I will try to keep this short, but there is a very specific series of events that need to occur before the starting issue presents itself.

The truck is a 2003 6.0L 4WD Excursion, 189K virtually stock (no engine mods)

The issue: After letting the truck sit over night, 12-14 hours or so, AND parked facing uphill (sloped driveway), it takes usually 4, but sometimes 5 attempts to start the truck. The start sequence is always the same:

1st and 2nd attempts: cranks, starts, stalls within 1/2 second
3rd attempt: crank, no start
4th attempt: usually starts with no issue; however, occasionally it will crank, no start (same as 3rd attempt)
If it didn't start on the 4th attempt, then it always starts on the 5th attempt.

Once started, the truck runs perfect for the rest of the day, no need to let it warm up (will start right back up), if it sits for 4 or 5 hours it will start right back up.

If I park it overnight facing down the driveway OR level on the street, it starts perfectly on the first try the next day. I've parked it up slope in this same driveway for 5 years and never had an issue before, now it does it every morning the truck is parked up slope.

There are no issues once the truck starts, runs perfectly as far as I can tell. No hesitations at highway speed or idling in the driveway.

I took it to Ford and they said it had low fuel pressure, so they changed the Fuel Pressure Regulator. That made the fuel pressure even lower, so they changed the fuel pump. They guaranteed that fixed it! It didn't, same issue. I brought it back and they said it was the oil filter letting the oil leak out of the filter bowl. I had just changed the oil and filter, so I figured maybe I did something wrong, not that changing the oil and filter is hard, but who knows. So they put in a new Motorcraft oil filter and again guaranteed that is was fix. It wasn't, same issue.

They asked me if I parked it on a slope, I told them I did, so they said they left it over night with the front end jscked up in the air. The next morning they said it started on the first try.

Now they said it is probably something in the lower half of the engine or something to do with the HPOP losing prime (even though they can't duplicate the issue.) I am concerned that they will just tear the engine apart looking for something not really know what the cause it.

Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated!

So while I wait for help I will continue researching how to turn a 4WD 06 Escape into a 2WD Escape, but that is for a different thread.

Dave

 

Try this...park it on the hill. In the morning, turn the key on then back off a few times. ( to prime the fuel pump ) and if that fixes your problem, then whatever kimd of check valve you have is letting the fuel drain out of your fuel line.
On, wait a few seconds, back off, on...mfew seconds.

I know this from a Jeep, no idea if its even remotely the same in the EX.
Good luck

 

Moving this over to the 6.0L PSD forum.

Stewart

 

Your HPOP seal is bad. Parking nose up allows the oil to drain back out of the system. Your having to reprime the oil rails, parking nose down, it's not draining back as the reservoir is in the front.

Buy an Adrenaline pump when you do buy one, Ford pumps are known for failures. You can't just buy a seal either.

Make sure you always use Motorcraft filters and an OEM oil cap.

 

X2 what Watson said. OEM remanufactured HPOP's are a crap shoot on the 03' 04' model years and have heard nothing but good about the dieselsite HPOP for that year.

 

Yep. Randy is right. Go ahead and get your Adrenaline pump, I just did mine. Total different ballgame.


But as for your current situation, did cycling the key ever change the issue?

 

It's not fuel related, cycling the key will prime the fuel pump. He's losing the HPOP prime, why it takes forever to start and the runs good all day. Once that sits, cools down and drained the oil rails, only cranking the motor to run the HPOP can that be overcome..... got nothing to do with turning the key to prime the fuel pump. HPOP reprimes the rails, fills injectors and varooom.

 

As suspected, the key on, key off multiple times did not do anything (same issue). I believe, thanks to you guys, that the HPOP is leaking and letting the oil drain out.

So do I get that fixed or just park it level and not worry about it? Looks like about $1,000 for an Adrenaline pump, assuming I install it myself, but I've never been that far into the engine and I'm not sure if I can do it. Are any special tools required? Taking it to Ford seems like a bad idea, $3-4K and a reman Ford HPOP.

I assume it will get worse over time, but will it cause any further damage if I wait to till it won't start when parked level?

 

I'm not sure that it would cause any damage but who knows, with the housing being made of aluminum it could send aluminum particles/shavings through the oil system.
No real special tools are required other than some torx bits and a torque wrench and a bit of skin . Srmastertech has some really good how to videos on YouTube that include torque specs as you go, he also has a viewer requested video that shows the most common tools needed to work on the 6.0l.

 

I wouldn't wait long. Eventually it's going to lose enough ability to build pressure and it won't start or it's going to leave you stranded. In my truck, it started fine, but would die off at WOT. You just never know when that is going to happen.

309 is correct, it doesn't take anything special. However, if you aren't sure of yourself, you may need a good drink before you start.

Key to it all is simply taking your time. Remember it's surgery, so clean before you remove the cooler and after you take your cooler off. Your engine will be open at that point so just tape your ports off to eliminate anything getting in.

Once your down to unhooking the FICM/sensors/injectors, I recommend that you go ahead and inspect/fix your injector harness during this since you have to remove it. I'd also loosen your radiator and pull the shroud to give yourself more room to work. It just helps....some may or may not agree.

If you end up doing it yourself, PM me and I'll give you my number. I'll help you best I can.

 

This is what you are up against! I put an oem pump back in and have had no issues. It is warrantied for 2 years. Plus I got 210k on the original.

Do not wait long on this! You risk slowly taking out injectors. The seal will allow oil to bleed out as it runs.

If you need to do an oil cooler this is the time to do it. Also clean the turbo, replace the up pipes and delete the EGR cooler if you are allowed to where you live.

It took me 2 days working on and off to get it done. The local shop wanted $1500 in labor to do the job.

If you can not get the turbo mounting bolts loose with hand tools don't feel bad. IT took a master tech 8 hrs to get my turbo off when I had a cooler done.

 

https://www.amazon.com/OTC-6594-Line...2EBF0JBBTY8822

You will need this to disconnect the turbo feed line from the oil cooler. It also works on the lines to the injector feed rails when doing injectors.

 

Unless you have great towing and can do without the truck and aren't afraid of getting stranded... Naw, it doesn't even make sense... Follow these guys' advice and do it now, either yourself or find a KNOWN competent 6.0 mechanic.

My friend is a painter and depended on his '03 for all his work. I kept telling him the starting symptoms he was having (same as yours) pointed to a bad HPOP and he kept putting off the repair, and yes it eventually stranded him. Going that route left him very few options, versus planning for it in advance and being able to say: order and have in-hand a better pump, finding a GOOD 6.0 mechanic that is reasonable.

Fortunately I had a good mechanic for my friend and he charged a very reasonable $2300, but that included the pump and some other stuff while he was in there, but his only pump choice due to time constraints was the Ford one.

He sold the '03 shortly after and went to a F150, which is all he really needs...

 

Since this is an 03, while it's apart, now would also be a good time to replace the ICP and pigtail if they have many miles on them. Not much fun when the engine is totally assembled.

 

I was directed to this thread because I am having similar crank non start issues and park on an incline....did the OP ever get the HPOP replaced? And did it fix the issue?