I think it was about 17 or 18 degrees out. So cold, but not really cold, I would think it should start in that weather. At least if not at first, maybe a few cranks I thought it would start, but it still didn't. And not I did not have it plugged. Thanks, I guess I'll try plugging it for awhile and see if it helps.

Man I hope its not injectors. It runs fine once it starts. Yesterday when they had the valve covers off, we saw that there was four reman injectors in it, 2 on each side, if that matters at all?

Thanks I might try it if plugging it in doesn't help.

Thanks. I'll have them check it on Monday since I don't have anything to test it with. That's what I was thinking, maybe the glow plugs aren't getting power somehow. Or maybe something with it not getting fuel somehow. It does have a leaking oil cooler, which were going to fix on Monday. Do you think that might have something to do with it.?

 

Thanks. I'll have them check it on Monday since I don't have anything to test it with. That's what I was thinking, maybe the glow plugs aren't getting power somehow. Or maybe something with it not getting fuel somehow. It does have a leaking oil cooler, which were going to fix on Monday. Do you think that might have something to do with it.?[/quote]


Go to a local auto parts place and get a multimeter, they don't cost much. We'll walk you through the testing steps, its pretty easy.
Leaking oil cooler shouldn't have an effect on how the truck starts or runs.

 

X2

The glow plug system is very easy to test - like Farmboypowerstroke said, go buy a $20 multimeter and we'll help you with the rest.

18-20 degrees - she should have fired up easily if the glow plugs were working properly.

one question......did it still smoke this morning like the video you posted?

 

Here are the link & instructions on testing the GPR from Guzzle's website:

Welcome to guzzle's Stancor GPR replacement Mod Web Page

Testing your old Glow Plug Relay

Measure the voltage between chassis ground and the battery + terminal then again between both terminals. If there is any difference at all, you have a battery ground problem.
If not, then measure between ground and the "always hot" large terminal post on the GPR, this reading should be the same as what you measured on the battery.
You will need help for the next steps or at least have a good view of the meter form the driver seat.
Have someone turn on the key and measure the voltage on the large "always hot" post again between chassis ground and this post. It should drop from what you measured with the key off. Write down this measurement.
Quickly (before the PCM tries to turn off the GPR), measure the voltage on the post opposite the "always hot" large terminal between chassis ground and this post. This is the post that feeds the glow plugs. If your voltage measurement there is less than .2 volt lower than the "always hot" post, the relay is beginning to have the contacts burned from arcing. Otherwise it is working fine and you may have a glow plug problem.
If you have no voltage on the large post when you turned the key on, you need to check to see if the GPR is getting activation voltage.
With the key on, test voltage between chassis ground and the red wire on the small post. You should have battery voltage there, if not, your GPR coil is not getting 12volts and there is an electrical problem in the wiring.
If there is voltage there, take a small length of #16 wire and ground the opposite (from the small red wire) small post to chassis ground while reading the voltage on the large post feeding the glow plugs. This small wire should be an orange color. When you ground this post to chassis, the relay should energize and you will see close to battery voltage on the post feeding the glow plugs.
If you get no battery voltage reading, the coil may be bad in the relay. If you do get a voltage reading, you could have a number of bad glow plugs and you will have to ohm them out to see which ones are bad.

 

Most of all, don't drive yourself insane by over thinking the problem at hand......do what everyone is recommending. Test one piece at a time in the system and you will find the problem.

Don't guess - test

Edit: this is easy peasy stuff compared to helping(mostly watching) the Army Mechanics do this outside on a hillside in Korea while it's snowing and staring down a cliff...... while installing snow chains since there is no such things as guard rails.......

 

Yeah I thought the oil cooler wouldn't affect anything.

My uncle tested a whole bunch of things yesterday after they put the glow plugs in, and I think he did test all of that. And everything tested fine. Since my Dad's mechanic and my uncle are working on it, I think I'll just have them test it. But Rich thanks a lot for all of your help with this so far you have been very helpful.

Yeah I think it should have started right up too. And yes it was smoking like in the video. So it is getting fuel right?

And yeah I was freaking out a little at first, but I'm good know. I know I need to test things first, but I was just throwing ideas out there to see what you guys thought, just sort of thinking out loud.

And yeah this is definitely easier than what you said, haha. I know its not too complicated stuff. Thanks again for the help.

Edit: I forgot to ask, since I need to drive it tonight. If it doesn't start, we might have to use the starting fluid/ether to start. Which I know is bad for diesels, but a little won't hurt too much. So I was wondering if it comes to using the ether, which I really don't want to use unless I have to, will that kill the new glow plugs or not?

 

Hmm if all that stuff tested okay, things get interesting.
I didn't read everything, but will the truck start if its plugged in? Don't use starting fluid unless you absolutely have to. Unhook the glow plug wire first though, otherwise you will get a big BOOM if your glowplugs really are working.
Starting fluid won't affect your glowplugs

 

It is starting to sound like injectors. Read my cold start thread. I went through a very similar situation last February-April. Once those poppet valves wear, running synthetic and plugging in will buy you some time, but it is inevitable that you will need new/rebuilt sticks.

 

Couple of other things unless I missed them in earlier posts, what oil do you have in it and how long since it was changed? Also have you checked the oil level in the HPOP, it should be about an inch down from the top when checked thru the allen plug in the top. Although if it is starting when it's warm outside that probably won't be the problem, but it is easy to check just in case. And like others have said, double check that the GP's are getting power. Please convince your helpers to stop using starting fluid, I've seen the damage that can be done on these trucks when using that - completely exploded an air box a friend was working on - he did not listen to me! If all the other stuff checks out, plug it in for a few hours and try starting it again. Good luck!

