Glow Plug Trouble
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Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 36
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From: Newark, Delaware
Glow Plug Trouble
I have a 2000 Ford Excursion 7.3 PDS -- hard start in the cold. I replaced the AIr Heater relay because it was not working -- and that helped a little -- but now I am still hard starting. I guess the next step is to check the plugs themselves -- do I have to remove the valve covers to do this?
Don
Don
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 6,708
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From: Kiowa CO
The Air Intake Heater relay doesn't help with starts with our trucks. It only activates for prolonged idling in cold weather. Since you have an EX, your GP relay is a module which is tied to your PCM, are you getting a SES light on the dash?
Here's a writeup by Jim (Megawatt) about the system. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...pr-system.html
Your Ex has the same system as the California models he mentions. It also has the procedure on testing the GP's. You test them by pulling the harness, not pulling the valve cover. If you have some bad GP's, then you have to pull the covers to replace. Good luck.
Here's a writeup by Jim (Megawatt) about the system. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...pr-system.html
Your Ex has the same system as the California models he mentions. It also has the procedure on testing the GP's. You test them by pulling the harness, not pulling the valve cover. If you have some bad GP's, then you have to pull the covers to replace. Good luck.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 26,966
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From: Texas
You can check the glow plugs without pulling the valve covers. There's a flat connector on the inboard side of each valve cover. Unplug the connector, grab a multi-meter set to read ohms, and ohm the front 2 and rear 2 pins at each valve cover against battery ground. Good glow plugs will read between 0.1 and 2 ohms.
Edit: Chris is right. The Ex has a GPCM, so that's supposed to throw a code for bad glow plugs or a bad GPCM. Do you have an check engine light?
Edit: Chris is right. The Ex has a GPCM, so that's supposed to throw a code for bad glow plugs or a bad GPCM. Do you have an check engine light?
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Newark, Delaware
No codes. That's what's confusing me. Last year I paid a guy because I was a goober when it started hard -- but at that time I also had a code --- he found that the passenger side had a short, loose harness, also loose and dirty connectors at the GPC Box and he replace those four plugs and the harnesses. This time I don't have a code -- the engine starts but chugs for about 30 seconds before it smoothes out. It does not do this when I plug in the block heater overnight. It also did it before it really got cold -- even around 40 degrees. Today I'm gonna put it in the garage and do the electrical checks (ohms) on the plugs. Any more advice?
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,144
Likes: 11
From: Rochdale MA
When you start it in the morning do you do it just after the wait to start light goes out? The glow plugs run for a while after that light goes out. Yesterday it was 4* when I went out to start my truck, after the WTS light went out I waited a good minute and then started it up. No romps at all. I am running dino also.
Read through the thread that Chris had posted the link to. It will give you a better understanding of how your system works.
Read through the thread that Chris had posted the link to. It will give you a better understanding of how your system works.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 26,966
Likes: 50
From: Texas
When you say the engine chugs for about 30 seconds, does it kind of romp up and down? Sounds like it may just be an oil issue. You might try a synthetic 5w-40 oil. Many here have cured the romps by switching to synthetic in the cold temps.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 6,708
Likes: 5
From: Kiowa CO
No codes. That's what's confusing me. Last year I paid a guy because I was a goober when it started hard -- but at that time I also had a code --- he found that the passenger side had a short, loose harness, also loose and dirty connectors at the GPC Box and he replace those four plugs and the harnesses. This time I don't have a code -- the engine starts but chugs for about 30 seconds before it smoothes out. It does not do this when I plug in the block heater overnight. It also did it before it really got cold -- even around 40 degrees. Today I'm gonna put it in the garage and do the electrical checks (ohms) on the plugs. Any more advice?
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