another 'crank but no start' thread
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New User
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another 'crank but no start' thread
Here is a video of the issue. I have a pretty good list of things to check and will do that this week. Until then, somebody might view this and know immediately what the issue is. That would be COOL. Thanks all! #firstpost
7.3 Crank No Start Video by northy_polk | Photobucket
7.3 Crank No Start Video by northy_polk | Photobucket
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,647
Likes: 1
From: Exton, PA
first off - welcome to the club. lots of answers here for sure. from what i can tell - i'm still relatively new myself - with enough searching, enough posting and enough patience, pretty much any problem can be solved.
from your video, i can offer the following insight. your batteries and/or starter are weak. when i bought my truck a few years back, it sounded pretty similar. i then replaced the batteries and it sounded a little better. a new super-duty starter and it now spins MUCH faster and starts much quicker.
however, i also had glow plug issues. all of mine were dead except one and it sounded somewhat similar to yours. that one cylinder would kick over occassionally during the cranking process, but usually not enough to start the engine. only lots of cranking (with the new starter) would heat the cylinders enought to start it. winters were not fun.
my advice would be to test out the glowplugs at the valve cover harnesses first. there are alot of proceedure posts for this here on FTE. you might be able to avoid new batteries and starter for the time being. with the engine trying to kick over, it means the PCM is seeing enough RPM and enough battery voltage to tell the injectors to fire. ...though it may be just barely enough.
from your video, i can offer the following insight. your batteries and/or starter are weak. when i bought my truck a few years back, it sounded pretty similar. i then replaced the batteries and it sounded a little better. a new super-duty starter and it now spins MUCH faster and starts much quicker.
however, i also had glow plug issues. all of mine were dead except one and it sounded somewhat similar to yours. that one cylinder would kick over occassionally during the cranking process, but usually not enough to start the engine. only lots of cranking (with the new starter) would heat the cylinders enought to start it. winters were not fun.
my advice would be to test out the glowplugs at the valve cover harnesses first. there are alot of proceedure posts for this here on FTE. you might be able to avoid new batteries and starter for the time being. with the engine trying to kick over, it means the PCM is seeing enough RPM and enough battery voltage to tell the injectors to fire. ...though it may be just barely enough.
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New User
Joined: Mar 2013
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Thanks for the welcome.
Interesting you mention batteries. Would this cause the truck to lose power and stall? That's what happened. Now the batteries, one brand new, are weak from all the cranking I've done.
I have a checklist 20 items long of what to try. Lots of acronyms: GPR, ICP, CPS, ICP, EBP, IPR, IDM, etc.
But, in your opinion, the clicking is fuel injector related? As in trying to fire but not enough 'juice'?
Interesting you mention batteries. Would this cause the truck to lose power and stall? That's what happened. Now the batteries, one brand new, are weak from all the cranking I've done.
I have a checklist 20 items long of what to try. Lots of acronyms: GPR, ICP, CPS, ICP, EBP, IPR, IDM, etc.
But, in your opinion, the clicking is fuel injector related? As in trying to fire but not enough 'juice'?
FOREIGN GURU
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 7,655
Likes: 7
From: Celaya, Gto. MX
Another welcome for you.
This helps you
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...finitions.html
For anyone who needs acronyms for Ford - Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum
Agree with OldWoodsDiesel. and dont forget take the fuel pressure at the schrader valve and post here. Do you have WTS ligth?
This helps you
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...finitions.html
For anyone who needs acronyms for Ford - Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum
Agree with OldWoodsDiesel. and dont forget take the fuel pressure at the schrader valve and post here. Do you have WTS ligth?
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,647
Likes: 1
From: Exton, PA
not sure what you mean by clicking, but what i heard in that video was a lot of slow cranking and one or two instances of one cylinder firing. assuming you have tons of white smoke (unburnt fuel) coming out of your tailpipe while all this is going on, then you can safely say that you have plenty of fuel being delivered to the cylinders by the injectors. No-start conditions WITH white smoke from the tailpipe are caused by not enough heat/pressure within the cyliders to ignite the diesel fuel (since diesels have no spark plugs). So, where would the heat/compression come from when starting? 1. decent piston rings 2. enough cranking speed to build enough compression 3. functioning glow plugs to give it that little shot of heat needed to help a dead cold engine start.
but no, weak batteries would not cause and engine to stall. low fuel pressure would, though - as Roentgeep says. could be other things as well though.
my comments were just targetted at what i heard in the video...
as for dead batteries from cranking - i'd recommend a trickle-charger/battery maintainer when trying to diagnose issues that require alot of cranking. you won't be able to tell what the engine is or isnt doing unless you are able to crank it over at a decent speed...
but no, weak batteries would not cause and engine to stall. low fuel pressure would, though - as Roentgeep says. could be other things as well though.
my comments were just targetted at what i heard in the video...
as for dead batteries from cranking - i'd recommend a trickle-charger/battery maintainer when trying to diagnose issues that require alot of cranking. you won't be able to tell what the engine is or isnt doing unless you are able to crank it over at a decent speed...
