Hard cold start symptoms
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Senior User
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From: Southwestern Ohio
Hard cold start symptoms
My '02 F-250 will not start if not plugged in temps below 30 degrees. I do use diesel kleen anti-gel additive. It will fire right up if I pour a little diesel kleen 911 additive into the fuel filter bowl. Again, if the block heater is plugged in it does start. Could this be a glow-plug or glow-plug relay problem, and if so, what's the easiest way to test them?
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Wheatland, Mo
Battery condition is the first check. They may have enough to turn over the engine but not enough to run. Takes more to get these engines running when it is cold.
GPR would be next
Then ohm out the glow plugs to check them.
If you have to replace the glow plugs, check the harness under the valve covers while you are there and apply the fix. Either a grinded down quarter or the shims from Ford.
GPR would be next
Then ohm out the glow plugs to check them.
If you have to replace the glow plugs, check the harness under the valve covers while you are there and apply the fix. Either a grinded down quarter or the shims from Ford.
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Joined: Feb 2005
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From: Chattahoochee Hills, Ga.
The thread below will tell you everything you need to know. Megawatt00 is the best around for the electrical majic of a PowerStroke. Read and enjoy !!!!
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...pr-system.html
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...pr-system.html
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From: Hartford, WI
Do you get the normal WTS light and it goes off and you crank?
What sort of driving do you do? Reason I ask is that you and I may have 100K but if you do more city driving, IOW, "START engine, STOP, repeat throughout the day", your glow plugs will live a shorter life than if I start and drive all day and then shut down.
What sort of driving do you do? Reason I ask is that you and I may have 100K but if you do more city driving, IOW, "START engine, STOP, repeat throughout the day", your glow plugs will live a shorter life than if I start and drive all day and then shut down.
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From: Southwestern Ohio
The WTS light operates normally, however it seems to take a while to go out (close to a minute when cold). The GPR checked out fine. Next I'll be checking the individual glow plugs.
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From: Hartford, WI
What kind of mileage do you have?
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I had the same problem this year.
Glow plug relay was first - stopped it from smoking when it started, but still no start below 30 Deg F.
Glow plugs read about 0.75 ohms to ground - no reason to think any are bad. Left alone.
Batteries were old - replaced with BXT 65-850's and changed the solenoid while I was at it. Still no luck.
Changed to Rotella Synth 5W40, all clear to -10 now.
Glow plug relay was first - stopped it from smoking when it started, but still no start below 30 Deg F.
Glow plugs read about 0.75 ohms to ground - no reason to think any are bad. Left alone.
Batteries were old - replaced with BXT 65-850's and changed the solenoid while I was at it. Still no luck.
Changed to Rotella Synth 5W40, all clear to -10 now.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 7,406
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From: Wheatland, Mo
My truck is at 240K, had the same hard start symptoms. I replaced the GPR, Reseated and fixed the UVCH, new higher cranking amp batteries and still had the problem. I installed my DP-Tuner ship and the hard starts are gone. She did take 3 tries to start the other day leaving from work but it was about 8 degrees outside and she sat for about 8 hrs outside in the wind. In the morning after being plugged in with -24 temps, she fired up no problem.
Makes me wonder what the chip changes to make it easier to start in cold weather.
Makes me wonder what the chip changes to make it easier to start in cold weather.