I know this is an older thread, but I found it in a search due to a puzzling incident on Friday when I came home from work. It's been insanely unusually cold here & I'm in a conference all this week, so truck can sit & wait until I don't get hypothermia staring at things!

But I'm reviving because I was glad to see the note about the air filter box cover -- it's terrible & drives me nuts whenever I fiddle with it to get it to seal. Ever since a co-worker (same truck, just an 02) dusted his turbo due to forgetting about his air filter (lives on a long gravel road), I've been very careful about keeping up with that when I saw his bill! 0.0

I had no power trying to get on the freeway, but it seemed like it started normalizing once things got up to full temps. I did hear some turbo whine as I "field-tested" near the farm, so I'm hoping for maybe just a cold seal (srsly, NC is not supposed to have -10F windchill, I already did my time with 10 yrs in N KY!!) or leak.

Thanks indirectly for the clues, I'll be looking into it Thursday...& thanks OP for asking good questions & everyone's good info! I know I haven't been here in a while, life is crazy, and well....my truck is awesome, it doesn't break, LOL!

 

You are more than likely experiencing the EBP valve closing on the turbo to help heat up the engine faster. After the oil reaches operating temp it should open back up and restore your lost power so don't get crazy with the skinny pedal until your up to temp.

 

If the SD's are like the OBS unplug the electrical connection underneath the turbo in the valley

 

Ah, thank you!! I did not realize that closed the turbo. I apologize for my silly phrasing, but I'm a visual/descriptive person -- is that the same valve that closes when the truck is idling cold & then sounds like a jet engine is spooling up & about to take off for the warm up process?

I do mega-baby it when I leave work on cold days (at home, it's plugged in), kind of enjoying annoying the crap out of people behind me, heh, but in my 10 yrs here, it's never been THAT cold, so crossing fingers that it was simply this. I don't mind creeping along on surface streets, but 55 mph on the interstate in a 70 mph zone until I had a good downhill coast was a little nerve-wracking.

After I get ~12" of snow off the hood (WRONG, JUST WRONG! I did my time growing up in OH River valley of ice & snow!), I'll put my eyes on everything & next time I can leave the farm (0.3 mi hilly driveway of ice atm), I'll see how she does.

Thank you again!!! FTE never fails in awesomeness!!

 

I know a lot of the members here who live in severe cold areas run 5w20 in their trucks. it is a better oil for colder temps. these motors will do funny things untill they get up to temp then run Great.. The injectors run off oil pressure and extremely cold oil
is not letting the injectors do there job to the fullest until it warms up.. so if you not running 5w20 change it..

 

Thanks all -- now that NC seems to have returned from its side venture into Antarctica, the truck seems to be behaving normally again. So it looks like you were right (as usual!) about the oil just being overly cold. Since in my 10 years here, it has NEVER been that cold out, it caught me by surprise.

The last diesel I owned was an '85 GMC 6.0L Suburban which lived in the garage at home (N. KY) & the GP controller died enough times (parents bought it new, I inherited it in 1995), my dad & I quit fixing it & I would just bridge the circuit with a screwdriver in my high school parking lot to start it in the winter, ROFL. This may shock you, but it didn't have a turbo. ;P

Thanks again, fingers crossed, turbo seems ok -- but I learned something new, so appreciate the feedback much!

 

Was just looking through this thread, and saw the mention of running 5w20 oil when its colder. I don't think that would be the best choice, as 20 weight oil doesn't seem thick enough to me. You would want to switch to a 5w40 oil for the cold, if you're looking to switch oils, because then the oil stays a little bit thick when its warmed up. Much better for the oil system on the 7.3

Baatzy

 

Thanks -- I agree about the 40W, I run Rotella 10W40, we really (uh, except for when NC got drunk this year & became ND...) don't need the 5 here. We did use it back in KY in the winter on the Suburban in the winter; my dad would make me switch it out along with putting on all four snow tires when I was in high school. I was kind of annoyed then, but oh so grateful now, I can change a tire like a pit crew! I'd like to run synthetic, but not in my financial feasibility anytime soon.

Thanks for the idea though, I will definitely keep that in mind in case NC breaks into the 'shine again next winter & put the 5 in -- although if I have to do that, I might not even be driving the truck because I'll be hiding out in my house in anger, since I moved here to GET AWAY from that nonsense, LOL!

 

Thanks all -- now that NC seems to have returned from its side venture into Antarctica,

Obviously you have never been to Wi in Jan.

Smokie

 

I have not, but I HAVE had a picnic at 8,000' in the Sierras in Nov, complete with snowmen, & been to MN in Dec! And I still remember walking my dog in a brutal KY winter at -24F with my lungs burning, so I'm counting that.

Ummmm, back on track....yay for non-broken turbos!

 

I stand corrected!!!BTW: Mn does count !!


Smokie