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Glow Plug testing/slow start

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Old Aug 14, 2013 | 03:40 PM
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Glow Plug testing/slow start

Hi There, Finally got half a day to play with me new AE to try and find why she ( 03 F250 PSD ) is a bit hard to start and runs rough when cold ( 30 deg, well I call that cold ) .Runs smooth when hot but lacking a bit of power.
0:: did buzz test cold = all good
1:: cranks speed is 135 rpm
2:: Inj pressure 1000 on crank & 460- 575 @ Idle ( bouncing up & Down )
3:: GP relay tested as per Search on here =OK
4:: Disconnected ICP = no change
5:: Cleaned IPR plug and checked nut was tight = no change
6:: Ohm all glow plugs x6=0.8 , One was 140.00, One had no reading ??

I figure that with 2 GP,s out ( I think ) I may be on the right track or should I be testing something else ??
Next mission is to get the AE and me to put a reading onto the forum whilst driving so it can be read and diagnosed
Brownie ( New Zealand)
 
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Old Aug 14, 2013 | 05:07 PM
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You definitely have two bad plugs with those readings. A word of caution on the buzz tests.....never do them cold. Always do buzz tests on a warm injector. It is very hard on the poppets in the injectors when they are cold. With the numbers you have, I would say your IPR is working fine.

You need to check your boost numbers next. Compare the boost numbers from your MAP sensor with the EPB sensor numbers and see what kind of ratio your engine/turbo are producing.
 
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Old Aug 15, 2013 | 06:10 PM
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Will Do

Thanks Nicmike for quick reply , will order a set of GP,s from riffraff and get them freighted over to NZ
Brownie
 
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Old Aug 15, 2013 | 07:19 PM
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My opinion on a buzz test is a little different. Worn injectors pass a buzz test most of the time when warm, but don't do so well when cold. If I suspect injector issues, I prefer to buzz test when cold.

That being said, how did they pass the buzz test? Not throw any codes, or did they all buzz nice and loud and all sound the same? Is your hard start up cold followed by white smoke from the tail pipe after it starts, or as it's trying to start?

What weight motor oil are you using?
 
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Old Aug 15, 2013 | 08:28 PM
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no smoke

Hi there F350-6 , yup all injectors sounded the same , did test same as I have read and seen on the forum .......... thanks for all the info

No smoke at all when starting or at any time , no codes relating to that

the oil I run is 15-w40 , not synthetic though, burns about 2 ltrs between changes = 10,000km

Plan to check injectors and harness when fitting gp,s

Have also checked wastegate actuator = ok

Pulled and cleaned every electric plug on the sensors ( except the one right at the bottom of the turbo )
when cold it does rev up a bit and has the whooshing sound out the exhausts , from what I have read it is meant to do that ....... correct ?

Clean the EBP sensor and pipe , and should get a chance to AE other stuff in next coupla days
She has done 580,000Km's

Brownie
 
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Old Aug 15, 2013 | 08:33 PM
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You are losing 2 litres of oil every 10k? Hmmm...gotta be going somewhere. Original turbo? The whooshing sound is normal with EBPV still installed.
 
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Old Aug 16, 2013 | 03:54 PM
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More than one bad glow plug in the cold country dose make for hard starting. I had a bad glow plug relay on the road, it was clicking so I thought it was alright, big mistake. Anyway I also had one bad glow plug but it did start pretty easy, I have to change it this month before the Wyoming trip. I did the drivers side, now to the passenger side. I always do all at the same time, just me.
 
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Old Aug 16, 2013 | 07:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Brownie12

No smoke at all when starting or at any time ,
Interesting. Give us a better description of "hard starting". Does it change if you plug it in for a couple of hours first?

Originally Posted by Brownie12
no codes relating to that
We typically don't see any codes at all for glow plugs unless you have a CA emissions vehicle that has a GPCM instead of a GPR. I don't know what you have over there, but if you have a GPR, then you won't see any glow plug codes even if they are bad.

Originally Posted by Brownie12
the oil I run is 15-w40 , not synthetic though, burns about 2 ltrs between changes = 10,000km
That's a significant amount of oil unless you're towing heavy, really putting the engine under a load, or just really getting on it and driving it like it's a sports car in a race all the time.

Originally Posted by Brownie12
Plan to check injectors and harness when fitting gp,s
How does your fuel filter look? Any signs of oil on the filter? Perhaps you've got bad injector o-rings? That might explain why you're ICP psi isn't jumping higher while cranking when cold during a hard start.

Originally Posted by Brownie12
She has done 580,000Km's
Original injectors? That's about when I changed mine. I saw no improvement from changing injectors, but I did notice a few o-rings that looked like they were about to start causing problems if I hadn't pulled the injectors when I did.

Originally Posted by Nicmike
You are losing 2 litres of oil every 10k? Hmmm...gotta be going somewhere. Original turbo? The whooshing sound is normal with EBPV still installed.
X2 on the EBPV being normal.

Originally Posted by Bonanza35
More than one bad glow plug in the cold country dose make for hard starting.
Maybe I'm the oddball, but every glow plug issue during cold start I've seen was accompanied by white smoke.
 
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Old Aug 21, 2013 | 05:07 PM
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Help appreciated

Hi There,
Hard start = twice as long as Tugly's start on UTube, Engine hunts and sounds like 1 or more of its lungs are not firing until warm, do not have heaters fitted down here temp cold is a bout 30degree F or 2degree C .

Yes does have a GPR , no emissions stuff

Oil useage = Yea this is when towing our fiver as the roads are quite steep and are not straight, so am on and off the go pedal constantly , has a garret turbo and no blue smoke

Not sure if original injectors ? Fuel filter changed at every second oil change , May have to look at tank pickup from what I have read here.

Will keep lookin when time allows
Brownie
 
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