Hi Folks.
I'm running out of ideas and need some help. My truck has been intermittently losing power and displaying a "Service Engine Soon" light.
For a while, the problem would quickly disappear (after a restart) and it would run fine. Then it kept happening more often. Eventually, it just stopped running smooth at all. Now it starts, but has a very rough idle and no power. It is undrivable. I've read through the forums and tried many of the suggestions, but none have worked.

Here's what I have done.....
Replaced the batteries
Replaced the Cam Position Sensor
Performed the 50 cent mod on the UVCH connector
Checked ALL of the fuses (that I know of)
Check for loose vaccum lines
Checked the wiring harness for loose connectors, chafing, etc.
Used an Actron ODB II AutoScanner CP9175 - Passed, No Codes ( I don't trust it)
Held my mouth just right, did a little dance, etc.

What else can/should I do?

BTW, I live in Central Texas and it is fairly warm outside, so I can't see it being a glow-plug problem. Am I wrong about this?

Please help!!!
-Scott

 

BTW, I live in Central Texas and it is fairly warm outside, so I can't see it being a glow-plug problem. Am I wrong about this?

Please help!!!

It wouldn't be anything to do with the glow plugs. you are correct about that !

 

What does your fuel filter look like?

 

Welcome to FTE. How rough of an idle is it? Does it feel like it's not firing on all cylinders, or does it feel like at least half of them aren't firing?

If the SES light comes on then there is a code. Your scanner is not picking it up. You'll need a better one to use with the powerstroke.

I'd start by ohming the connections at the valve covers. On the inboard side of each valve cover is a long flat plug. Unplug that and you will see 9 pins in there. Grab a multi meter and set it to read ohms. Start on one side and ohm the forward 2 pins and rear two pins against battery ground. You should see a reading of less than 2 ohms.

Next ohm the 3rd, 4th, 6th, & 7th pin against the center 5th pin. Report back what those readings are. Repeat the above steps on the other valve cover.

That is unless you know someone who has a better scanner that is capable of reading codes on these trucks.

 

Hi guys. Thanks for the responses.

I haven't started on the fuel system yet, but that's next. I recently changed the fuel filter, so haven't checked it yet. I'll buy a new filter tomorrow and report back. I also wanted to check the pressure from my fuel pump, but don't know how (yet). I know it's running. I can hear it when I turn the ignition on. No leaks that I can see.

Chris, It feels like half the cylinders aren't even firing. And I figured that about the code reader, but the Actron was all that was available to me this weekend. I'm going to see another guy tomorrow and hopefully he has one that will work with the Powerstroke, but I'll be taking his word for it, because I don't know which will work and which won't. I saw a reference here about the OBD II scanners and the powerstroke, but then couldn't find that post again to view the details.

I did do the 50 cent mod on the UVCH connector. One was loose. I checked the ohms afterward and all seemed well, but didn't record the values. I'll do that tomorrow also.

Thanks again for your help. I'll report back ASAP with results.

 

Not many scanners can read codes on our trucks. If the SES light is on, there's a code there.

A bad injector solenoid can cause a P1316 code and shut down the entire bank of injectors. It will likely read within spec, but different from the others. Clearing the code and unplugging the bad injector will get you back up and running on 7 cylinders, still with a miss, but better than you have now. Once that's confirmed, you can proceed to either an injector replacement or looking for a new soleniod.

Of course for now this is all a guess, but at least the ohm test is free, and it's always better to rule out the free stuff first.

 

Well, today I checked the fuel filter. It was clean as a whistle but I replaced it anyway.

I ohmed the pins for the injectors on the UVCH connectors again. They were all between 2.9 and 3.1.

I checked the oil level in the high pressure oil reservoir. It was about an inch from the top and thick as honey, I'm going to vacuum that out and replace it when possible. (I know that's not the immediate problem, but it can't hurt, right?)

I talked to another local guy with a scanner and he didn't convince me that he knew what he was doing, so I ordered the OttoMind Programmer from Banks. That should be here in a couple of days. I've heard good things about Banks, so I hope that does the job. And when I get it running again, I can play with my performance. ;-)

So the quest continues......

 

The Banks stuff that i have is quality stuff but $$$$. I have never had a problem with my Banks stuff But there are alot better options that will give you alot better performance for less coin. Most of the stuff was already on when i bought it, having said all that what are you looking for with the Ottomind programer? You might be better off getting the proper code reader (AE) and getting some custom tunes and do some of the cheaper mods. But first find out what the problem is before thowing things at it.

 

In my opinion you could have done better than banks.

How old is your oil and what weight is it? The oil in the HPOP reservoir is the same as in your oil pan. The fuel injectors are fired off engine oil, so if you have an oil issue, that can affect how the truck runs.

