My 2001 F250 Super Duty 7.3 has been in the family for 16 years. She has logged just short of 200K and has appeared virtually bullet proof. Over the last couple months she has started asking for attention when I would leave the drive without enough engine warm up time and start to loose power but not stall completely. After a minute or two of idle time, the engine would throttle up to normal and off we'd go. A few days ago, we were moving a trailer on the property and the engine started running rough. I parked it until the next day and she would crank but would sputter and kick and finally go dead. Changed the fuel filter but no change. Checked the oil today and not showing on the stick. Couldn't believe that 9,000 miles had passes since last change. No lights and didn't notice the oil pressure display. Now she spins but won't crank. Feels like a fuel problem but I'm no diesel mechanic by a shot. Is there a shut off feature for low oil pressure on this model? Also I plan to replace missing oil but am concerned about spinning the ignition until its lubricated. Any advice is appreciated including verbal kicks in the butt for not keeping a check on the oil.

 

welcome to FTE.


These trucks NEED OIL, to run the injectors, no oil, no run. Change the oil first then see if it’ll start. Do one thing at a time so you can figure out what the actual problem is.

Is the fuel level above 1/4 tank? if the pick up foot broke off inside the tank you’re sucking air. Have you done the hutch and harpoon mods?

you say it will spin but it won’t crank… in my world that’s the same thing. Do you mean it’ll spin over but it won’t start?

 

Kinda makes me wonder if I have a disease...

I change my oil religiously at 2800-3200 miles and check the level EVERY TIME I leave the yard. The thought of 9000 miles on oil and never checking the level makes me more than sick.

Just me though.....

You have a ton of air in your high pressure oil system and it's akin to changing the injectors at this point....gonna take some cranking to get it to start again.

 

I'll change the oil as soon as possible and let you guys know the results. There is more than a half tank of fuel on board. Yes it spins but doesn't start. It did start when the problem started but would never reach a smooth idle. Hope the oil change leads to a fix and I promise I'll keep a close watch on the oil level after this. Thanks.

 

I have had this disease since I started driving. I'm really tired of people asking "what's wrong?" when I have the hood open to check the oil.

 

One thing I have repeatedly read is these engines will shut off if get low on oil due to their design and have saved engines because of it. Hope that is just what happened. If so, “bet you won’t do that again”. Good luck.

 

Especially at interstate fuel stations while waiting during fueling up; checking fluids, trailer axle bearing temps, and washing windows on long trips. Makes me want to ask the hood down people what's wrong.

 

I remember when cars used to 'use' oil, nowdays not so much.

 

If the oil gets low enough it will shut off the high pressure oil system and therefore the whole injection system. Try just changing the oil and making sure it is topped off.

 

Your engine is fine....

1) Put 8quarts of oil in it.

2) Charge up your batteries.

3) Start your truck.

4) Drive it a day or two and put 50-100 miles on it.

5) Then Do a full oil and filter change......

6) Check your oil level more often...

 

IT'S ALIVE!!! Wish you all could hear her purring right now after receiving a 15W40 Diesel Oil Infusion. Last night I was wondering if we'd have to let her go; so young with only 199k miles. But tonight I'm feeling pretty good about the prognosis. I charged the batteries today which are only a year old anyway and changed the oil after work tonight. The oil was warm from the heater in the floorboard. My expectations were hopeful but doubtful. I cranked her for about 5 or 6 seconds and didn't sound too good. Waited 20 or 30 seconds and repeated...and repeated about a half dozen more times. Then boom! She started with a smooth idle and has been the same for the last hour. I'm a little nervous about turning her off but fixing to do so after this post. Learned my lesson but caught a disease. Same one Cleatus has. I'll let you know the end of this story. Thanks everybody.

 

Once upon a time, my oil plug came out while I was running down the road. I finished changing the oil filter in a very nice neighborhood after a buddy came and got me. New plug, oil and filter, but had to unhook the batteries to get it to try to start. Reset I guess. It now has 337000 miles. If you will take care of these trucks they can burying you in after you die with the engine running.

 

Nope. I'm going to try to kill this myth before it has a chance to take off. There is no reset on these at all.....anywhere, anytime. It may have just been a coincidence that it started afterward but unhooking the batteries did nothing for "resetting" anything when it was run out of oil.

On edit: There is one reset that does occur. If the ram gets corrupted from bad chip files, unplugging the PCM to erase the RAM and start fresh can occur.

 

The 'cranking' issue was..... Air In The Oil Lines..... and so the oil pressure injectors (oil to open injector's to put fuel in cylinders) were staying closed until the air was pushed out. This (low oil) happened to me twice in the time that I have had my truck. Once, I know was from a HPOP connections that was leaking a little to much.
Check for oil leaks and plug them up.
https://www.dieselorings.com/

 

If you have done very little work on the top side of the engine. It is time to change out a lot of O-rings. You may be saying.... this engine has 200,000 miles on it. It may be on its' down side slide. Nope.... it still has a long life in it. I have driven 7.3 vans that had over 600,000 miles on then and going strong. The rubber in the O-rings do degrade over time and it is time to put in some new ones. Yes, YOU can do all of these changes YOURSELF. We will answer any questions that you may have and walk you through any work that you may want to do.

Unplug the Fuel Bowl heater from the back of the Fuel Bowl. you do not need it and if the wires burn out, it will blow a fuse and the truck will not run and you will have a hard time 'wondering' why it will not run.

Welcome to the forum.

the people at this site are one of the best and knowledgeable for parts and advise.


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