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97 F-250 will crank, but not start?

3K views 5 replies 2 participants last post by  cndrm 
#1 ·
Hey guys, first off let me say hi. I am new to the forums and have been a powerstroke owner since feb '08. I have shadowed a lot of posts on these forums and you guys have helped me with your knowledge a few times.


Well, here we go. I have a 1997 F-250 diesel ext cab long bed 4x4 with two tanks. I have had a few problems with it mostly minor, but this time it's different. Yesterday I was working up in baltimore city and I drove my vehicle into a back yard with knee high grass. When i backed up into the yard i ran over a curb, and it jolted the truck, but nothing too bad (curb was only 6" high). I then proceeded about 30' in reverse and put the truck in park, finished my cigarette procrastinated for 3 minutes and shut the truck off.


I finished my job in about an hour (it was about 60 degrees outside and the truck was running for about 30 minutes on the drive to the site). I then went to start my truck, waited for the Wait to start light, and cranked it. It cranked but wouldn't start. My first reaction was maybe I tripped the emergency fuel shut off switch? After further checking I do believe my truck doesn't have one. I called a few friends one stopped by and had him crank the truck while I checked the schraeder valve and it had plenty of fuel.

Ok, I'm trying to narrow it down here. The tach moved to 200 rpm or so, so the cps is good, right? Battery's were fine prior this incident I know they could use some juice so they are charging. I just started it the night before and it was about 48 deg so I think the glow plugs are in good shape, replaced four of them on driverside in may.


Not to get to scatter-brained, but during me cranking the truck I had my friends wiggle the terminals some to get the extra juice out of the loose terminal, which never gives me an issue and now I don't have a WTS light, radio is dead, And the power windows will not work.


All the fuses are in good shape, I'm really stumped. The truck has a new idm (bought back in may) and never had this problem before. It was like somebody turned a switch off or something. It was cranking good and strong and it sputtered one or twice, but just wouldn't turn over.


Also, I checked the oil in the hpop, good level. Im thinking maybe the pcm died? But there was no rain the past week to leak anywhere to fry it?


Please guys if you can point me in the right direction I'd be greatful.

Thanks, Josh
 
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#2 ·
Josh, Bummer. I checked on alldatadiy, and about all I can come up with is the sequence for the wait to start light. And, pretty much, it leads back to the PCM. Here's a pic of the schematic.



I'm not sure, but when your buddy wiggled the battery cable, it might have caused enough of an electrical surge to booger up the PCM.

Hope this helps.

mike
 
#3 ·
Yeah I was figuring that might have happenned also. I probably did more damage to the truck trying to start it then if I'd of left it alone and just got it towed. Is there any way to test the PCM? Because when it wouldn't start initially and before I wiggled the terminals the windows worked and the WTS light worked and the radio did also. The past two weeks when starting the truck I have noticed that the chime has been intermittent? Some days it would chime like normal other days it wouldn't. I cranked the truck this morning and now the tach is not moving.

I think that the cps may have died when i first tried to start her, and then having the terminals moved and wiggled WHILE cranking fried the pcm to an extent and now its a fun game of figuring it out.
 
#4 ·
Ok, after further inspection fuse # 17 is missing? That fuse is a 50 amp fuse that controls the alternator charge lamp, idle position switch and the fuse # 22 in the power distribution box. Fuse # 22 controls the glow plug controller, PCM relay coil.

I put a 50 amp fuse in and now my wait to start light is back on. I'm just waiting for the batteries to charge now and maybe I will get lucky.

I'm amazed how that fuse can be missing. I don't know if a friend took it out when i was trying to start the truck or if it got misplaced during the ordeal.

So it seems the pcm is still good. Also, fuse 17 controls the tach, so my statement about the cps may not be accurate.

Anybody ever have this problem?
 
#6 ·
Well, I'm glad to hear your only issue was a missing fuse, and that you got it all sorted out.:thumb::thumb:

mike
 
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