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Old Feb 10, 2012 | 04:48 PM
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HELP!?!

03 F350 7.3 liter DRW, won't start without being plugged in, no matter how warm it is outside.
 
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Old Feb 10, 2012 | 07:01 PM
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Are the glow plugs working?
 
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Old Feb 10, 2012 | 07:04 PM
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Would the glow plugs need to be working if it was 100 outside? IDK. It's not throwing any codes, no dash lights. I don't understand, because if the glow plugs weren't working then how would plugging it in help at all? Doesn't plugging it in, make the glow plugs stay warm? Thus if they weren't working, then plugging it in should do nothing, right?
 
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Old Feb 10, 2012 | 09:22 PM
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Moved to the 1999 - 2003 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel forum.
 
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Old Feb 11, 2012 | 12:27 AM
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No, pluging it in heats the coolant in the motor to warm the block and oil I believe and that helps it start. You probably need a relay to start and go from there.
Chet
 
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Old Feb 11, 2012 | 06:34 AM
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How many miles on the engine? How many miles since the last oil change? When it does start, take the oil cap off and flip it upside down and lay it on the oil fill tube. Does it bounce up in the air or just vibrate and slide off?

Hopefully it's just injectors causing your issue. Remove the valve covers and have someone crank the motor while you watch each injector for oil discharge. Look for any injectors not spitting oil, or that have oil bubbling up from where the injector seats down into the head.

After you've watched all of them, plug the truck in for a few hours and repeat the process. If it starts, just watch the oil discharge while the truck is idling. Injectors that don't spit oil cold but start spitting oil after it's plugged in, or start after the engine idles for a while have worn internals and need to be replaced.
 
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Old Feb 11, 2012 | 08:32 AM
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What Chris said.
 
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Old Feb 11, 2012 | 09:21 AM
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140k on the truck, 200 or so on the oil. i may really be in over my head. I can change tires, spark plugs, batteries, brakes, but I don't know if I dare open the engine without someone making sure I don't totally screw it up. Gheez. Why couldn't it be a fuse?
Would it be bad for me to open that up with the West tx dirt blowing? I have a chelton book around here somewhere. Let me see if it tells me how to do the above described destruction.
 
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Old Feb 11, 2012 | 07:40 PM
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Changing injectors isn't really that difficult. We can walk you through it if you want to do it yourself. After you get a price quote from a mechanic, perhaps you'll be more motivated to do it yourself

Starting the truck with the valve covers off or the CAC tubes removed isn't a big deal as long as you're not in an area where dust is visibly blowing around.
 
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Old Feb 11, 2012 | 07:44 PM
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Did you read west Tx?????????????????/

The dust is always blowing here and I live out in the country 2 miles from the nearest tree, house, or any other structure and there has been a DROUGHT here. rofl. I need to build that shop now...
 
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Old Feb 11, 2012 | 07:50 PM
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Originally Posted by riggers
I need to build that shop now...
Nope, you needed to build that shop last year . How about this...plug her in and then get her started. Drive your truck to a friend who has electricity. Put the truck on the lee side of a building there and do as Chris has described. Worse case scenario, you plug the truck in there to get it started and then go home.
 
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Old Feb 11, 2012 | 08:08 PM
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Anyone wanna buy this POS truck? rofl
 
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Old Feb 11, 2012 | 08:22 PM
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Originally Posted by riggers
Did you read west Tx?????????????????/
Yea, it's not that big a deal. You know as well as I do there's different amounts of dust and different times of the day when the dust isn't so bad. When I changed my injectors, I did it in the shed with a dirt floor right next to my hay baler.

Originally Posted by riggers
Anyone wanna buy this POS truck? rofl
I'll give you $500. (haven't seen any pics)
 
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Old Feb 11, 2012 | 08:34 PM
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I'll give you $500. (haven't seen any pics)[/quote]

alright I'll let it collect potted plants.................
 
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Old Feb 11, 2012 | 08:46 PM
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I'll give you $500. (haven't seen any pics)[/quote]


I think I'll let it collect potted plants.............
only pic I got right now. And it's FREEZING outside.

 
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