Started the truck up yesterday afternoon before work to warm up a little while I was getting ready. Not super cold in NW Ohio, low 30s or so. Truck was unplugged. Started up the Torque app, then cycled the glowplugs twice. When I cranked, the FICM main power was at around 44V or so, the Logic and Vehicle side was down to about 8.5-9V. Once it fired up, the logic and vehicle numbers stayed around 10-11V until the glow plugs turned off and the alternator kicked in, then it went up to 13-14V. Main power stayed around 44-45V for 3-5 minutes before I went in to get changed for work. It could have stayed low for longer, I had just gone inside so I didn't see.

The start ups recently have been pretty rough, longer starts with a fair bit of white diesel smoke upon firing, which I've been attributing to some stiction and the colder weather, but clear up within a minute or so. The smoke thins, but seems to stay until the oil temp gets up to 130* or so, where it goes away completely or is thin enough that I can't see it.

When I came out to leave, maybe 10 minutes later, all the voltages looked good. Main was fluctuating between 47-49V the entire drive. When I left work about 6 hours later, I watched the voltages on startup, and they stayed in the normal range, and the truck started up very smoothly with relatively little smoke and was good the entire drive home.

Normally, I start the truck while I'm starting up the phone I use for Torque, so I don't usually see the numbers while cranking, I had just forgotten to turn it off the last time. I'll start watching as I start the truck to see if it continues. Using the block heater doesn't really seem to do too much to alleviate the smoky start ups, it just starts a little quicker. Batteries are less than a year old, or right around a year, and I drive ~50mi a day, so I doubt the batteries are bad.

So, thoughts? Am I correct in thinking that the FICM is on its way out? Or am I just seeing a symptom of the cold weather?

 

There is NO reason to cycle the glow plugs twice. The glow plug module can decipher how long it needs to heat the plugs. All you are doing is killing your batteries.
I'd start with getting them load tested. Your starting voltage is low but I blame that on you running the glow plugs excessively before starting.

As for the FICM, start the truck with fully charged batteries and see what it does on a cold start. I don't like seeing anything below 46v.

 

Agreed. By design the FICM attempts to output 48v no matter the input voltage. It will burn it's self up trying. Address the low battery voltage first and then monitor FICM for damage afterward. It can take awhile for damage to show up so check it frequently for a month or two. I suspect you may see below 45v during cranking even with good voltage input from the batteries, that's often where problems show up first. If the FICM needs attention get a new FICM power relay at the same time. And you know who is our favorite FICM guy around here (hey Ed)

 

You might not be catching all the drop on main voltage.

My FICM would go from 30v to 45v in around 10-12 seconds. Then, once the motor was warmed up, the main volts would read normal. As long as the Torque APP takes to load, your FICM has the opportunity to raise to the level you are seeing.

So, it looks like you are having issues with the FICM, might try to read the volts directly at the FICM and have someone turn the key on for you on first start of the day.

 

Items in your post that are immediate red flags to me;
1) Never cycle the glow plugs, turn the key on, when the wait to start light goes out, start the truck. Glow plugs will continue to heat after the light extinguishes for up to 120 seconds, dependent on temperature and barometric pressure. Cycling them may burn them out and cracks the tips... the tip falls off and into the cylinder... get the picture?
2) Ford has issued advisories saying anything less than 45v for the FICM means it needs repaired...yours reads 44v... it's toast!
3) 8.5v inputs for logic power is bad and that is the input from the batteries... that means your batteries could also be bad!
4) Your alternator could also be bad as the batteries only start the truck, alternator runs the load from everything in the truck once started....I'd suspect it not doing its job effectively.

Have the batteries and alternator load tested independently by unhooking them from each other. And have your FICM fixed.

For running rough until you hit 130*... switch to Delo LE400 full synthetic oil 5w-40, add some Archoil 9100 next oil change.

 

That says it all - time for new batteries.

 

Good point Randy, the GP light on the dash doesn't indicate when the GP's are on, It goes off to indicate they have been on long enough to attempt to start. Cycling the key does reset the timer but it also thermally cycles the GP's for no good reason (they were already on). Glow plugs have a certain number of cycles for a lifespan, they will fail sooner if cycled multiple times each start.

Again,
Battery voltage is first problem.
FICM is likely hurt already, test to confirm.
Get a new relay when FICM is repaired.

 

Fortunately, I pretty rarely cycle the glow plugs unless it's relatively cold and I haven't plugged the truck in. So it's not like I do it every single time. Didn't realize it was that bad for the system though, pretty much everything I've seen or remember seeing is that some people do it and some don't. Glowplugs were replaced the summer before last when I had the turbo cleaned.

A year ago from August is when I replaced the batteries I believe. I had my truck down for about a month when I replaced all the front end components, U-joints, bearings, seals, hubs, ball joints, tie rod ends. Went to start up, nothing. Pulled the batteries and had them tested, bad. Replaced those under warranty. So possibly a parasitic drain? I typically leave the phone I use for Torque plugged in and charging, so maybe that is the source. At least I hope so, because that's easily fixed.

