Orgionally posted to the Super Duty Forum. Could a mod please advise where is best for my issue?

Hello all, new to the forum so I hope I'm posting in the correct place. My 6.0L won't start, no previous symptoms. Fortunately it's at home where I can tinker with it. Plenty of cranking power, starter turns over strongly, plenty of fuel, no bad fuses, etc. Checked the FICM, its putting out a steady 48.6V key on and only drops down to 48.4V under cranking load (just a couple seconds). Fuel pump FCM seems to be functioning (can hear it) and I have fuel in the secondary fuel filter and regulator. Have NOT checked fuel pressure, ordering the adapter now (could not find one locally this morning). I did notice the cap on the secondary fuel filter was cracked, replaced it this morning, cycled the key 3 times to prime, still not go. Before I replaced the cap & filter I had removed the 12mm pressure test plug just to confirm it's size and noted there was no fuel discharged when it was removed. I cranked s second or two with the plug out and got fuel, but again have not checked pressure.

Any help or redirects to existing threads that might help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Update: forgot to mention I'm not seeing any codes?

 

Is it an early or late 04 (ie is the ICP under the Turbo or on the Passenger valve cover)? Once you locate the ICP, unplug it and inspect it (and the connector and wiring). Try starting with it unplugged.

Have you had any work done to it recently?

Any mods (tuner, EGR delete, etc)?

What are you using to read codes?

When was your last fuel filter change? Also, what is the fuel tank level?

When was your last oil / oil-filter change? Also, what oil are you using? What is your oil level (looking for either too low or over-full)?

Are you using OEM filters (and OEM oil filter cap is also important)?

When was your last fuel flll-up and could you have received bad fuel (you can drain from the WIF plug to get a quick visual check on this possibility)?

Do you have a way to monitor the following PCM values - ICP volts, ICP pressure, ICP desired, IPR % duty cycle, FICM sync, Cam/Crank sync, MassFuelDesired, FuelPulseWidth?

 

What is your ICP pressure? It needs to be over 500 before it will start.

 

Thanks bismic & mustang_309,
No recent work
Scanner from Sears, I'll check model
No mods
Last oil & fuel filters a couple thousand ago, will check my log at the shop and confirm.
All Ford Motorcraft filters, and caps. Just replaced secondary fuel filter cap yesterday - OEM
Last fillup a week ago, ran fine down to 1/4 tank. What is WIF plug? Ah WaterInFuel - down of the rail mounted unit?
How/where do i check ICP pressure
Any recommended device to read codes/conditions? I've seen some posts using a bluetooth device but have no familiarity with this stuff?

I'll be checking the rest & confirming thismorning.

 

6.0L bible link:
6.0L Bible Table of Contents

ICP sensor - Injection Control Pressure sensor
03-early 04: Under the turbo
late 04 and up: Passenger valve cover

6.0L Sensor Overview

Page 11: Component Locations

Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - bismic's Album: ICP Pics

Check the ICP values with a scan tool (easiest way). Most common options are: ScangaugeII, Dashboss (IPad), Torque App (Android).

You can also back-probe the ICP wires to get a voltage. The No-Start thread in the Tech Folder tells how.

Tech Folder:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/3...ch-folder.html
No-Start thread:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...condition.html

 

Thanks Mark, very helpful!

 

Other easy things to check:

Does your dash gauge register oil pressure when cranking? Will the oil filter housing fill when cranking (you must remove the oil filter and press down on the oil drain valve w/ a screwdriver while someone cranks)?

Will the upper fuel filter housing fill up?

A stuck opem EGR valve can cause issues as well. Do you get excessive smoke when cranking? It is not hard to pull the EGR and inspect/clean. If you want to clean it, there are some specific things to do/remember:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/4...egr-valve.html

Here is a way of checking to see if you have sufficient high pressure oil without having a gauge or adapter. Strip back the wires about an inch away from the ICP sensor connector (or better yet, back-probe them). Obtain a digital multimeter and set it for voltage (DC). The bn-wh wire is a five volt reference, leave that alone. Strip back the db-lg signal wire and the gy-rd ground wire. Put positive lead on a dark blue-light green wire and negative lead on gray-red wire. Have an assistant crank truck, you need a minimum of 0.82 volts (500 psi) for the truck to start, if you are getting greater than that then you have sufficient high pressure oil. NOTE - Ford literature states an even higher voltage - 0.84 volts.

Under the intake "elbow" of late-build 2004 trucks there is a throttle plate that is intended to block off intake air flow with the intended purpose to assist more EGR flow through the intake under various conditions. However, under conditions where the throttle plate close uncommanded, this can also starve the engine of intake air flow when this happens, causing low power and smoke (and possibly a no-start). 2005 and newer trucks don't have EGR throttle plates and neither do 2003 trucks. Something quick and easy for you to try, would be to remove the screws that secure the throttle plate to the shaft and remove the plate. If the symptom disappears, THAT is likely the cause.

Have you checked the inertia switch?

There are a LOT more things to check, but I am trying to skim over the easy ones first.

 

Update on some of the info requested.
I do have a what looks like three sensors on the front of the passenger side valve cover. Here is a pic.

Is one of these the ICP. I've read about unplugging it to reset????

It's time for an oil change & filter change. I checked the oil level, it's OK but not overfull and just smells & looks like oil (no obvious diesel or coolant odor).

Went ahead and drained fuel from the the WIF plug - more junk (sediment & flakes, no obvious H2O) than expected so also changed the fuel filter. Again, worse than I expected w/ only 7500 miles on it but not too bad.

I'll just keep working through the steps suggested - thanks for the help.

 

The one that is in the valve cover is the ICP sensor and the ones next to it are for the glow plugs.

 

Wow, you and Mark are quick on the draw, thanks for all the FAST help.

 

Disconnected the ICP, cylcled the ignition switch 3 times, no start.
Plugged the ICP back in, no start.

Will back-probe the ICP voltage and try checking the throttle plate when my son gets home to help.

On a long crank, I do get good oil pressure indication on the dash gage.

No smoke on cranking.

Checked the inertia switch, seems OK, but just to confirm, this is behind the passenger side kick panel, a small switch box with a button switch in the top recessed into a protective ring. It was not "popped up" but was firmlqy seated in the down position when I pushed on it - right?

Batteries are now down to 12.4V with all the cranking, have the charger on now to get them back up. Will double check with a load tester when they are fully charged.

 

Without some way of reading live data you will just be throwing parts at it. You need the scan gauge II or the smartphone app Dashboss for IOS devices, that way you can properly diagnose it.

 

Came to the same conclusion and I'm looking at the Dashboss (and all of Josh's & others' comments) now. probably get one on order tonight, unless y'all think there is a better choice.

 

Update: while waiting for the batteries to recharge, I just went over and pulled the top off the secondary fuel filter assembly and it was moist with fuel but empty. It's pretty clear that clean fuel had made it into/through the filter during the last cranking session about an hour ago, but I thought fuel was supposed to stay in the filter assembly. I'm presuming it drained back into the fuel tank through the return line - any thoughts about this or am I just paranoid now?

 

Does the fuel filter housing fill with fuel when you turn the key on ?