Hi All,
I have a problem, I'll cycle my new to me f-350 through the wait to start cycle and it cranks and acts like it wants to start but won't. I turn it off and cycle it through again then it fires up. The first try usually produces lots of unburned fuel smoke. Anyone out there hear of this before, just bought it and don't know alot about diesels. Thanks for your help.

 

Check your glow plugs with an ohmmeter,remove the wire and check from the terminal on the plug to ground odds are some are open and that is the issue.

 

What he said, because the PS uses oil to fire the injectors, it relies on glow plugs to get going because the injectors are not easy to fire with cold thick oil. Quality 5w40 also helps winter starts.

Only use oem replacement glow plugs.