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6.9 needs ether to start

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Old Sep 6, 2007 | 07:51 PM
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6.9 needs ether to start

Im helping a buddy work on his f-super duty with a 6.9 IDI . Right now, if you spray ether in the intake, shell fire up, if not, you can crank all day and she wont catch. If you restart it within the hour, you dont need ether, but any longer than that, she wont fire. What do you think?
 
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Old Sep 6, 2007 | 08:07 PM
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Check the glowplug system.
 
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Old Sep 6, 2007 | 09:00 PM
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check return lines funny how sometimes this simple fix is over looked
 
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Old Sep 6, 2007 | 09:14 PM
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If the glow plugs are working, don't use ether. You can blow a head gasket or worse.

If it will start after using the block heater or when using a heat gun pointed at the air intake while cranking, it is probably the glow plugs.

Do you hear the glow plug relay after you turn the key on?
 
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Old Sep 6, 2007 | 10:58 PM
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If it isn't the GPs then another thing to check is the starting circuit (batteries, cables, starter).

My turbo-ed truck was getting to where it needed about a 1/3 to 1/2 second shot of ether to fire up the first time I would try to start it from dead cold most of the time.

The clamp on the positive battery cable for the PS battery was in bad shape, so I replaced the whole cable with a good spare I had laying around. In the process I cleaned all the battery terminals and re-tightened the clamps and then put a good charge on the batteries.

The high resistance of the poor connections were keeping the starter from cranking it over fast enough to start up. Extended/repeated cranking also drew the batteries down and with the poor connections it wasn't charging all the way back up.

After the cleaning/replacing/charging session - which took me all of about an hour - she's fired right up every time since.
 

Last edited by CheaperJeeper; Sep 6, 2007 at 11:14 PM.
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Old Sep 7, 2007 | 02:05 PM
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Thanks for the help. Could it also be low compresion? The truck has almost 600,000 miles on the original motor, so i doubt it has great compression, the batteries are a bit old which might be a problem, maybe some new batts will do the trick!
 
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Old Sep 7, 2007 | 02:27 PM
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600,000 miles!! Wow, try the most simple and easy fixes first. Check and make sure you are not getting air in the lines, batteries are charged up, and gp working.
 
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Old Sep 8, 2007 | 09:32 AM
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600,000 miles, WOW! I'd need a little either if I had that many miles on me!

Simple checks are
-glow plugs...temp gun works great for this
-batteries
-battery cables & connections
-air getting into the fuel lines

With a temp gun you can [I think]....check to see if you have any weak cylinders by taking the temp of glow plugs as its running??
 
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Old Sep 8, 2007 | 09:52 AM
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Originally Posted by bc6.9
With a temp gun you can [I think]....check to see if you have any weak cylinders by taking the temp of glow plugs as its running??

with a temp gun check either the cylinders or the exhaust pipes ........a low # = a weak cylinder
 
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Old Sep 10, 2007 | 11:19 PM
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Had same problem

Lots of good advice here. Here's my quick solution, if your Wait to Start light goes off right away, that's how long your glow plugs are lighting. If it goes off immediately, you need new ones. Mine went off right away. Put in a new set, and they now stay on for a few seconds, and when they go off, she fires right up. Like they're saying here though, you put in new GP's,,, get rid of the either, you'll have major damage if you use it.
 
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Old Sep 12, 2007 | 09:55 AM
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I agree w/ timmyc4 start w/ your glow plugs for <100 bucks you can get her starting again. like she's supposed to
 
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Old Sep 12, 2007 | 10:21 AM
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Not advertising here but...

I bought mine on the ebay fo $45/50.99 with shipping, no joke. Came USPS in 4 days.
Maybe this link will help.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...142461041&rd=1
 
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Old Sep 12, 2007 | 10:54 AM
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meant at at a parts house new, but e-bay works too
 
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Old Sep 12, 2007 | 12:29 PM
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Agreed - Go local when possible

Of course. Just if the guys got time to wait, ordering it on line can be, but not always be cheaper.
 
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Old Sep 12, 2007 | 12:34 PM
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600000 miles!!!! wow that is amazing.


Ray
 
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