Start/Cold Start Problems - Ford Forums

dieselowner · 06-14-2009, 23:21

Hi, I own a 1996 F250 with the 7.3 engine, since I bought the truck about a year ago I have been having a lot of cold start issues. When I first bought the truck most of the glow plugs were bad, so I replaced all of those along with wiring harness for them etc. A week ago I got caught in a snow storm in the big horns, and what do you know, truck doesn't start up. After a while, I would turn the key and even with both batteries having jumpers on them along with the block heater having been plugged in for about an hour and a half nothing started. Soon, the key wouldn't crank anything over. A key that was helping bridged two wrenches to bipass the starter, that worked for a while and soon didn't anymore. We couldn't get a crank or a click from turning the key, but when the key was in the "on" possition a long series of clicks was coming from my fuse box in the engine compartment. Eventually we pull started the truck, and got home without turning the engine off, as soon as we did however it didn't crank at all. Any tips for the startup? both cold and not? Would it be the glow plug and starter relays?

Steve83 · 06-17-2009, 18:17

Sounds more like an alternator or battery problem, but re-examine the valve cover gasket connectors & test voltage going to the glow plugs & to the starter.

dieselowner · 07-01-2009, 01:18

I checked all the voltage, it was good and all glowplugs were getting power. I checked the glow plug relay and it was fried, and it helped a lot to replace it.... but I'm still having slow startup. I pulled the alternator and had it checked, plus when I do get the truck running it doesn't die, so that is out of the question. The terminals on the battery keep corroding though, nothing I try stops it. Even with clean terminals, it seems like something is sucking more juice than normal from the batteries when I'm trying to turn the engine over

Steve83 · 07-05-2009, 12:04

Corrosion comes from leaky (cheap?) batteries. I recommend a top-level Johnson Controls battery (MotorCraft, Sears DieHard Gold, Interstate). Avoid gimmicky ones like Optima & other AGMs. Buy a can of NAPA battery leak detector & cleaner - it comes out yellow & turns red as it neutralizes acid. Rinse & respray until it remains yellow.

Many parts stores will do a free batt/alt/starter test in the parking lot. Call around.