I am having a problem starting my truck in cold weather! When it is warm it starts fine but when it is cold it sounds like it is started but when i let off of the key it does not continue run! I just replaced the gpr and and it helped, it doesnt smoke as much after i start it and i tested it again and is still tests good! i also checked the gps with a ohms tester and all but 1 tested to almost 0 ohms! one of them tested to around 100 ohms! when i tested my block heater my ohms tester didnt move so i think it is bad! also i was told that using gasoline instead of starting fluid is much healthier for a diesel, does anyone have some info about that! Thanks

 

Glow plug should ohm .8 to 1.5 ohms if you have some hitting 100 then you have bad GP's

 

There was only one that was around 100 ohms! the rest were good!

 

check the block heater cord....known to fail...hth

 

I've never heard of that, but it doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Definitely would NOT use starting fluid or gasoline on my truck.

 

the problem with starting fluid (and presumably gasoline) with our (and most modern diesels) is the glow plugs - if they're working. the plugs could ignite the starting fluid prematurely and seriously damage the engine. ...though i did have a former fordfleet tech tell me that you can use staring fluid in our trucks if you wait 5 mins after the 'wait to start light' goes out (so that the glow plugs have shut off and cooled down). then you spray in the ether, then get back in the truck and crank the starter (without going back to off). never tried it myself though, so i can't advocate it personally. plus, who has time to wait 5 minutes?

as for your "it sounds like it is started but when i let off of the key it does not continue run" symptom: i used to have that same problem before i changed my glowplugs. it was weird though. i felt like if i timed it just right and let off the key as soon as it first started to fire, it would keep running, but if i held on the key a half-second too long, it would die when i let off the starter. maybe that was just my imagination. my old diesel tractor seems to do the same thing, though.

also, i believe i had some of my old dead ones test as open circuit and other test as dead short (0 ohms). makes sense that they coudl fail either way, though. after pulling them all out, it turned out only 1 out of eight tested as good. they were all autolites, too - but all came out, thankfully.

 

With proper batteries, starter, GP's and GP relay there is no need to plug these trucks in to get them to start, unless you're in a real cold climate. My truck starts just fine in -5 without it plugged in.

OP, if you've got 1 bad GP, it's only a matter of time until they all go. Get motorcraft plugs, install them and check all your UVCH's, VC gaskets/harnesses while you're in there.

 

Thankyou guys for your input! Where is a good place to get realiable gp's?

 

Riffraff Diesel: Motorcraft Glowplugs ZD-11

Here you go. Make sure to get all 8

 

If you can't wait on shipping then you can get the zd11's at oriellys