04 f250 hard start one code "help feel like I'm chasing a ghost"
#1
03-22-2018, 08:44 AM
04 f250 hard start one code "help feel like I'm chasing a ghost"
Hi I have an 04 f250 xl 6.0L with 213,000m on it. A little background I've been the second owner of the truck since 09 bought it used from a dealer with 92k on it at the time.a few yrs after I bought it it was having a hard time starting in the NY winters. At that time a new ficm was installed along with the egr cooler delete. Fall last yr it started getting hard to start, also know at the time one of my injectors was going. My battery light started to come on every so often (no voltage gauge) so I put new batteries in it. At that time a buddy of mine put in New glow plugs and rebuilt the injectors. Battery light was still coming on and staying longer so put a new alternator in, solved that problem. (New valve cover was put in along with exhaust y pipe and manifolds at same time injectors were done). Truck was Still popping codes for injectors and running rough and getting harder to start. My buddy suggested the ficm, so just recently replaced that, now I'm down to one re occurring code which is for cylinder 1 contribution/balance. And the truck is even harder to start now even when plugged in. Any thoughts? I feel like I'm going in circles 🙃
Last edited by Am18; 03-22-2018 at 08:45 AM. Reason: Miss spelling
#2
03-22-2018, 10:14 AM
Postmaster
#3
03-22-2018, 11:05 AM
It's been hooked up to a scanner quite a few times minus the code the diagnostics seem good, voltages on ficm and temps and such have been good only thing that haven't had a chance to look into is fuel pressure. Rebuild included new tips,solenoids,spools, Rebuild kit from 406 injector.com( seals, rings,etc). Runs alot better then it did minus the cold start issue, once it's warmed up it fires up just fine.going down the road you can hear a slight missfire on the injector but it drives fine know bucks no shakes
#4
03-22-2018, 12:28 PM
I just recently rebuilt my 186k stock injectors with new internals, spool valves and solenoids and had cold start issues just like you are describing and once it finally cranked up it would run great but as it warmed up it ran worse and worse. I ran a high pressure oil system test through the IPR valve hole and nearly all the spool valves had leaks coming out if the top holes on the injectors next to the top main seal. I spoke with Rykan at Holders Diesel and he said putting new spool valves in worn out injectors will almost never work because the tolerances are too big and oil will leak by. Needless to say I wasted money and time when I should have either sent my injectors in to be rebuilt or have new ones made and be done.
It’s not a bad idea to have a contribution test done because that slight hesitation could be one or more injectors failing and causing the rest of them to make up for their loss of power. You also mentioned Cylinder 1 Contribution/Balance, I was getting intermittent codes for 1 and 7 that were there before I rebuilt the injectors and put them back in the same holes so I’d know if they were still giving me issues after the rebuild. I have a brand new FICM, FICM harness and injector connectors so that is ruled out.
It’s not a bad idea to have a contribution test done because that slight hesitation could be one or more injectors failing and causing the rest of them to make up for their loss of power. You also mentioned Cylinder 1 Contribution/Balance, I was getting intermittent codes for 1 and 7 that were there before I rebuilt the injectors and put them back in the same holes so I’d know if they were still giving me issues after the rebuild. I have a brand new FICM, FICM harness and injector connectors so that is ruled out.
#5
03-22-2018, 12:50 PM
the spool valve bolts are really easy to over tighten and can cause problems as the engine warms up. one of the downsides to the contribution DTC's is theyre sort of a hardset code.. itll take quite a few miles after replacement before the computer decides the problem no longer exists and deletes them. the other issue is while the injector could be fine the injector firing before or after could be "weak" causing the computer to mis-read which injector is actually the problem. the computer is generating the codes off the input signals from the cam and crank sensors.. if theyre not reading a steady "speed" (bad term there but couldnt think of another way to describe it) output from both it sort of guesses which cylinder isnt acting right and throws the code for there. thats why having a diagnostic program where you can watch the contribution graph and also has the ability to turn on an off different injectors can help sort out where the real problem lies..
#6
03-22-2018, 01:19 PM
I just recently rebuilt my 186k stock injectors with new internals, spool valves and solenoids and had cold start issues just like you are describing and once it finally cranked up it would run great but as it warmed up it ran worse and worse. I ran a high pressure oil system test through the IPR valve hole and nearly all the spool valves had leaks coming out if the top holes on the injectors next to the top main seal. I spoke with Rykan at Holders Diesel and he said putting new spool valves in worn out injectors will almost never work because the tolerances are too big and oil will leak by. Needless to say I wasted money and time when I should have either sent my injectors in to be rebuilt or have new ones made and be done.
