Do you have the latest heat indutive flash at 32F the truck should have no issues starting without being plugged in. And are you loosing any coolant/ having to add any??? I also use 2 stroke oil in my tank 1oz per gallon truck seems to love it. About every 5 or 6tanks i add a quart of dextron to keep the system clean. Hope you find the problem. Good luck

 

I have a 06' F-250 KR and I usually let my truck warm up for about 15 or 20 minutes in the morning after sitting all night long. I don't have any trouble with starting though. I have noticed that if i don't let it warm up it shoots white/blue smoke and has a hard time shifting. I'd like to try lighter weight oil in my truck but it has over 157K on motor. I'm curious about what causes this but its been hard to find a definite answer.

 

hey 69, where are you located? there should be no reason to be afraid of thin oil.a 15w40 and a 5w40 are the same viscosity at operating temp, the only difference is that when cool the 5w40 is thinner, will flow more freely and have less drag. up north a lot of people even go to a 0w40 or 30 for winter. Ford has cleared the 6.0 to run 5w40 snythetic year round under all conditions. As for warming it up for more than the time it takes to buckle up and set the stereo, you're just wasting fuel, and carboning things up, like the egr,just accelerate gently and don't load the engine too hard until temp gauge starts to move. I see the odd small puff of smoke for maybe 5seconds, if it can't be driven without a long warmup it needs to be checked out by a real diagnostic tech. hard or erratic shifting can be a failing exaust backpressure valve as i said earlier. Ford replaced mine this spring and now it shifts when it should again, hot or cold.

 

I will 2nd. this post, and for the guy who is letting it idle for 10-20 minutes when it's cold out, do an oil analysis. Don't be surprised if you see 2-3% fuel dilution in your oil.

 

I live in Northeast Kansas. Thin weight oil doesn't bother me. What bothers me is trying to switch over to a synthetic oil. I've tried that before on other high mileage vehicles and didn't have any luck. Also when I started my truck this morning it sounded terrible, the tachometer wasn't fluctuating. But it didn't sound very good to me. The shifting isn't really erratic, it just hesitates at 2,000 RPM, but if i ease back on the throttle a little it will eventually shift. I think I'll switch to a 5w40 Rotella, but I'm a little gun shy on running synthetic in this truck. Will the exhaust backpressure valve signal a check engine light?

 

I switched to rotella at the urging of my dad - lifetime trucker several years ago on my diesels... I began to notice a difference after getting a cheapo oil change one time, and I drained it and put in rotella. Been using it ever since when I do my own.. Otherwise, I get it done at ford.. My Excursion is not running the best right now. Im thinking the same thing, I just bought it from a indep dealer and pulled the dipstick and the oil just doesn't have very good viscosity at 1000 miles..

I just put a quart of tranny juice. thats been my rememdy for years. I put about 1 quart in spring, fall, and an additive in winter a couple of times.

A diesel should start at 32F pretty well if the glow is on and good. It should even start if you hit it right away, just rough. Let it idle, dont add fuel till it smoothes out.. Check your water separator too..

Finally if it continues try STP (old school), but it will tell you if its an oiling problem if it smooths out..

 

My personal beliefs are to NOT use tranny fluid OR STP in the oil. It is absolutely too critical for several reasons: Proper viscosity for spool vlaves on injectors, additives OTHER THAN those designed for the oil can inhibit the detergent and soot suspending qualities of a good oil.

Use a good oil and you need nothing else. If you have problems, you will not fix them with STP additive or Tranny fluid.

 

at least in my case the backpressure valve didn't throw a light. When they scan the computer, or run a diagnostic scan it does show up. There is a ridiculous amount of crap that can be screwed up on the 6.0 without the check engine coming on. 2 6.0 well over 100,000 miles 1 check engine light and it actually ran no different than before light. In my opinion thecel is the most useless/worst trouble indicator on these engines. more than 30 injectors, no light,at least 1-2 EBP no cel, 4 cranks but doesn't fire no light, should i go on? Trans oil? STP?this is not a 1970/80 diesel. as far as i'm concerned if you believe something you put in the fuel, that burns as it leave the inj tip will cause carbon depoisits to fall off the OUTSIDE of the inj tip, have i ever got a deal for you, PRIME ARIZONA BEACHFRONT PROPERTY. I would suspect that STP is about like the thickeners from Morey's or lucas. I think that an increased thickness is likely to cause air bubbles to stay suspended in the oil longer. No hydraulic system including our injection system likes or lives long with air in the system. as far as switching to syn at high miles what exactly has the problem been?all the seals in this engine are compatible with synthetic. syn is a more temp stable product, with less vis change from cold to hot. I can't see syn causing oil consumption unless there was an underlying condition that was being masked. Someone earlier suggested glow plug, they are much better than the 6.9, 7.3, or 7,3 PS plugs, but some folks have had them or a contoller act up and they def will be snorty if all 8 are not hot