2001 E350 Ambulance conversion no start, big voltage drop
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2014
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From: Beaverdell BC
2001 E350 Ambulance conversion no start, big voltage drop
Hey Guys,
Ok, so looked through the cold weather hard start threads and they don't quite line up with what we have going on.
Our Volunteer Fire Department has an '01 E350 7.3 ambulance conversion. Up until recently it was starting up just fine, but now will crank, but not start. When I go to Key On, the battery voltages drop down to 10.8V and slowly climb back up and then goes to 12.6V once the glow plug relay shuts off. If I go to start, it drops down to around 8V, so I know the PCM is cutting out and wouldn't start anyway.
if we go to jump start it, it will start fine though.
I've cleaned all the battery connections, and grounds. Both factory batteries have been replaced, and we replaced the starter as well (was our best educated guess). I've got Forscan and had no codes come upon it that would suggest anything else.
I'm guessing the problem is whatever is causing the big draw at key on, but cant seem to track it down. Any ideas? Until we can figure it out we can't get our responder out of the barn.
Cheers,
Mike
Beaverdell Voulenteer Fire Department
Beaverdell, BC, Canada
Ok, so looked through the cold weather hard start threads and they don't quite line up with what we have going on.
Our Volunteer Fire Department has an '01 E350 7.3 ambulance conversion. Up until recently it was starting up just fine, but now will crank, but not start. When I go to Key On, the battery voltages drop down to 10.8V and slowly climb back up and then goes to 12.6V once the glow plug relay shuts off. If I go to start, it drops down to around 8V, so I know the PCM is cutting out and wouldn't start anyway.
if we go to jump start it, it will start fine though.
I've cleaned all the battery connections, and grounds. Both factory batteries have been replaced, and we replaced the starter as well (was our best educated guess). I've got Forscan and had no codes come upon it that would suggest anything else.
I'm guessing the problem is whatever is causing the big draw at key on, but cant seem to track it down. Any ideas? Until we can figure it out we can't get our responder out of the barn.
Cheers,
Mike
Beaverdell Voulenteer Fire Department
Beaverdell, BC, Canada
Logistics Pro
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,744
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From: Earth
check your grounds, clean as needed, also check (not sure if its the same but assumeing this is a 7.3L beast) the PCM fuse/WTS light comes on, if no WTS light is your fuse good or bad? does it look good? replace it...also I would have a look at the 7.3 Diagnostics link in my signature (if on mobile device I can repost it)
Logistics Pro
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,744
Likes: 5
From: Earth
do you have Torque Pro (or lite) and an Droid device (not a droideka) with a BT adapter? so we can try and capture some data from the PCM so we might see what it sees?
check the Hpop? is if full or empty? electronic dash or analogue?
check the Hpop? is if full or empty? electronic dash or analogue?
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 155
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From: Beaverdell BC
So got it sorted...
the battery up front that was load tested and deemed “good” preciously was the last link I hadn’t done anything with. Just for curiosity’s sake I swapped it out with another I knew to actually be good. Started up no problem.
must have been a bad cell in the other one that just had it I guess.
So lesson for the day was don’t trust someone else’s work until you verify it for yourself!
thanks!
case closed
the battery up front that was load tested and deemed “good” preciously was the last link I hadn’t done anything with. Just for curiosity’s sake I swapped it out with another I knew to actually be good. Started up no problem.
must have been a bad cell in the other one that just had it I guess.
So lesson for the day was don’t trust someone else’s work until you verify it for yourself!
thanks!
case closed
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,753
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From: Los Angeles, Ca.
I was guessing battery. Was it load tested or tested with an electronic analyzer? I have a Midtronics battery analyzer that has been almost fool proof for the 15 or so years I've used it, pretty much the same as today's analyzers but less fancy. The only times it has lied to me was on my '88 E-350 7.3 and a customer's '97 F-350 7.3. On both occasions it said both batteries were good when they were junk. I had the batteries tested at Oreilly with their much newer analyzer and same thing, it said they were good. I did a headlight load test and it confirmed my belief that they were bad. I don't know what about these vehicles would cause similar battery failures, makes no sense.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,744
Likes: 5
From: Earth
I was guessing battery. Was it load tested or tested with an electronic analyzer? I have a Midtronics battery analyzer that has been almost fool proof for the 15 or so years I've used it, pretty much the same as today's analyzers but less fancy. The only times it has lied to me was on my '88 E-350 7.3 and a customer's '97 F-350 7.3. On both occasions it said both batteries were good when they were junk. I had the batteries tested at Oreilly with their much newer analyzer and same thing, it said they were good. I did a headlight load test and it confirmed my belief that they were bad. I don't know what about these vehicles would cause similar battery failures, makes no sense.
just a reminder, if load testing your batteries make sure they ARE NOT on the truck, as that will load test both at the same time and give false readings
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