It’s not a bad idea to have a contribution test done because that slight hesitation could be one or more injectors failing and causing the rest of them to make up for their loss of power. You also mentioned Cylinder 1 Contribution/Balance, I was getting intermittent codes for 1 and 7 that were there before I rebuilt the injectors and put them back in the same holes so I’d know if they were still giving me issues after the rebuild. I have a brand new FICM, FICM harness and injector connectors so that is ruled out.
It’s not a bad idea to have a contribution test done because that slight hesitation could be one or more injectors failing and causing the rest of them to make up for their loss of power. You also mentioned Cylinder 1 Contribution/Balance, I was getting intermittent codes for 1 and 7 that were there before I rebuilt the injectors and put them back in the same holes so I’d know if they were still giving me issues after the rebuild. I have a brand new FICM, FICM harness and injector connectors so that is ruled out.
#7
03-22-2018, 02:11 PM
[QUOTE=Sparky83;17879671], I think I'm understanding what your saying. I get the code confusion part because originally when I got it back from my buddies shop it ran fine minus a little hard to start which had slightly started before I took it over (thought it was battery issue ended up needing alternator but after that the issue was still there just progressively getting worse)then a few weeks after I got it back it popped codes for 1and 8 which then changed to 1,6,and 8 which is why I replaced the ficm (due to me running it on such low voltage because of the alternator being bad my buddy said it could mess with the ficm) since replacing the ficm it's now just reading code for cylinder 1. (Whether or not that's rly the bad one) would that still cause the cold start problem? At this point I have to crank it at least 4 times, and have been giving it extra time for the plugs to cycle after the light goes out)once it runs it's good shut it off starts right back up no loss of power while driving and seems quite smooth. I'm still going to try and get it hooked up to a computer that can turn on/off individual injectors, the one I've been using is unable to.
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#8
03-22-2018, 03:00 PM
the long crank could be from a ruptured seal on the top of the injector.. it doesnt take much to damage those finicky things.. and if its leaking like a chive itll make building the oil pressure needed to fire the others a lot harder causing the long cranks..
can tell you i had a couple rebuilt ones that caused me a few problems like you describe.. while running down the road it felt smooth but any time i was stopped at a light the truck felt like id installed a lopey cam.. i ended up with 3 bum injectors.. 2 were the rebuilds the last was a factory replacement.. one of the 2 rebuilds was because the through bolt snapped (was lucky to find both halfs) the other was probably over tightened and just hadnt snapped yet.. replaced all 3 with factory ones and my problem went away.
can tell you i had a couple rebuilt ones that caused me a few problems like you describe.. while running down the road it felt smooth but any time i was stopped at a light the truck felt like id installed a lopey cam.. i ended up with 3 bum injectors.. 2 were the rebuilds the last was a factory replacement.. one of the 2 rebuilds was because the through bolt snapped (was lucky to find both halfs) the other was probably over tightened and just hadnt snapped yet.. replaced all 3 with factory ones and my problem went away.
#9
03-22-2018, 05:58 PM
the long crank could be from a ruptured seal on the top of the injector.. it doesnt take much to damage those finicky things.. and if its leaking like a chive itll make building the oil pressure needed to fire the others a lot harder causing the long cranks..
can tell you i had a couple rebuilt ones that caused me a few problems like you describe.. while running down the road it felt smooth but any time i was stopped at a light the truck felt like id installed a lopey cam.. i ended up with 3 bum injectors.. 2 were the rebuilds the last was a factory replacement.. one of the 2 rebuilds was because the through bolt snapped (was lucky to find both halfs) the other was probably over tightened and just hadnt snapped yet.. replaced all 3 with factory ones and my problem went away.
can tell you i had a couple rebuilt ones that caused me a few problems like you describe.. while running down the road it felt smooth but any time i was stopped at a light the truck felt like id installed a lopey cam.. i ended up with 3 bum injectors.. 2 were the rebuilds the last was a factory replacement.. one of the 2 rebuilds was because the through bolt snapped (was lucky to find both halfs) the other was probably over tightened and just hadnt snapped yet.. replaced all 3 with factory ones and my problem went away.
#10
05-25-2018, 05:08 AM
Long crank starting problem still
It's been a while since I posted,but here's where I'm at now... I finally got my truck back again all the injectors are running smooth no codes, no hiccups 🙂. One of the plugs was bad on one of the injectors and my buddy put new seals on them again for extra measure. But I'm still having a he'll of a time getting it to start when cold. Takes at least 3 good cranks to get it to go. The starter ended up going two days ago I replaced that. There was a thought that it may be my fuel pump. Changed the one on the frame yesterday and still no difference on initial start. Once you get it to start you can turn it off fires right back up just don't let it sit for over 5hrs.
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