HELP!! I'm pretty new to the Diesel world, love my 6.9 to death when it cooperates. the past week, after the truck sits for a few hours, or overnight, it takes forever to start..... today, i had to actually jump it because it ran the battery down so much. whe it starts, it runs great. Any ideas??

 

Spudley,
Read the post "7.3 non turbo rpm flucuation" it should help. your return lines are probably leaking air when the truck sits for a while.
Craig

 

Are your glow plugs operating proberly? My controller had a voltage drain in it somewhere and if it sat for long periods, it would drain the batteries and render the glow plug controller inoperable until power was disconnected and reconnected. My solution was to install a manual glow plug controller. Haven't had any problems since...

 

Hey Momudder,
What kind of switch did u install on your manual controller?Mine regularly melts down after 5 seconds !!!!
Magic

 

I bought a started button from Autozone and spliced into the solenoid in the passenger's side fenderwell. I can take a picture of my setup, if you'd like, but it's pretty much identical to what Ziggster has set up on the below website...

http://www.members.shaw.ca/k2pilot/

Click on the "Glow plug controller bypass diagram" link

 

A picture would be great !! I did see Ziggers page but a "real" pic is so much better.
Thanks,

Mike

michael.gagne@oreka.com

 

It seems like my glow-plugs are working fine. i talking to some people they seem to think the fuel may be draining down, and i'm having to "refuel" as you will the manifold again..... or an injector pump. I really hope that isn't it...

 

I'd bet on an air leak, and the return lines are culprits on my truck. I have the same problem, ESPECIALLY if I park it with the nose pointed up hill. Starts hard and runs rough for the first 30secs.

Lobstah

 

A year ago I spent a lot of time and money paying to hear that no-one could find the problem. Finally the local ford mechanic found a dry rubber fuel line that was obviously leaking air.

After replacing that $.35 line I haven't had a problem.

 

I ordered my injector kit and return line kit the other day, should arrive in time for the weekend. I'm betting on this fixing a few things...

Lobstah

 

mine has a similar problem,only mine starts just fine and runs for about 5 seconds and dies,could i have the same problem?thanks

 

Sounds like a couple of you fellas have the same problem. It'll either be a bad line or the injector o-rings. And to save yourselves time, you might as well do them all at the same time. I've done some at one time, and wound up doing the rest of them at a later time. Enjoy!

 

I'm just waiting for mine to show up. Thought they'd be here last Friday so I could do them over the weekend, but not here yet. I'm doing all 8, and replacing all the return lines at the same time.

Lobstah

 

If I can remmember correctly, Ford relocated the glow pulg controller in 1987 due to cronic shorting. This was due to water getting on top of the controller due to a bad cowl hood seal. The first thing that would happen is the glow plugs would stay on too long and burn the tips of and drop into the combustion chambers one by one.

Another problem I have encountered ... more in diesel than gas... causing hard starts is crappy battery cables BOTH Positive and negative. Bad cables will not allow the starter bring the motor up to speed. Have a friend crank the motor and while they do this watch the cables. I have seen bad cables actually jump due to the heat/amerage trying to get to the starter. IF they don't jump grab hold when the starter is running, if u feel lots of heat, well that is electrical resistance.
When in doubt do a voltage drop accross ALL the cables.

I refuse to believe in the 'No problem found at this time.' You just havn't found the right dealer/mechanic for YOU. That is one who actually understands what is happening and/or why it is happening.

When the truck starts does the exhaust seem white in color?
White exhaust is either coolant, brake fluid or unburned fuel.

You can check your glow plugs with either a amp meter on the supply line, apx 10 amps per plug ... 80 amps total or pull them out and one by one check them with a wire on the battery. BTW if a plug doesn't seem to want to come out, it is broken / burned out. You dont need the little pieces in the chamber.

 

Wow, lots of talk of what could be wrong. I talked to a diesel shop, they said either a bad fuel line, or bad glow plugs... I checked the glow plugs with a test light, 7 of the 8 bad..... go figure.... I haven't replaced them yet, but hopefully it works... thanks for all the advice