcrafts that will be in, in the morning. My question is can bad glow plugs cause it not to start AND the wts light not to come on?

 

Bad glow plugs can be responsible for the wait to start light

 

I replaced all 8 glow plugs today with Motorcrafts and still no luck. It also has a brand new glow plug wire/controller hooked up. I'm gonna crack the fuel lines to the injectors to see if I'm getting fuel to them. This is driving me insane, I still have no wts light and the truck won't fire. HELP!!!

 

Yeah, that sounds like something electrical fried. Try to find the carnage and replace that part. If you are sure the plugs aren't warming, you can start the engine on ether safely as long as you use a very small shot.

 

to solve the no start issue, just push the truck and get to at least 5mph....then dump the clutch.....

 

I may be way off point but do you have current to your injector pump? Like the other guys said a short from your glow plugs could have cause other problems. I had some bare wires on my 88 where the harness meets the firewall and it caused CRAZY problems (mash the brake = starter spinning).

If the truck will fire on ether but then die, I'd look into the two sets of wires on the IP. Just an outside observation and it couldn't hurt.

 

Run a wire from positive terminal to the front connector on the ip you should hear a click that let's you know the valve is working then use a test light see if you have power on the connecter that plugs into the same spot on the ip