Hard Starting

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Mar 5, 2009 | 09:37 PM

desert sled

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Joined: Jan 2006

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From: Northern Nevada

Hard Starting

My 94 IDI F-350 has been increasingly hard to start. I replaced 7 out of 8 glow plugs last week and it started great at first,then got increasingly tough to start. This afternoon after work it barely started. The starter cranks and the batteries are good, but the engine doesnt fire up unless I crank and crank the engine. Dark smoke comes out of the tailpipe when it finally starts,but goes away and the truck runs fine. I am not great with electrical troubleshooting so can anyone point me in the likely direction of the problem? could this be the glow plug relay? Where is the relay and what does it look like? Thanks again for your help. I am getting frustrated because the truck only has 113,000 on it.

Mar 5, 2009 | 09:55 PM

starmilt

Post Fiend

Joined: Oct 2007

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From: Faibanks Ak.

What brand gp's did you use.

Mar 5, 2009 | 10:32 PM

goodB0Y

More Turbo

Joined: Jan 2008

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From: Vancouver B.C.

leaky fuel return lines or fuel bleading down from the injectors and ip can cause hard starting... mine belched a bit of black when I had that problem.

The glow plug relay is located on top of the engine behind the aircleaner... there is a procedure to check it... going to see if I can find it for ya...

Mar 5, 2009 | 10:35 PM

goodB0Y

More Turbo

Joined: Jan 2008

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From: Vancouver B.C.

is it a turbo 7.3?

Mar 5, 2009 | 10:38 PM

desert sled

Thread Starter

Senior User

Joined: Jan 2006

Posts: 100

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From: Northern Nevada

I used motorcraft on 4 cylinders and 3 were bosch. I had left overs that is why they are mismatched. The return lines were replaced last year,could the IP pump be bad after 113,00 miles? i was really hoping it would be the glow plug relay. Oh Yea, something I didnt mention was that the truck has a manual toggle switch for the glow plugs. thanks for the response. It is a turbo.

Mar 5, 2009 | 11:07 PM

goodB0Y

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From: Vancouver B.C.

if it has a manual switch for the glow plugs then someone has bypassed the controller (also called by some the relay)... the easiest way to see if the relay is working to see if you have 12 volts at the glowplug when the switch is on, a test light will do but a volt meter is best.

If you have 12 volts the other test is to check for good glow plugs. To check them hook up your test light or volt meter to the positive terminal of the battery and the probe on the tip of the plug... a good glow plug will light up a test light or show 12 volts on a volt meter.

If all those check out you can also check for resistance between the glowplugs and the relay and the relay and the fusible links (the relay power feed)... This will require a volt meter and the know how to use it to check for resistance. This was actually the problem on my truck... after checking for resistance I found a poor connection at my engine harness plug... I wasn't getting full power to the relay... might be a place to look also.

hope that helps...

I know how fustrating it is when your truck won't start... took me a week to figure mine out...freekin sucked.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

Mar 5, 2009 | 11:28 PM

goodB0Y

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From: Vancouver B.C.

on the turbo models the relay for the glowplugs is located on top of the engine behind the alternator, vin#F... or on top of the r/h valve cover, vin#K