While we're waiting, do you have one of those infra red thermometers? If so, point it at each exhaust manifold after a cold start and see if you can figure out if one side is not firing. If not, you can do the same thing with the plugs where you ohmed the injectors. Unplug one of them and start the truck. If there's no change at all, the unplugged side is the one that was not firing. If it won't start at all, plug it back in and unplug the other side.

Once you've located which side has the issue, it's time to pull that valve cover again and have a look see.

 

Hi guys.
Well, I would have done better had I known any better. The Banks Rep convinced me that his programmer would read my codes, so I went for it.

The oil is Delo 400LE, SAE 15W-40, the same as I've always used. It's about 2500 miles old (maybe 4 months), but what comes out of the drain pan has never been as thick as what's in the HPOP reservoir now. It's not like gunky tar, just thicker than usual. I've always been pretty good about changing the oil at 3000 miles.

I don't have an IR thermometer, so I unplugged the connectors as you suggested and got some weird results. With both plugged in, it seems like it's running on half the cylinders. When I unplug the passenger side, it seems like it's running on 2 cylinders. When I unplug the driver's side, it won't run at all.

So maybe both sides have an issue? What do I look for once the valve covers are off. When I had them off before, I did check the harnesses for looseness, chafing, rubbing on the push rods, etc.. It all looked good.

Still waiting on the programmer to read the codes.

 

Just to be sure, when you unplugged the driver side and it would not run at all, you did plug the passenger side back in first, right? If you leave them both unplugged, then the truck won't run.

If you did plug the passenger side back in and the truck did not run, then pull the passenger side valve cover. The banks thing will probably read your codes just fine, but you could have done better for adding power. If the banks thing shows up, read the codes and write them down. Then clear the codes and unplug the injector on the front cylinder on the passenger side. Start the truck and see if it runs any better. If not, shut it off, read the codes and clear them again, plug the injector back in and unplug the 2nd injector on that side. Repeat until you find one injector that when the codes are cleared and it's unplugged, the truck seems to run better.

This of course assumes you don't notice something obvious like a broken or loose UVCH connector or plug on an injector when you get the valve cover off.

If you don't want to wait on the banks to clear the codes, you could try disconnecting the batteries for 5 minutes between each attempt to clear the codes. The idea behind clearing the codes is to make sure the IDM is not in some sort of safe mode.

 

Yes, I only unplugged one at a time. I did figure that it wouldn't run with both unplugged.

I assume to clear the codes with the programmer takes some time, each time? Or are you saying that disconnecting the batteries will also clear the codes?

 

If the programmer can read and clear the codes, it should be a matter of a simple push of the button. If you leave the batteries disconnected for several minutes, it will erase the memory in the PCM and clear the codes as well. Just remember to disconnect both batteries.

 

Update......... 2000 F-350 7.3 PSD Rough Idle, No Power

Somewhere along the line, I either fixed it, or the problem is in remission again. Above are the steps I took to fix it, and it still started, but ran like it was only firing on half of the cylinders.

It was suggested to me that I add diesel because my tank was low on fuel as I was trying to fix this problem. But it DID start, so I thought I had enough and didn't bother adding fuel.

In the meantime.... Banks Power goofed on my order for the OttoMind Programmer / Code Reader (They thought they had one in stock. They didn't. It would be 2 weeks for I could get one.)

So I had the truck towed to a shop with a scanner. The guy scanned it. No codes. (I had just replaced the batteries). And then he added some diesel and it started and ran fine. (?????)

I'm stumped. The only other variable is that I had towed the truck. Could I be sucking air somehow? Before, I was thinking I had a loose electrical connection or short. Now this guy suggests it may be a crack in the fuel line.

I've filled it up and will drive it as normal and see what happens. If it or something else occurs again, I want to be ready with good code scanner. I've searched for reviews and comparisons between scanners, but can't find much. Can you guys list the important features and a few top picks for home-use scanners (specifically for the 2000 7.3 Powerstroke)?

How about these programmer / scanners that (supposedly) increase performance? Is this a better choice for the money?

Before this problem occurred, I had thought about buying a $2K kit from Banks, that included the programmer, exhaust, waste gate actuator, turbo impeller, gauges and a tuner. I also contacted ATS Diesel and their suggested kit was about $4K.

What are some other that I can consider, (preferably around the $2K or under price)?

I appreciate your help and suggestions.

-Scott

 

Hold on a second. Before you go spending that kind of cash give Clay a call at Riff Raff diesel. He won`t over sell you. Just tell him what your looking for and he will give some good options that will give you the most bag for your buck. As for code readers most people on this site go with the AE with the ford bundle. Roy