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1994.5 - 1997 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel  

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Old Oct 24, 2006 | 07:24 AM
  #1  
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Hard to start

My 95 powerstroke has 2 brand new batteries and the GPR checks good.It will still especially on cool mornings turn over slower than normal and i'm dumping unburnt fuel(white smoke) out the pipe.after several tries it will start.What could this be?
 
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Old Oct 24, 2006 | 07:42 AM
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Glow plugs are my guess. You can check them without removing the valve covers. There are 4 plugs that go thru the valve cover gaskets. The GP's connections are the outside terminals. Unplug the connector and check for continuity (less than 2 ohms) to ground.
 
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Old Oct 24, 2006 | 08:12 AM
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I do this with power off,correct?
 
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Old Oct 24, 2006 | 09:18 AM
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Originally Posted by oldblue31
turn over slower than normal and i'm dumping unburnt fuel(white smoke) out the pipe.
If it is turning over slower than normal, it is probably your starter. Pull it and take it to an auto parts store to be tested. Diesels have to spin over pretty fast to build enough conpression to fire.
 
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Old Oct 24, 2006 | 09:49 AM
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So check ports A/E for the 2 ohms to ground?
 
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Old Oct 24, 2006 | 11:11 AM
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Yes, A to ground & E to ground (C is ground), if it is more than 2-3 ohms, that glow plug or under valve cover wiring is bad.
 
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Old Oct 24, 2006 | 12:57 PM
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it would be better to check continuity to battery negative rather than use pin C as that goes into the IDM.
 
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Old Oct 24, 2006 | 01:03 PM
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That wiring under the value cover. Is that what they call the relay?
 
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Old Oct 24, 2006 | 01:43 PM
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no the relay is on the passenger side next to fuel bowl. your 97 will have one and it looks like the starter relay that is one the fender right by the battery. thats the glow plug relay.

the wiring under the valve cover is just that. around here its called the UVC (Under Valve Cover) harness
 
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Old Oct 24, 2006 | 04:02 PM
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Originally Posted by oldblue31
I do this with power off,correct?
Yep, power off your Volt/Ohm Meter might not like it if you have the power on when checking Ohms.

I agree with plowhand, the engine needs to spin pretty fast to light-up. Check the starter if the batteries are fully charged and it's spinning slow.
 

Last edited by Cuda_jim; Oct 24, 2006 at 04:04 PM.
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Old Oct 24, 2006 | 05:08 PM
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How bad is anything over 2-3 ohms?
I got a couple 5's and a 7ohm on mine
 
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Old Oct 25, 2006 | 05:48 AM
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5-7 ohms is probably OK but may be getting weak.

If the engine still turns slow with the starter you can have the starter checked in the truck with an Amp draw test. Check the battery & starter connections. Needs to be clean and tight.
 
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Old Nov 7, 2006 | 08:29 AM
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Starting issues

Sounds like the starter, I just went through the same thing on my 97, turn the key and she would crank very slow (like the batteries were dead, but they were not (brand new 900 ccr)) pulled the starter and had it tested (twice) cleaned and/or ground all ground cables and contact points and cleand and checked all positive cables, still no resolution. Finally I just replaced the starter and bang baby, she starts with ease! Earlier I had replaced the Glow Plug Relay as she had a really hard time starting at all (the GPR had actually smoked one of the posts), I suspect before I got her (3 months ago) that some fool jumped her incorrectly and burned out the GPR and then cranked on her forever multiple times and ended up burning out the starter.

Mike
 
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