 

Yeah my uncle did a few different tests yesterday after they did the glow plugs and batteries, not sure exactly what, but everything tested ok. I thin he used a multimeter and a scan tool. I think we'll do a bunch of them again tomorrow.

No it didn't start after being plugged in. I had plugged in for a good 4-5 hours yesterday and it didn't start last night. We even unfortunately tried the starting fluid and it still wouldn't start with that, which is weird because it started fine with it before. We cranked it 4 or 5 times and nothing, it kicked over once and ran for about a second but then shut off. I wasn't too happy. I just said forget it and I ended up having to drive my moms car last night. Its been plugged in for at least 5 or 6 hours this morning, so I'm going to go out and try it again in a little bit.

And that's the last time I'm going to use the starting fluid, except for maybe tomorrow if I have to, to get it started to get to the shop. I just don't want to mess up anything else.

Hey thanks a lot! I just read through the whole thing. It was very helpful and cleared up a few things, and gave me a few ideas too. It also kind of scared me a little bit too, because like yours, mines starting to sound like it might be injectors too. But the only thing with that is that so far, once its started it runs and drives fine, so I'm not sure if that's it.

I think we'll do all of the tests tomorrow, and see what happens. I was thinking to test the starter, alternator, any codes, UVHC's, all the sensors: IPR, ICP, check the HPOP level, injectors, OHM everything, and test the whole glow plug system again, just to safe. Anything else that I missed that we could test?

I hope its not injectors...

I'm not sure what oil is in it, since I just bought the truck a little over a month ago. Was thinking about changing it tomorrow too. What oil do you guys recommend to use? I'll check the oil level in the HPOP tomorrow too. And the day I made that video it was about 50* out and it still didn't start, so it doesn't seem to be starting when its warm either. And it was my Dad who started using the starting fluid, and we'll just say that he's not much of a mechanic, haha. I wasn't happy about, but that's the only way its started lately, and we only did a few times, and that was because we had to drive the truck. Won't be happening any more though. We'll see how it checks out tomorrow. Thanks guys!

 

As far as oil goes, I run Rotella T6 5w-40 synthetic. There are other good ones out there but Rotella is easy to find. I'm with Hkusp, sounding like injectors but on the encouraging side I have a friend in the same boat and he's kept his going for over a year now by just plugging it in when he needs the truck. It's like yours once it starts and warms up it runs fine. With the amount of miles on your truck unfortunately injectors are one of those expensive wear items. That is a nice looking truck you have there. Good luck!

 

If I could get mine started, once it warmed up, it ran fine. Like I said, you may be able to change the oil to synthetic 5w-40 and plug it in when it's cold and get some time out of it. If the poppet valves aren't too worn. If switching to synthetic and plugging in doesn't work, you are going to have to bite the bullet and buy some injectors.

 

If it was 50* out and wouldn't start, its not anything do to with glow plugs. If everything else is fine, it should start even if the glow plugs aren't working. I know when my GPR wasn't working, oil temp was around 40 and it started fine.
And that was when I had the 15w-40 oil in it. I changed oil the other day, I used Mobil one 5w40 for diesels, and oh my god the difference that made is unreal on my truck. Its the only oil I'm ever using from now on. The only reason I had the 15w40 in it is I had to put a different motor in and I wanted to use a cheap oil to make sure everything was okay before I put the good stuff in.
Its really sounding like injectors now. Easy on that starting fluid, its odd though, the truck should have started with it though.
On a side note, how to you like those Duratrac's?

 

Well I guess I lied about the starting fluid... I went out and cranked it a few times with no luck. Then my Dad came out and said might as well use the starting fluid just to get it running. So I figured it would be good to get it started and let it run for a while and drive it a little bit, and I didn't feel like arguing with him, haha. So after a few cranks with the starting fluid it started, but barely. It barely started, and ran rough for about 30 secs or so and then smoothed out a bit, but still didn't sound exactly right, until it ran for a few minutes. I drove it and it drove fine.

Just went out and tried it again after sitting for about 4 hours, no luck, won't start. I is about 30* out or so. This is a video of it today. First is first time starting it, then after we got it started and how it ran. It had already been running for about a minute or so once I started taping again, should have kept it going when we were trying to start it, then is when I just went and tried it again. Sorry forgot to focus at first on the last one.


Thanks. In the first video I put up, that was before we put the new glow plugs and new batteries in it. So maybe it would have started if it had those. And thanks I'll think I'll try the 5w40 since that's what a few of you guys recommended.

And on the Duratrac's, so far I like them. Not that I have much to compare them to, since this is my first truck, and they were on it when I got it. They have a little over half tread. But so far so good, and I think they look good too. They have a decent hum to them on the road, but nothing too terrible I don't think, it doesn't really bother me though. And I don't know if its the tires, or just the torque of the 7.3, but they don't seem to have the best traction when its wet or snowy/icy out. Nothing terrible either, but they seem to spin pretty easily when you first get going, maybe its just me.

Ok thanks. Like I said I think I'll try the 5w-40. Hopefully I can get by with the fresh oil, and plugging it in. Hoping its not injectors, but starting to get a feeling that is. We'll see after some more tests and new oil tomorrow

Ok I'll try it and see what happens. I got it plugged in for the night, and will see what happens in the morning. Might just end having to bite the bullet and buy injectors...

 

Given the fact you used ether and none of the connecting rods went through the side of the block, I'm leaning toward inoperative glow plugs. Seriously, using ether on an engine equipped with glow plugs can cause catastrophic damage. Shattered valves, blown head gaskets, and cracked heads all come to mind. If you're going to use ether, disconnect the glow plug relay wire going to the glow plugs before doing so.

What have you replaced so far trying to fix this, and what have you tested to see exactly is or isn't working?