97 Ford F250 Engine Problems?
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97 Ford F250 Engine Problems?
I have a 1997 Ford F250 Turbo Diesel and I am having issues starting it. I have to let the "wait to start" light go off twice before I can even think about starting it. If I don't then the the engine makes this horrible sound and won't start. I was thinking it may be the fuel pump or the starter? I am a girl and don't know much about engines, any help would be AWESOME!
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Joined: May 2008
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From: OR
It sounds like you have one or more glow plugs out. You can check each one at the harness where the wires go into the valve cover. Each plug has 5 pins. The outer 2 pins in each plug are the glow plugs. Check the ohm's between those pins and a ground.
If they are all fine it's probably the glow plug relay.
If they are all fine it's probably the glow plug relay.
Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 10,121
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From: Orrville, Ohio
Hey, welcome to the site!
What kind of (horrible) sound does the engine make?
Does it do this every time you try to start it or just when you start it for the first time each day?
The Wait to start (WTS) light doesn't really indicate a whole lot. It is intended to remind you to wait long enough to let the glow plugs (GP's)warm up inside the engine to help it start more easily when it is cold. However, the glow plugs aren't really tied to the WTS light. In fact the GP's can stay on for up to two minutes (even after the truck has started) when it is really cold outside. The best indication is to look closely at the volt meter on the dash. When you turn the key on, you should be able to hear the Glow Plug Relay (GPR -- I know we use a lot of abbreviations) click on under the hood and the volt meter on the dash should go over toward the low side (left) of the scale. After the engine is started, it usually stays over there for a little while (probably less than a minute depending on your outdoor air temperature and whether the engine is warm already or not). Then the GPR should release, turning off the GP's and the meter should go back to about the middle of the scale. If you don't see this kind of movement in the volt meter, it is possible that you have a bad GPR, or possibly even some bad GP's. Unless it is pretty cold outside where you are located, you should be able to start the truck without the GP's at all though. It is summer time after all!
Is it a grinding kind of noise like the starter is turning but the engine is not? When it happens does the engine turn over (spin and try to start)?
Any chance you could get us a video of the sound the truck makes?
What kind of (horrible) sound does the engine make?
Does it do this every time you try to start it or just when you start it for the first time each day?
The Wait to start (WTS) light doesn't really indicate a whole lot. It is intended to remind you to wait long enough to let the glow plugs (GP's)warm up inside the engine to help it start more easily when it is cold. However, the glow plugs aren't really tied to the WTS light. In fact the GP's can stay on for up to two minutes (even after the truck has started) when it is really cold outside. The best indication is to look closely at the volt meter on the dash. When you turn the key on, you should be able to hear the Glow Plug Relay (GPR -- I know we use a lot of abbreviations) click on under the hood and the volt meter on the dash should go over toward the low side (left) of the scale. After the engine is started, it usually stays over there for a little while (probably less than a minute depending on your outdoor air temperature and whether the engine is warm already or not). Then the GPR should release, turning off the GP's and the meter should go back to about the middle of the scale. If you don't see this kind of movement in the volt meter, it is possible that you have a bad GPR, or possibly even some bad GP's. Unless it is pretty cold outside where you are located, you should be able to start the truck without the GP's at all though. It is summer time after all!
Is it a grinding kind of noise like the starter is turning but the engine is not? When it happens does the engine turn over (spin and try to start)?
Any chance you could get us a video of the sound the truck makes?
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