As for the alternator, What I've always read is that it is typical for the voltages to sit around 10-11V until the glowplugs go off and the load lightens up. Maybe I've just misread that or something. Once the truck starts, it stays there for a minute or so before jumping back up to 13-14. So when testing separately, how does that work? Start the truck and unhook the batteries an watch the voltage on torque? When I have the batteries tested, should they be out of the truck?

I changed the oil last weekend before the first snow. I've always used Rotella T6 5W40 since I bought it, and I've been using the Archoil 9100 for the last two oil changes. Seems to smooth it out a bit, it's just more pronounced with the cold weather.

Lastly, I'm not throwing any codes, but I'll double check just to be sure. If all these components turn out to be bad, what are the chances that my injectors are damaged? I'm just trying to figure a couple courses of action in case I'm stuck dealing with a worst case scenario type thing. I've already been pricing out a new FICM from FICMrepair.com (Really though, like I would look anyplace else ).
Thanks for the input so far!

 

There was one cold winter away from home I cycled GPs a few times during the very cold. Months later I replaced the motor when a tip ate a cylinder. Maybe coincidence, but when I mentioned the motor replacement to an engineer who works with C motors rather I motors, the first thing he asked was about overrunning the GPs before start.

Voltage out of the batteries certainly will be lower with longer duration GO cycle time, but that deep is typically a problem of battery capacity, usually age or use related.

The initial low voltage after start is the factory 110a alternators output being sucked up by the GPs, so your running on batt voltage until the GPs get kicked off. The alternator is pushing out 80a, the GPs are using 80a. To be in a more comfortable zone an overdrive pulley on that 110a is an easy, cost effective switch for $12 that will get you another 20a at cold idle, but still no more then the 110 elsewhere. A 140a with a small pulley gets more comfort.

 

Unhook the negative cable from the batteries, that will isolate each one. Advance or Auto Zone can do the test, they can test the alternator as well. I'm getting only two years max from a set of batteries.

The under hood light pulls 1 amp from the battery, it will kill it overnight if left on... that cell phone on charge can pull 2 amps.

Next oil change, switch to Delo LE400 5w-40, it's cheaper and better than T-6... trust me. I've ran T-6 for a long time, could hear the difference in one day! The injectors were quieter and I could tell when it was time for an oil change before, not now.... switch!

As I said before, the batteries start the truck, the alternator runs the truck once started... just have them tested. Most likely they are bad and why the FICM is bad. Get it done before they start killing injectors, not a proven thing that low voltage hurts them, low fuel pressure will for sure and you have low voltage which drives the pump... get the picture.

8.5-9.0v inputs to the FICM is really low, 9.5-11.0 is OK. That is directly related to alternator output. These trucks eat batteries and alternators. You should be running a 140amp unit minimum, using the 58mm pulley on it to give a little boost at idle for charging voltage.

If your not seeing at least 13.6v off the alternator after the plugs go out, somethings wrong. Batteries should be 12.7 with negative unhooked.

Hope this helps.

 

I didn't realize a cell charger drew that much. I'll go ahead and get the batteries and alternator tested. My one worry is that the alternator tests bad and they say that voids the warranty on the batteries and I'm stuck finding $300 for two new batteries. I don't know how that works, or if a bad alternator actually voids the battery warranty.

If I do need an alternator, I would want to upgrade to a higher amp. I saw that FICMrepair has the 185 amp. Would I still want to put a 58mm pulley onto that? I'm not running any accessories like light bars or a winch or anything like that.

For the oil, I'll give it a try the next time I change my oil!

 

Definitely do not want that happening. I would be sunk. What kind of noise was apparent after the tip ended up in the cylinder?

 

Missing cylinder, billowing cloud of white smoke out of exhaust. It's hard not to miss it. But I think it was bouncing in there for a little bit as it scored the wall, bent a valve, crunched a ring land.

Ford times out the GP for a reason, shuts them off too with excessive voltage. Those they can keep you from. But when you re-key on, you reset the timer for them to shut off, so more energy goes into them.

Now, if I know my engineers, the GPs should not be that sensitive to that abuse, and maybe I got one that was on the wrong side of spec. But I thought it was interesting that someone who spends more time then I do with diesels said, "Did you ever .......". And now I don't.

 

Extra help;
Use Advance Auto and buy parts on-line. Use code TRT30, that saves 30% or $50 up to a $150 purchase. Sign up for speed perks, that gets you a coupon every time you shop there on line for an additional $5 off a $20 for the next purchase.

Batteries cost less! Keep the cart to $150 and check out, then use the code again and again and again! Two batteries and and alternator if you like.

Buy the Leece-Neville 230amp unit, don't look back!

Ryan,
I'm not running anything but the truck and I have a 230 amp Leece-Neville and three batteries.

 

^^^^This

XDP.com sells L-N 230 amp normally for $349 and they have 10% off right now! I bought mine from them...

Watson's Advanced Auto discount trick is the bomb!...buy two batteries in two different online transactions.