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OK, here's where I stand on this and I think I'm onto a weak alternator resulting in low batteries. I pulled driver's side VC and have Ford Beru glow plugs made in Ireland, they all ohmed at about 1.5 UVCH looked fine. I ran AE and fuel pressure is very good at start up and spikes up in the mid 2000's + gunning it in the driveway, pump seems good. RPM's while cranking...it starts up at 106 RPM'S and I didn't catch a visual on cranking RPM's, it had been started before that I need to check it when it's cold. MAP and EBP are within .6 of each other and seem to be working. Voltage...batteries sit at 12.5 or so at peak, alt puts out about 13.5 and maintains that when loading it up with headlights, heater fan, and A/C. I get same voltage at batteries and GPR line side but lose about 1/2 volt on the load side when glow plugs are on. I get .1 volts when reading across the GPR when active. I've been reading that the alternator should put out 14.1 and figure that's one place that needs attention. Stronger batteries would turn the engine faster and start better. Any thoughts?
I have a comment about your starting procedures that may be helpful.
Do you have a fuel gauge? You say fuel pressure is good, but mention AE and it spikes, so I'm thinking a typo and you meant oil pressure?
The Fuel Pump won't run for 2 minutes. If you are leaving the GPs run that long, then crank, you are starting at ZERO fuel pressure
If you want to try that, wait the 2 minutes, cycle the key, count to 15secs, then crank. See if that helps?
Also, what is your cranking voltage? What does it drop down to?
ICP pressure is what spikes to about 2000. Good tip on waiting two minutes, there could be something here. I'll read cranking voltage and RPM's tomorrow while it's cold.
I may have found something that adds to my starting difficulties. I measured the distance to the oil in the top of the HPOP reservoir through the sending unit hole and it seems to be about 1 1/2" to the oil level. How low is this and what is the remedy?
I am still trying to get my truck to start faster. I hear guys say that theirs starts right up but mine takes 5 seconds or more (I still have to time it exactly). I had the batteries load tested and was told that they are about 80%, good enough for now but petering out. I have charged the batteries and monitored their voltage levels. Today I took out the AE and recorded two starts, one cold, not run for about a week and the other motor still warm. Here are those results. To me it looks like injector pressure goes right up as soon as the starter is hit. I'm looking at like 5 seconds turning while cold and 3 or so when warmed up.
Looks like the ICP is a good 100 psi higher during the warm start but it's hard to read the graphs in my phone. Have you tried disconnecting the ICP sensor while starting? How many miles on the injectors?
I have had this truck for almost 4 years now. It came with new Walmart batteries and the PO had new glow plugs installed, which tells me that he was having some starting problems. The truck would usually start but when it started getting cold out it took a little more attention. Over time I installed a used Denso style starter that I had rebuilt (I do not know if it's genuine Denso or a knock off). This had the truck starting in 2 to 2 1/2 seconds in the summer, which I was good with. Now winter's coming and the batteries were getting weak (last year they load tested at 75%) so I picked up two batteries at Costco and put them in. Now it starts in 1 1/2 seconds on one glow plug cycle at least down to 30 degrees and I look forward to seeing how it does at colder temps. I am impressed at what a big difference fresh batteries and that starter have made. I was thinking that maybe my injectors were starting to go south on me.
I had progressively slower starting symptoms, but this was from my POS parts store batteries that I had to buy 3 years ago when the ones that came with the truck died. I needed them quickly, so didn't have time to be picky.
They have near death all summer and I knew there would be a day this winter when I went to start the truck and they would fall on their face. So, as you probably know I upgraded to NorthStar AGM batteries with 930 CCA, a QuickStart 160 Amp alternator and the Denso high torque starter.
There is no comparison. I am sure that the batteries alone would have helped, but having the starter replaced at the same time is just a silly comparison.
I guess I just wanted to second your thoughts on the batteries being a very critical part of these trucks, and that they need to be healthy.
I also recently replaced my original starter at 108K miles. I noticed my voltage was dropping to 10VDC when I turned the key to try to start. I went camping one time and didn't think the truck would start it was turning over slowly. I purchased an AC Delco Professional series starter on Amazon and now it fires up quickly with voltage drop to 11 !/2 volts. I looked into DB but If you call DB they told me that the warranty was Amazons problem, Amazon stated 90 days on all electrical warranty's. With the Delco starter the warranty is two years and it is through any distributor.
