Hard to Start - (when hot or cold, new CPS)

[ffiumerodo]

I have a 2000 F350 7.3 4x4 (no mods, unless you count body damage)

At first I started it up on an average summer day in California and it would slighly miss in the morning, then it would go away a few minutes later.

This got worse. Starting in the morning was no problem, but about 60 seconds later, it would have absolutely no power. I could have the pedal floored and it would barely hit enough rpm to stay on. But, if I could keep it on, this would go away after a couple minutes and run fine the rest of the day.

Then it would run rough and die. I could do nothing to keep it running.

I took it in for the recall of the CPS (if I remember correctly). I was able to drive away from the dealer with no problems. The next day, it was back to doing the same thing.

Then I discovered it was 8 quarts low on oil! So I filled it up. I also replaced the batteries since they were dead and needed replacing anyway.

After a about a minute of turning over, it started, but ran rough. Then it began to smooth out and after five minutes it's running as smooth as ever.

However,

I turn off the engine (for just a couple seconds) and it takes a bit more cranking than I like to start it again. Leave it off for a few minutes and it takes much more cranking than it should to start. The longer it stays off the more I have to crank it to start again.

Any ideas?

Also, should the fuel filter bowl stay full at all times? I'm wondering if that may be an issue. I wonder if it is having to crank to get fuel in the bowl again... Leaking somplace? Or perhaps I should look in another direction like glow plugs. It runs great once started now.

[icysmooth]

Your fuel bowl should always be full.Check for any leaks in lines-you don't want a vehicle fire.Just a thought,have you ever done service on your injectors?ie,draining the oil from your high pressure oil pump because it's common to the sump,but doesn't drain out @oil changes.
Depending on amount of miles,that oil can get very scunged up and not work your injectors right-it takes a while to do with removing,refilling,running and repeating to get all the old oil out-plus it's in the same journal with your icp sensor.
Just some cheap things to check.
But keep that oil full,that's what runs your injectors.

[ffiumerodo]

It looks like it was just being low on oil and having a couple of dead batteries. Truck runs great now! Didn't have to do anything else to it.


-F

[NCHornet]

Not that " Change your HPOP oil" again!!!! There is no need to do this, period!!!! But if it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside knock yourself out. I have seen plenty of 7.3's well over 500K and one well over 800K and guess what? They never sucked their HPOP oil out!! It totally amazes me how one dude on a website can spread junk like this. Be careful who you listen to because that same person thinks the K&N is a great air filter for the 7.3!!!
Yes, being down 2 gallons of oil would cause a problem, your truck needs oil pressure, and fuel pressure to start. I would be asking myself where did the 2 gallons go!!!

[dray8165]

My question to that is, technically, there are three quarts of oil in the HPOP and rails. With the fifteen quarts in the pan, that is 1/6th of the oil flowing through a multi-thousand dollar motor. What harm is it in changing all the oil? I would never drain the oil in my car, and put the plug in while there was still a quart in the pan - I usually wait 'till that last drop is out. Maybe I'm just a perfectionist at heart, but I couldn't contaminate 15 quarts of brand new oil with three of old and call it a complete oil change...

[icysmooth]

First of all,NC Hornet-I'm NOT the guy who thinks K&N Filters are the best filter for the
7.3 engines.
Second is just because You don't agree with it ,doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
That doesn't mean you have to trash a person out for it and tell people not to listen
to a helpful preventative maintenance proceedure.
For example,after you drain all the oil from the pan,3 dirty quarts of oil don't drain from hpop and oil rails .
New oil,filter and run truck a couple of miles,pull the oil out of the pump and it will be black,and engine dipstick will still be new-so why would you say no need to do this?
You don't want clean oil up in the injectors?
I thought this site was for people to help each other out-not trashing them out!

[ianstew]

oh boy, here we go again....

1. There is not a shred of evidence that supports bill's claims of injector longevity with his method.
2. It is a popular mis understanding that the HPO system is a closed system, it is not. The HPOP res is filled with pan oil by the LPOP
3. IMHO, the Prolong additive is a joke.......I wouldn't be surprised if it harms our injectors......
4. If you want to change the oil in the rails, you are better off using your vacuum pump in the rail itself, by undoing one of the plugs and fishing your tube in through there. Or, removing your valve covers and removing the oil rail drain plugs.
5. The only way to insure new oil refills the HPO oil system is to change your oil and filter, then change the oil in the HPO system, (per bill's instructions) then change your oil and filter again. The other two quarts in the rails will get cycled through the injectors and end up in your clean oil. Therefore, to get any benifit of this, you must drain the pan again and replace the newly tainted oil and filter. It would almost be a never ending cycle.
6. You will never get all the old oil out of the HPO system unless you do the steps like an injector R&R job. Which is to remove the plugs, etc....

Now, with that being said, I change my HPOP res oil. It's easy to do, and it makes me feel better getting that extra quart of oil oil out. But I do not have any pipe dreams of everlasting injectors.....I do it because I am anal; about it, nothing more. NCHornet is spot on with his statement. If it makes you feel better, do it. But don't expect a miracle for your injectors. The best thing you can do for your truck is a standard oil change every 5k on the dot. You will have many serviceable years out of your injectors without the HPO system oil change headache.

[dray8165]

Well -you say there is no conclusive evidence that it helps, does anyone have any conclusive, double blind scientific evidence that changing your HPOP oil doesn't help. If not, then it is what we in the scientific community call anecdotal evidence or in lay terms - an opinion. And you know what they say about opinions? - "Opinions are like *&%holes - everybody has one and they all stink"

In the absence of any scientific evidence - I think I, like ianstew mentioned above, will err on the side of caution with both my health and anything that costs as much to repair as a diesel motor.

[M813A1WWWE]

Hello all, I am live past the 49 yard line, my 1996 F250 Power Stroke, I have tested the glow plugs, changed wiring harness, tested the HPOP and found it low and changed it, and changed the IPR, and the ICP, and changed the o-rings on the injectors, it is smoking blue ( yes I know that is oil but I am not using extra ) and smells of raw fuel in the exhaust, I put a fuel pressure gauge on the schrader valve and the reading is all over the place with the engine running, and at a stop the gauge reads 35-40psi and drops fast to about 10-15 psi and slower after all the way to 0psi, What am I missing I am at wits end HELP