FOREIGN GURU
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 7,655
Likes: 7
From: Celaya, Gto. MX
not sure what you mean by clicking, but what i heard in that video was a lot of slow cranking and one or two instances of one cylinder firing. assuming you have tons of white smoke (unburnt fuel) coming out of your tailpipe while all this is going on, then you can safely say that you have plenty of fuel being delivered to the cylinders by the injectors. No-start conditions WITH white smoke from the tailpipe are caused by not enough heat/pressure within the cyliders to ignite the diesel fuel (since diesels have no spark plugs). So, where would the heat/compression come from when starting? 1. decent piston rings 2. enough cranking speed to build enough compression 3. functioning glow plugs to give it that little shot of heat needed to help a dead cold engine start.
but no, weak batteries would not cause and engine to stall. low fuel pressure would, though - as Roentgeep says. could be other things as well though.
my comments were just targetted at what i heard in the video...
as for dead batteries from cranking - i'd recommend a trickle-charger/battery maintainer when trying to diagnose issues that require alot of cranking. you won't be able to tell what the engine is or isnt doing unless you are able to crank it over at a decent speed...
but no, weak batteries would not cause and engine to stall. low fuel pressure would, though - as Roentgeep says. could be other things as well though.
my comments were just targetted at what i heard in the video...
as for dead batteries from cranking - i'd recommend a trickle-charger/battery maintainer when trying to diagnose issues that require alot of cranking. you won't be able to tell what the engine is or isnt doing unless you are able to crank it over at a decent speed...
Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 15,505
Likes: 18
From: Livoina,La
Give us the run down on what happen when it died ?
Did it die like it ran out of fuel or like the key was turned off?
Any smoke out of the exhaust while cranking ?
Dies the tac move while cranking ?
Did it die like it ran out of fuel or like the key was turned off?
Any smoke out of the exhaust while cranking ?
Dies the tac move while cranking ?
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Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Another welcome for you.
This helps you
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...finitions.html
For anyone who needs acronyms for Ford - Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum
Agree with OldWoodsDiesel. and dont forget take the fuel pressure at the schrader valve and post here. Do you have WTS ligth?
This helps you
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...finitions.html
For anyone who needs acronyms for Ford - Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum
Agree with OldWoodsDiesel. and dont forget take the fuel pressure at the schrader valve and post here. Do you have WTS ligth?
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New User
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Could be that: low fuel pressure.
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New User
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1. driving along fine for 15 mins
2. cruise set on 60-65
3. slow loss of power and eventually dies
4. cranked and got it running to limp to parking lot
5. cranks and cranks and cranks but never starts
6. ticking sound (relay? injector?) from pass side fuel rail/valve cover
7. fuel bowl full, checked several times
8. exhaust comes out, not white
9. truck had been sitting for 2 months before this
10. GPR 'sounds' normal, clicks on then off
11. WTS light normal
12. RPMs on cranking, tac works
13. no oil press reading on cranking
14. oil level perfect
15. air filter new
16. fuel filter not clogged
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,386
Likes: 1
From: Spokane, WA
Thanks for the welcome.
Interesting you mention batteries. Would this cause the truck to lose power and stall? That's what happened. Now the batteries, one brand new, are weak from all the cranking I've done.
I have a checklist 20 items long of what to try. Lots of acronyms: GPR, ICP, CPS, ICP, EBP, IPR, IDM, etc.
But, in your opinion, the clicking is fuel injector related? As in trying to fire but not enough 'juice'?
Interesting you mention batteries. Would this cause the truck to lose power and stall? That's what happened. Now the batteries, one brand new, are weak from all the cranking I've done.
I have a checklist 20 items long of what to try. Lots of acronyms: GPR, ICP, CPS, ICP, EBP, IPR, IDM, etc.
But, in your opinion, the clicking is fuel injector related? As in trying to fire but not enough 'juice'?
You should at least have the batteries load tested.
Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Thank you everybody for the assistance! I am amazed at how helpful forum members are and over the years how many thousand dollars we've saved using this resource.
Update: Went back to truck. Disconnected high pressure oil sensor (correct term?). The thing started up pretty easily. Then I reconnected it. Drove the truck around. Turned it on and off several times. And it hasn't really given me problems since then. I drove it to work today and to do some errands at lunch, so a combination of city/hwy driving. The lasting issue is a rough/intermittent idle. If I hold the RPMs at 13-1500, they gradually drop to 1000 and hang out there. And occasionally while at a stop the idle will raise 2-300 and then go back down.
So...replace the sensor? There was a tiny bit of oil on it.
Update: Went back to truck. Disconnected high pressure oil sensor (correct term?). The thing started up pretty easily. Then I reconnected it. Drove the truck around. Turned it on and off several times. And it hasn't really given me problems since then. I drove it to work today and to do some errands at lunch, so a combination of city/hwy driving. The lasting issue is a rough/intermittent idle. If I hold the RPMs at 13-1500, they gradually drop to 1000 and hang out there. And occasionally while at a stop the idle will raise 2-300 and then go back down.
So...replace the sensor? There was a tiny bit of oil on it.
FOREIGN GURU
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 7,655
Likes: 7
From: Celaya, Gto. MX
Thank you everybody for the assistance! I am amazed at how helpful forum members are and over the years how many thousand dollars we've saved using this resource.
Update: Went back to truck. Disconnected high pressure oil sensor (correct term?). The thing started up pretty easily. Then I reconnected it. Drove the truck around. Turned it on and off several times. And it hasn't really given me problems since then. I drove it to work today and to do some errands at lunch, so a combination of city/hwy driving. The lasting issue is a rough/intermittent idle. If I hold the RPMs at 13-1500, they gradually drop to 1000 and hang out there. And occasionally while at a stop the idle will raise 2-300 and then go back down.
So...replace the sensor? There was a tiny bit of oil on it.
Update: Went back to truck. Disconnected high pressure oil sensor (correct term?). The thing started up pretty easily. Then I reconnected it. Drove the truck around. Turned it on and off several times. And it hasn't really given me problems since then. I drove it to work today and to do some errands at lunch, so a combination of city/hwy driving. The lasting issue is a rough/intermittent idle. If I hold the RPMs at 13-1500, they gradually drop to 1000 and hang out there. And occasionally while at a stop the idle will raise 2-300 and then go back down.
So...replace the sensor? There was a tiny bit of oil on it.