Problems Starting a 7.3L

[jbm21]

Hi i have a 1999 ford F250 superduty powerstroke turbo diesel truck with 124,0000 miles. Every morning i've had hard starting problems, i wait for the wait to start light to turn off and then i go to start it but it just cranks over but it won't fire up then i spray alittle starting fluid and it will fire up. Sometimes i get it to start without the spray but it will crank over a few times before it fires up. Can someone give me some advice on how to possibly get it to start right up please.

[blue99stroker]

first off, starting fluid is a horrible idea.
i would check the glow plugs and or the glow plug relay.
also you have a block heater, if its never been used its tied up above the front drivers side tow hook, against the radiator.
their is a thread on here that talks about starting issues on 7.3's

[FlagMissed]

I had the same problem. Plugged in or not. Old diesel mechanic friend of the families told me to get the truck up to temp, turn off the ignition and add 2 quarts of diesel to the crank case. Start the truck back up and just let it idle for 10 minutes. After that was done change the oil and filters. He said he likes Mobil synthetic 0-40 for the cold weather.

I have not had a problem since even with temps being in the negatives.

[Young-SC-Owner]

Ill give 10 bucks your Glow Plug Relay is not working..Check both terminals up to 120 seconds after you first turn the key on. best to do with 2 people, so your not rushing if you dont know what your doing. You should have batt voltage on one side, and a 1-2 V drop on the other..

Where are you located?

[F350none]

Originally Posted by jbm21

i wait for the wait to start light to turn off and then i go to start it but it just cranks over but it won't fire up.

When the light goes out it means the glow plugs are up to temp. They stay on for 90 to 120 seconds after that to heat the cylinder. I count to 45 or so after the light goes out if it is really cold. If it is around freezing I count to 15 or 20 before cranking.

I had the same issue and it was 4 of the 8 glow plugs did not work. They are not hard to change. I did the relay and wiring harness under the valve cover while I was in there too. I am betting you are not waiting long enough or you glow plugs (some or all) are not working properly.

[AgTires4295]

Originally Posted by jbm21

i spray alittle starting fluid and it will fire up

Starting fluid???

Read these/Google more reasons why to not use starting fluid:
This is a high powered website created just for Ford Diesel and Powerstroke enthusiasts. Older Ford 6.9L and 7.3L International or IDI owners are also welcome - Search Results for Starting Fluid BAD

[NCHornet]

Follow the write up that I wrote at the top of this section. Could also be weak batteries, if they drop below 11 volts while cranking replace both with proper sized batteries. I just had this issue with my sons truck in ND in -54 degrees. Batteries were dropping to 9.6 volts.

[Motomike777]

+1 on checking batteries before other stuff. Side note on testing batteries.... always make sure to isolate the batteries for testing, disconnect them so they can't bleed over. My friend asked his firestone shop he uses for service to test his batteries who said they were A-ok only to continue having trouble starting in spite of good glow plugs and relays and proper fuel treatment. He retested them himself to find one was kaput. Replaced batteries and all is well. turned out firestone tested them without isolating... so they were testing for single battery strength off two batteries...