Hey everybody,
I just moved from San Diego to Charlotte and my truck seems to be starting rough and blows white smoke for 15-30 sec. The truck ran beautiful the whole trip and got good fuel economy. I really had her loaded down in the cargo bed, ran on the secondary support springs and a fully weighted 6x12 cargo trailer. Got aprox 14.6 mpg.

Anyway when I started her the next day it ran rough and seems to be that way everytime. Is this a case of me being warm weather spoiled? Seems to run fine...just weird on start up and it has been between 25-40 deg.

Thanks for your help

Eric

 

Have you tried plugging it in at night? If I don't plug mine in I get the same thing, maybe not 15-30 seconds but there is a puff of white for a few seconds.
One other suggestion would be to check the glow plugs make sure they are working.

 

Do you have a CA truck with the GPCM? Any check engine light? Sounds like a glow plug or glow plug controller issue.

 

You know..it is probably not that long. Maybe 5 sec.

The truck was purchased in Texas in '02 but has been worked on in Ca. i have it supertuned with the "tow safe" mode installed. Not sure what a GPCM is

I have only drove it once since being here....I will keep an eye on it to have a better evaluation. I was just a bit surprising to see.

 

Glow Plug Control Module Next time it's cold turn the key on, after the WTS light goes out give it a minute then start the truck. The glow plugs stay on after the WTS light goes out.

 

Thanks.....now i feel stupid
Yes it has one and yes i wait for it.......

 

Please don't feel stupid. We are all here to learn and help. Sometimes in the frustration of having a problem you overlook things. It happens to me quite often.

Here is a thread about the GP system and there is a part on the GPCM also:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...pr-system.html

 

If it was bought in Texas it may have the GPR (glow plug relay) instead of the GPCM. Grab a multi meter and check to make sure you have voltage going through the relay. Can't post any pics right now due to some site difficulties, but I'll post a GPR pic later so you can figure out which one you have.

 

Thanks for your help.....I have no idea what it has. But i know the light comes on and goes off on the dash. So what ever a Texas truck in '02 would have been sold with it what it has

 

You nailed it in your first post... You are California spoiled.... Welcome to the world of Cold Starting a diesel... Yep that is what the block heater is for.. you need to put additive in the fuel tank too. Power Service, white bottle... pretty much any time it will be below 32F
I have my Mother in Law's 93 Vectra Motorhome with a Cummins 5.9 here in CO.. The thing would not start period even it 50F weather.. but always started fine in sunny CA
turned out that besides not having glow plugs the CA model didn't have the air intake grid heaters. so I added those and now it starts much better.... Just read Lisa's recent thread to see how big of an issue it can be... your glow plugs will run up to about 2 min's so after the 10 seconds or so that the wait to start light goes out, wait another 30 seconds or so before turning the key. you build up more heat in the cylinder that way and get the glow plugs as hot as possible....

 

Here's what the GPR on my 02 Texas truck looks like


If yours doesn't have the 2 round relays there, and the one circled is a rectangular box with 2 large plugs going to it, then you have the GPCM.

Assuming you have the GPR like I do, you'll want to grab a multi-meter and check for voltage on the large post with the rubber boot on it. This should read 12 volts with the key off. Now check the other large post, it should read 0 volts with the key off. Now when it's cold outside, and the engine is cold, test this 2nd post that read 0 volts immediately after the key has been turned on. You should see 11 or 12 volts at this post for between 1 - 120 seconds depending on how cold it is. I'd guess somewhere around 20 seconds at those temps. If the 2nd post never goes above 0 volts when the key is turned on, grab a screwdriver and short the 2 big posts together (a couple of sparks at first so don't be alarmed) and hold it across both terminals for 30 seconds. Then get in your truck and start it. You can ignore the wait to start light after the screwdriver trick.

If you had 0 volts and the truck started better with the screwdriver, you need a new GPR. If you had voltage at the 2nd post, let us know and we'll tell you how to test the glow plugs with an ohm meter.