'02 7.3 Cranks but wont fire

[FirstHorseman]

Hello all,

I have been reading several threads and they all seem to have done the same things I have, but yet my PSD still will not start. My wife and I are kinda stranded at her sisters and need as much help as possible to troubleshoot this.

The truck was running fine until the other day, my wife (without my knowledge) gave one of her brothers a jump start. I have always heard that it is bad to jump start another vehicle with a diesel (fact or myth?). After she did that, the truck would not start. Does anyone think that would have something to do with our problem?

The motor will crank and sometimes try to fire up. I am getting a lot of white smoke.

Here is what I have done so far.

- Made sure batteries were fully charged and outputting the correct voltage.
- Checked all the fuses
- Replaced the Cam sensor
- Verified fuel delivery (Like I said, when I crank the motor it spits a lot of white smoke)
- Verified the HPOP is working and that it has sufficient oil

I read in another forum that it might be the glow plug relay? What do you guys think? Is that something I have to get from a dealer, or can I just go down to Autozone and pick one up?

I appreciate any help and I appologize for any ignorance I may exhibit... this is the first Diesel I have ever owned.

Thanks in advance

[Raul@Stealth Automotive]

i would of guessed a Cam sensor... but you already replaced it.... heres a bump for you though

[HeavyHauler]

I would've guessed the CPS also. I don't think jumping off another vehicle would've caused anything. I'll bump this and hopefully someone can help ya.

[FirstHorseman]

Well, I ran down to the Ford dealer today and talked with their service people. They seem to think that it could be the glow plug relay, or the controller. I asked how I could test the relay and they didn't know.

They priced it for me at $100 for the relay, and probably $200 for the controller.

Being a cheap... er thrifty person, I ran down to the local Checkers and found a relay for $59.99.

I'm heading out to replace it now, I'll let you guys know what happens.

[SCUFFY828]

first off dont just buy parts because someone says that might be what it is , how did you verify high pressure oil

[sevenmalards]

Originally Posted by SCUFFY828

first off dont just buy parts because someone says that might be what it is , how did you verify high pressure oil

I agree, you could end up with all new electronics and still not get it to start.
Simple question but:
have you checked all your fuses?

[Rudolph]

If you want to check if the problem is glow plug related, just plug in the block heater (if it has one) for a few hours then try and start it. White smoke can signify too low combustion temperature. Is it cold where you are?

[redstroker_2002]

plug it in and see what it does and then if it starts then its the relay

[FirstHorseman]

FIRST OFF.... I know its bad to buy a part because someone said that may be it. However, the truck is in the boonies and the nearest part store was 60 miles away. Taking a $59 chance was worth it. Especially considering that the relay is known to cause issues. If nothing else, I would have had a spare for the future.

As far as the oil pump is concerned. I checked the oil in the resvoir and it was at the normal level. Also, like I said, the truck was putting out a lot of white smoke. That would tell you the HPOP was working, or the injectors would not be operating.

So anyway, to sum it up... the glow plug relay was bad, I took the cover off of the hot side and the plastic on the solenoid was melted... I put the new one on, hooked my batteries back up, and she fired right up.

I did figure out how to test it finally, just used a multimeter. One side is hot, the other is not. When you turn the key on, both sides are hot.

All in all, here is what it cost me to diagnose and fix:

Chilton Super Duty book - $19.99
Digital multimeter - $19.99
Cam sensor - $34.00 (Didn't actually need this, but I have a spare now)
Glow plug relay - $59.99

Total - $133.97

[BigRedFordLover1066]

Hello all! I am a new member to this forum having NEVER had any trouble with my 2002 F-250 SD 7.3L Diesel...until now that is.

She gets regular service, does NOT get beat, and I rarely do any heavy towing. At 136,900 miles I am at a loss.

Driving home last night with zero warning the "CHECK GUAGE" light came on and the engine instantly died and would NOT re-start...

Manual says low/no oil pressure or no fuel. I just did a full oil and filter service along with a new fuel filter less than 600 miles ago. The tank is full as is the oil level.

Oil viscosity seems normal and there does not seem to be any unusual grit in the oil neither visually or by feel.

On some potentially misplaced or early advice, I disconnected the batteries for several minutes hoping to reset a temporary code and tried unsucessfully to start. Rented and OBD II scanner and it reads "pass" no codes retrieved.

I also verified that the fuel/water separator is clear. No help.

The dealer says it could be anything from a simple fuse or relay all the way to the High Pressure Oil Pump...

Where do I go from here? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Thanks in advance!

Bill