Engine won't stay running
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Cross-Country
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Pennsylvania
Engine won't stay running
95 7.3 liter diesel E350. Just turned 200,000 miles (that's probably the problem). Drove about 2 blocks, started missing/running on 2 or 3 cylinders then quit. Restarted, barely, and nursed it home. Next day drove it around the block 3 times and it seemed okay. Next day, same thing as first day. Just now if I crank for 5 or 6 seconds it will fire and run on what seems like 6 or 7 cylinders for 5-10 seconds, then start to miss and feels like running on 2 or 3 cylinders and quits. Was driven 30 miles or so okay after last fuel fill. Fuel pump was replaced about 15,000 miles ago. Tank is full. Any ideas? TIA.
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Cross-Country
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Pennsylvania
Haven't checked that yet (this is a van. have to pull the dog box to get to those connections). DIscovered tonight it will not fire unless you press on the gas pedal. Just cranking without that won't fire at all. Got to give it half throttle.
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Cross-Country
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Pennsylvania
Problem was two fold. Fuel filter was clogged with fungus. And engine was way low on oil so there wasn't enough oil to fire the injectors. When I changed the oil I didn't tighten the drain plug and it apparently seeped out 6 quarts in 250 miles (holds 14 quarts).
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Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Pennsylvania
Yes, it seems to be after 3 short trips. A friend of a friend says it's fungus on the fuel filter and it can happen. Power Service makes a biocide additive to help prevent it (expensive, $32 for 16 oz) which I'll try.
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Cross-Country
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Pennsylvania
Discovered that the oil problem wasn't leakage. Took it on a 60 mile trip and 'lost' 3.5 quarts of oil, with absolutely no leaks anywhere, including in the valley. Took off both sides of the turbo and no oil present there so it's not turbo seals. Must be an injector problem leaking then burning the oil. Could it just be the o rings on the injectors, not the injectors them selves? Of course the pain is this is a van/E350 and probably up to 10 hours of labor to take the injectors out and replace. BTW, engine/van has 200,070 miles on it.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: western SD
When you changed the fuel filter was it black and kind of slimy? That is 1 sign the injector o-rings are toast. The bad O-ring lets the oil into the fuel which returns to the tank to be recycled back to the injectors to be used as fuel.
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Sounds like two good signs that you need injector orings. DieselORings or Riffraff are the best places to get them. Don’t sweat the 200k mile mark, that engine has tons of miles left to run
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Cross-Country
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From: Pennsylvania
I agree that 200K is no sweat. What is sweat is a 25 year old vehicle, and the fact that it's a van which means about 10 hours labor to do the job. Have to take out motor mounts and lower the engine among other things to get the injectors out. It's going up for sale as a mechanics special. It's otherwise not in bad shape, someone (else, younger than me) might be interested in tackling it.
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