Starter Issues
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2006
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Starter Issues
I’m having starter issues and I need some help trouble shooting. I’ll list the series of events:
F350 7.3 L Diesel
-Went outside in the morning to start the truck yesterday(not plugged in). The temperature had dropped to around 30 degrees but it was not the coldest night the truck has experience in the last three weeks. I turned the key and the starter ground when it hit the flywheel then it wined while the starter spun down. My first thought was that the starter was going bad. I turned the key a second time and the truck fired, and I was on my way.
<O
-I parked the truck at work and the temperature dropped all day to around 22 degrees. The truck was not plugged in. When I tried to leave work the same thing happened. I turned the key and the starter ground and then whined while it spun down. I tried three times and the truck started. I drove the truck about 20 minutes and pulled it in the drive at home. I turned the truck off, and then I tried three times to start it and the struck started fine.
<O
-I plugged the truck in last night and the temp dropped to about 20. I went out this morning and she fired with no problems and the starter worked fine. I tested the voltage without unhooking each battery and I had 12.5 volts. I had my wife turn the key and start the motor and my voltage dropped to 9.2 volts.
<O
Any ideas?
F350 7.3 L Diesel
-Went outside in the morning to start the truck yesterday(not plugged in). The temperature had dropped to around 30 degrees but it was not the coldest night the truck has experience in the last three weeks. I turned the key and the starter ground when it hit the flywheel then it wined while the starter spun down. My first thought was that the starter was going bad. I turned the key a second time and the truck fired, and I was on my way.
<O
-I parked the truck at work and the temperature dropped all day to around 22 degrees. The truck was not plugged in. When I tried to leave work the same thing happened. I turned the key and the starter ground and then whined while it spun down. I tried three times and the truck started. I drove the truck about 20 minutes and pulled it in the drive at home. I turned the truck off, and then I tried three times to start it and the struck started fine.
<O
-I plugged the truck in last night and the temp dropped to about 20. I went out this morning and she fired with no problems and the starter worked fine. I tested the voltage without unhooking each battery and I had 12.5 volts. I had my wife turn the key and start the motor and my voltage dropped to 9.2 volts.
<O
Any ideas?
Last edited by Olddog66; Dec 2, 2006 at 09:19 AM.
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Joined: Sep 2006
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Batteries
Well I dropped two new batteries in the truck and let it sit at 28 degrees last night without plugging it in, and she started this morning. I felt sorry for the engine while she tried to warm up…the first few seconds were sad at best. I’m not used to a diesel and it seemed like she was only firing on 3 cylinders at first. Thanks for your help.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,157
Likes: 1
From: Littleton, Colorado
Hopefully that takes care of it.
There was a TSB on the starters back in '01.
My '01 needed one at 6000 mi and then another one the very next day.
Since then 5 yrs and no worries. The ones that seemed to have the problems were the ones assembled in Mexico.
by the way, welcome to FTE Olddog66 and good luck to you,
Austin
There was a TSB on the starters back in '01.
My '01 needed one at 6000 mi and then another one the very next day.
Since then 5 yrs and no worries. The ones that seemed to have the problems were the ones assembled in Mexico.
by the way, welcome to FTE Olddog66 and good luck to you,
Austin
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 613
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From: Connecticut
Originally Posted by Olddog66
Well I dropped two new batteries in the truck and let it sit at 28 degrees last night without plugging it in, and she started this morning. I felt sorry for the engine while she tried to warm up…the first few seconds were sad at best. I’m not used to a diesel and it seemed like she was only firing on 3 cylinders at first. Thanks for your help.
These motors don't like being cold lol,but i wont hurt them to start with out the block heater.They just sound horrible when they start.Thats the nature of the beast.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,515
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From: Jasper, MO
Originally Posted by Green_Dually
These motors don't like being cold lol,but i wont hurt them to start with out the block heater.They just sound horrible when they start.Thats the nature of the beast.
If the starter acts up again, check the pivot point for the bendix fork. sometimes it's a bolt sometimes it's a rivet; they break. worst case, you have some chipped teeth on your zoom ring (flywheel ring gear). An engine really only typically comes to rest in one of four positions, so the odds of it continually landing in the same spot are great.... but I think I can speak for everyone when I say I HOPE it's taken care of already, LOL!
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 613
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From: Connecticut
If you have the right oil in it,then it should not be any worst then another engine.All engines run rough when they start in the cold,just normal.I'm not saying when there bucking like a bronco.
But you are right when the right oil isn't in it.
But you are right when the right oil isn't in it.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 14,582
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From: 21791
The grinding noise when you fired the starter was probably due to a failing "pull in winding" on the starter. When 12v ignition is sent to the starter relay, it triggers this solenoid to fire, which in turns pulls the contact ring up against two contacts to make a complete circuit which sends full battery power to the starter motor. Also hooked to this linkage, the pinion gear will fly outwards as the contact ring moves inwards, and it will engage the pinion with the flywheel/flexplate. It seems to me that low voltage will cause the pull-in winding to be weaker. If you replaced both batteries and the grinding noise still persists, you might as well replace the starter. You could send the old one to my tech school for an analysis 
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Thanks
I really enjoy all the information you can get off the website. I’m having fun learning more about engines, especially the diesels. When I was a kid my brother and I would work on his old ford truck but my experience is limited. I think I’m going to check the resistance on the glow plugs now. I’m getting some white smoke and it doesn’t seem like the truck is starting well in the cold. I don’t have a base line when it comes to cold starts. This is my first diesel and it has 100,000 miles on it. I have known idea how a new diesel with new glow plugs should start.