Glow plug relay location-2k Excursion
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Glow plug relay location-2k Excursion
I have been experiencing an intermintent crank/no start problem with my 7.3. I searched the archives and pretty much found out many had this problem crop up. One thing different with my prob is I can observe the radio clock blink, while the Wait to Start light is on. Almost every time this no start has happened, the radio clock blinks. I have to turn the key off and try again. The one thing I didn't find was the relay location in the engine compartment. Could someone give me a head's up on where it is? Assuming after I replace the unit and I still have the problem, where should I look next? Thanks.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Northern IN
I don't know for sure on your truck, but most 7.3s have the relay on the top of the engine, just to the right and in front of the fuel filter. You should be able to see it easily by removing the cover on top of the engine, and it should be toward the right front, just behind the HPOP. It looks fairly similar to a starter solenoid.
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Yup, I think I found it. I searched a forum vendor's website and found a relay. It is rectangle shaped with two harness connectors. It is finned aluminum. Am I right, because the spot where you described on my engine is where this bad boy is sitting. This is all new stuff for me. The vendor retailed it for 130.00. Sound right? Thanks for replying.
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Jumbo, are you in California? Because if you are, then your glow plug "relay" is actually a solid state controller and looks like what you described. (And also doesn't fail nearly as often as the relay, which is why California mandated it! They didn't want no steenkin' smoky starts...) Otherwise it's a little brown thing that looks like a starter relay, and sits underneath the decorative cover on top of the engine.
If you have weird electrical problems while the glow plugs are on, I'd start looking at battery connections or failing batteries.
Duncan
If you have weird electrical problems while the glow plugs are on, I'd start looking at battery connections or failing batteries.
Duncan
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Originally Posted by Frobozz
Jumbo, are you in California? Because if you are, then your glow plug "relay" is actually a solid state controller and looks like what you described. (And also doesn't fail nearly as often as the relay, which is why California mandated it! They didn't want no steenkin' smoky starts...) Otherwise it's a little brown thing that looks like a starter relay, and sits underneath the decorative cover on top of the engine.
If you have weird electrical problems while the glow plugs are on, I'd start looking at battery connections or failing batteries.
Duncan
If you have weird electrical problems while the glow plugs are on, I'd start looking at battery connections or failing batteries.
Duncan
Mountain Pass
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 224
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From: Northern IN
Ok, I learned something new. A solid state relay is very unlikely to fail, as it has no moving parts. But it does require a heat sink, as denoted by the aluminum fins. You can check it by testing the voltage on the output side to verify that it is within about 1 to 1-1/2 volts of the input side while the relay is energized.
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Originally Posted by JUMBO_UTE
So, I can take from your post is, the Cali "relay" is different from the 49 staters, so should I even bother to look under the Powerstroke cover?
Because the solid state relay is so much more reliable (and expensive!) I would start elsewhere when trying to psych out a glow plug problem. Sounds like your batteries are suspicious, so that's a good place to start.
Duncan
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