Starting Cold
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Starting Cold
My 1996 PSD smokes (blue) pretty bad for the first 20-25 sec on a cool day (hot days it doesn't seem to smoke at all). It's got 120,000 miles on it. Is this to be expected, or is something that can be fixed ie: turbo or valve seals. Otherwise it's a great truck 20 mpg in town and 26 mpg on the highway. Any info would be appreciated, as this is my first diesel.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Herndon KY
Not at all unusual to have that issue, you are facing either a GPR (glow plug relay) or glow plug issue, how mechanically inclined are you, and......Welcome to FTE
edit--do you have an ohm meter or test light?
edit--do you have an ohm meter or test light?
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 8,608
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From: Belair md
may not even be an issue, i will post a vid in a minute of my truck on a 73 degree day for a cold start. if you have a test light just check the relay- 2 big wires on it, one always has power the other has power key-on for no more then 2 minutes, if thats good then you can ohm your glowplugs, via the valve cover gasket,
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
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From: Belair md
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Herndon KY
The GPR is located in the center of the engine under the plastic Powerstroke cover (if still installed) It is normally a brown round item about the size of a cupcake with two large electrical posts and two small electrical posts sticking out of the top of it. One of the Posts should have 12 volt battery power all of the time. The other post, when the engine is cold ( there are temp parameters that can cause the GP system not to cycle) should have twelve volt power when the key is on. This is somewhat associated with the wait to start light, but the light being on or off does not necessarily mean that the GPR post will have power. The GPR can remain on for several minutes after start.
edit-- CHJoe you are fast
edit-- CHJoe you are fast
Posting Guru
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From: Herndon KY
The testing of individual GP's is a little more work. I feel the best approach is to remove the four plugs (two per side) from the valve cover gasket connection. When doing that check both connections for burned or corroded pins and connectors.
- - - - - There are five pins in the valve cover gasket connecter the two outside pins are the coresponding glow plugs, the center pin is a common for the injectors and the other two correspond to respective injectors. With a test light or ohm connector make sure there is connectivity to the GP pins. Hook up the aligator clip to the Pos battery cable and touch the outside pins, the test light should come on, or the voltmeter should show voltage, or touch the ohm meter to a ground and then touch the pin the ohms should be near zero, if any thing is other than described you have identified the bad Glow Plug or UVC harness, highly recommended to replace all of if you have to do any, and do not use Auto Lite
- - - - - There are five pins in the valve cover gasket connecter the two outside pins are the coresponding glow plugs, the center pin is a common for the injectors and the other two correspond to respective injectors. With a test light or ohm connector make sure there is connectivity to the GP pins. Hook up the aligator clip to the Pos battery cable and touch the outside pins, the test light should come on, or the voltmeter should show voltage, or touch the ohm meter to a ground and then touch the pin the ohms should be near zero, if any thing is other than described you have identified the bad Glow Plug or UVC harness, highly recommended to replace all of if you have to do any, and do not use Auto Lite
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 8,608
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From: Belair md
not the best quality for youtube but you get the idea, it smoked for 45 seconds, the colder outside the thicker the smoke, i have no glowplug or relay issues in my rig and the engine is in tip top shape, its a diesel, when cold they will smoke,
edit-- i tried to find a video of the army 6x6's on cold start. you'd love them but nobody has any, its a shame i cant get you one to see, you'd never complain about smoke again
edit-- i tried to find a video of the army 6x6's on cold start. you'd love them but nobody has any, its a shame i cant get you one to see, you'd never complain about smoke again
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Originally Posted by Blue Collar
My 1996 PSD smokes (blue) pretty bad for the first 20-25 sec on a cool day (hot days it doesn't seem to smoke at all). It's got 120,000 miles on it. Is this to be expected, or is something that can be fixed ie: turbo or valve seals. Otherwise it's a great truck 20 mpg in town and 26 mpg on the highway. Any info would be appreciated, as this is my first diesel.
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Originally Posted by bkcowboss
Not at all unusual to have that issue, you are facing either a GPR (glow plug relay) or glow plug issue, how mechanically inclined are you, and......Welcome to FTE
edit--do you have an ohm meter or test light?
edit--do you have an ohm meter or test light?
Ya, I'm an electrician, so I should be able to wrap my head around that end of it. Thanks
FOREIGN GURU
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Celaya, Gto. MX
Blue Collar, this link is for you:
http://pages.prodigy.net/stevebaz/_import/pages.prodigy.net/stevebaz/index3.html
http://pages.prodigy.net/stevebaz/_import/pages.prodigy.net/stevebaz/index3.html
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Joined: Feb 2007
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need help 2003 7.3 glow plug change directions
I have a 2003 f-250 7.3 diesel It started hard in the michigan cold last winter I think I need to change the glow plugs, can anyone help me diagnose or tell me where I can get information on how to change out the glow plugs. uarep
