Wait to start light problems

[Moonshine]

I have been scanning the threads and it seems there are a lot of intelligent people on this forum. I wanted to see if I could get advice on a problem I have. I have a '99 Ford F250 powerstroke 7.3 diesel with 170k miles. Here is the problem. The "Wait to Start" light does not come on. It will turn over but it won't fire off. I have replaced the glow plug relay and cam sensor. The problem went away for 3 weeks but is back. Now here is the crazy part of it: The "wait to start" light seems to work when parked on level surfaces. My driveway is an incline. The "wait to start light" will not come on in the morning but will always come on in the evening. Yesterday when I was driving the engine just cut off. I took it to Ford Dealer and it came back with no codes. If anybody has any suggestion, I would appreciate it.

[somebodyelse5]

the just stopping part sounds like the cam shaft position sensor, so you might try replacing that again.

maybe your gettin a short somewhere in the wiring?

[somebodyelse5]

oh and welcome to the org!!!!

[SMKSTAX]

Could be a PCM issue, your wait to start light is controlled by the PCM.

[Diesel Monkey]

There is a known problem with the fuel heater in the bottom of the fuel filter. It can blow a fuse shared with the PCM. Unplug the fuel heater and check fuses under the hood. May also be a loose wire somewhere.

[Moonshine]

Thanks!! I have done some research and it seems to always talk about the fuel heater or the main engine wiring harness (chaffing issues).

[SMKSTAX]

Originally Posted by Diesel Monkey

There is a known problem with the fuel heater in the bottom of the fuel filter. It can blow a fuse shared with the PCM. Unplug the fuel heater and check fuses under the hood. May also be a loose wire somewhere.

If it was your fuel heater and a blown fuse your truck would not start at all, and you wouldn't be driving it.

[Diesel Monkey]

Also, problems can develop inside the engine harness. I jiggled my engine harness when I rebuilt my injectors. I started to check from the connectors at the end of the harness to the big plug over near the drivers fender. There were several problems caused by insulation that had failed under the plastic harness cover. Wires were cross connected that should not be. I got some shrink tube and cut wires, slid the shrink tube on and resoldered then shrunk the tubes. There were about four that were messed up. It seemed like a difficult task, but just plug away at it, it helped to copy the wire diagram and then write notes, circle and draw lines. Took about an hour and a half and cost about $7.