Hard start 7.3. Glow plug relay? Glow plugs?

[bobbywalter]

will,

my 6.5 is like your powerstroke....and my wore the fawk out powerstroke will start on one battery....


best starting diesel i ever owned....

 

[Will]

Doesn't surprise me, Bobby. I lived in the tropics or desert for the 10 years before I moved to Indiana. When I was a kid up in Iowa, Indiana was a southern state. I drove to scholl with the tires of the old Bonneville frozen flat on the bottom peeping though a nickle-sized hole in the windshield provided my my trusty Bic. Now, after 17 years in Indiana with maybe 2 days in total that compare to this last entire month, I have to keep driving to the post office to make sure I haven't been sent back to Iowa without my knowledge.

I reached a day when nothing would start in time. I couldn't get my youngest daughter to school but due to a 2-hour delay, I got the 6.2 started in time to get my oldest son there. Then I dragged the huge torpedo heater out of the loft of the red barn (where we jam) and got the garage warm enough to make me want to work in it. It's a 3-car with 3 separate doors. I do metal work in the left bay so I don't park anything in there. In the middle I have my motorcycles parked at an angle so I can ride the one I want. My wife has the right bay. I put two of the bikes in the work bay and the third across the front of the middle--it's the TU250X that I ride in the winter. My VW fits this way and the garage keeps it warm enough to start.

The E350 van is just dead with its Wal-mart Excide batteries until our March trip to Sanibel. It's on a battery charger. The 6.2 has a permanently mounted charger so 30 minutes with the block heater will get it going. I have to use it a couple times a week.

Both the VW and Powerstroke are direct injection with glow plugs. I don't think glow plugs are very effective on direct injection motors. The 6.2 has the little pre-chamber that is easy to heat. This seems to make a huge difference.

My bus with the hugely long stroked engine and enormous bank of batteries starts easily in this weather. Unfortunately, I have the rear suspension off and the air-ride half installed so I can't use it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I can see where diesels in warmer climates would have their cold starting gear neglected. Powerstrokes are the most common truck around here, I doubt it is because people love fighting with them all winter.

Batteries are key, for a diesel pickup you gotta have two and they both gotta be good. One bad one will take the other one down while at the same time do its best kill the starter. 5-10 years is pretty common for the big batteries tractors use, that is what I have gotten out of them in my gas pickup so far too. Block heaters are also a huge help that takes stress of the batteries and starter.

The local CO-OP quit putting birthdays on their sign, now it just states their diesel is blended to -10. I suppose they got tired of the hateful phone calls... can't see where broadcasting it would help much though.

Its been a good winter for selling fuel filters though.

 

[Will]

The van's second battery is hung outside the frame rail halfway down the length of the body so there is a lot of room for current loss. It's still a weak starter, even while down in Florida last week. I've got some work to do on it.