Cold issues
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Junior User
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Louisiana
Cold issues
I have an '04 6.0l f250, about a year ago my truck was brought to the dealer cause it wouldnt start. They had to reset the computer, ever since then my truck has a hard time cranking at cold temps. seems below 50 or so (could be my imagination). But the batteries seem to be dead when its cold, now these are new batteries that i put in a year ago cause the old ones i thought were bad cause of this same issue. But i replaced them during the spring and never had a problem during the summer. What scares me is the batteries acting like their dead. If i plug it in seems to be awhole lot better. Ive read some of ther FICM threads and seems to check out. Has anyone heard of drawing the batteries down. Ive even used a load tester on them and they checked good but that was at 60* outside. Im confused ans stuck now, love my truck just want the dang thing to start during the winter.
Thanks for the help.
Thanks for the help.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 27,915
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A bad alternator can do this. So can bad connections (check all ground wires and wire from the alternator to the batteries). If the wires and connections check out, have the alternator tested. It is also possible that your batteries are toast - sometimes it just happens. You should charge them and then load test them individually.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,589
Likes: 20
What Mark said and......
check your starter electrical connection.
What type and weight motor oil are you running? Should be 5W-40 synthetic for real cold areas and 15W-40 synthetic for you in LA. If you are using dino oil instead of synthetic, you might want to change. Big difference in cold weather but 50°F does not sound cold to me.
I use 20W-50 synthetic year around in MD and mine starts fine at 15°F to 20°F.
DSMMH
What type and weight motor oil are you running? Should be 5W-40 synthetic for real cold areas and 15W-40 synthetic for you in LA. If you are using dino oil instead of synthetic, you might want to change. Big difference in cold weather but 50°F does not sound cold to me.
I use 20W-50 synthetic year around in MD and mine starts fine at 15°F to 20°F.
DSMMH
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Rural WV
Here's another possibility....I just had the heat induction flash put onto my 2003 6.0.
I took my truck to my mechanic (just happens to be a Ford diesel tech with his own shop) to do a tranny fluid change...and he recommended the newer flash update to help improve my cold starts.
Normally I plug mine in at night...but that's hard to do when you have to leave it at an airport or a hotel for a night or 4. When I don't plug her in...she spits and sputters like she's dying! Well my mech says that the new flash will help with that issue. Of course I won't really know for sure until Monday when I head back to DC for the week.
Just something to consider.
Joe
I took my truck to my mechanic (just happens to be a Ford diesel tech with his own shop) to do a tranny fluid change...and he recommended the newer flash update to help improve my cold starts.
Normally I plug mine in at night...but that's hard to do when you have to leave it at an airport or a hotel for a night or 4. When I don't plug her in...she spits and sputters like she's dying! Well my mech says that the new flash will help with that issue. Of course I won't really know for sure until Monday when I head back to DC for the week.
Just something to consider.
Joe
Resident smarta$$
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Oaks,PA
A bad alternator can do this. So can bad connections (check all ground wires and wire from the alternator to the batteries). If the wires and connections check out, have the alternator tested. It is also possible that your batteries are toast - sometimes it just happens. You should charge them and then load test them individually.
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Junior User
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Louisiana
I checked the batteries with truck running they read 14 volts or so, assuming that the alt. was good. Could the alt. be bad, not enough amps?? I shut it down and read batteries they read 12.5 and within minutes tried to start truck and didnt have enough juice. Im bringing it in to the battery store to get them checked and the dealer cause im almost out of warr. 96k and never any problems.
Oh i run Rotella 5w-40 and have in all my former diesels, was a former cummins owner. It was mild outside today around 60ish. JUst seems somethings either zapping the batteries or no charging them back up.
So im really curious about the alt. question volts versus amps.
Oh i run Rotella 5w-40 and have in all my former diesels, was a former cummins owner. It was mild outside today around 60ish. JUst seems somethings either zapping the batteries or no charging them back up.
So im really curious about the alt. question volts versus amps.
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Junior User
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From: Louisiana
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i'd put the batteries on a load test, sounds like one of them is a goner.i had a weak alt. that did fine in the summer, but as soon as it got cold this winter it killed the batteries.also check the feed wire on the pass. side battery, if its loose it wont charge them.
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Junior User
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Louisiana
I brought the alt. to oreilly's and it tested bad so i replcaed it. Had batteries checked at wally world and they say they have 600 cca left so their considered good.
Now for the hard question for me, while having a MM on the batteries after a charge they showed 12.8 ish voltage. Turned key on glow plugs came on for 20 seconds voltage dropped down to 11 ish vdc. then when GP shutoff, battery voltage did not come up anywhere near 12.8. Question is how much draw do the GP pull, I know the GP's get pretty hot so I think is alot but my head still says the batteries are bad because they dont recover enough when GP's shutoff.
Any help on this tech guys, ill argue to death with wally world on the batteries. Iv ehad the same size in a dually 7.3 before so i think that's the problem.
Again thanks guys!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now for the hard question for me, while having a MM on the batteries after a charge they showed 12.8 ish voltage. Turned key on glow plugs came on for 20 seconds voltage dropped down to 11 ish vdc. then when GP shutoff, battery voltage did not come up anywhere near 12.8. Question is how much draw do the GP pull, I know the GP's get pretty hot so I think is alot but my head still says the batteries are bad because they dont recover enough when GP's shutoff.
Any help on this tech guys, ill argue to death with wally world on the batteries. Iv ehad the same size in a dually 7.3 before so i think that's the problem.
Again thanks guys!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fleet Owner
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 27,915
Likes: 3,635
I brought the alt. to oreilly's and it tested bad so i replcaed it. Had batteries checked at wally world and they say they have 600 cca left so their considered good.
Now for the hard question for me, while having a MM on the batteries after a charge they showed 12.8 ish voltage. Turned key on glow plugs came on for 20 seconds voltage dropped down to 11 ish vdc. then when GP shutoff, battery voltage did not come up anywhere near 12.8. Question is how much draw do the GP pull, I know the GP's get pretty hot so I think is alot but my head still says the batteries are bad because they dont recover enough when GP's shutoff.
Any help on this tech guys, ill argue to death with wally world on the batteries. Iv ehad the same size in a dually 7.3 before so i think that's the problem.
Again thanks guys!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now for the hard question for me, while having a MM on the batteries after a charge they showed 12.8 ish voltage. Turned key on glow plugs came on for 20 seconds voltage dropped down to 11 ish vdc. then when GP shutoff, battery voltage did not come up anywhere near 12.8. Question is how much draw do the GP pull, I know the GP's get pretty hot so I think is alot but my head still says the batteries are bad because they dont recover enough when GP's shutoff.
Any help on this tech guys, ill argue to death with wally world on the batteries. Iv ehad the same size in a dually 7.3 before so i think that's the problem.
Again thanks guys!!!!!!!!!!!!
Freshman User
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 45
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From: Oklahoma/Nevada
With the glow plugs on, you can see voltage drop to 11 volts. They suck the amps! But voltage should come back quickly to at least 12 volts. I would also recommend performing a volt drop test on each of the battery cable, pos and neg. Neither should show any volt drop. What is the actual voltage while cranking? How far does it drop and how fast? If it gets below 10.8 volts, the voltage is too low for the PCM to turn on. Perform the volt drop tests and see if any cable is showing any voltage. I would also recommend performing an amp draw test on the vehicle. Maybe there is another source for reducing the voltage. Let me know if this helps.
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Junior User
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Louisiana
FIXED
It took two different test but finally found one battery dead. Got it replAced for free and low and behold...... Starting like a champ again. Thanks for all the help everybody this is an awesome website!!!!!!
