Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum banner

01 E350 7.3 cranks great but no start...IPR?

16K views 21 replies 12 participants last post by  Compuwiz 
#1 ·
Ok, this is an 01 E350 7.3 Ambulance, truck has been alittle slow to start when cold and runs rough till warmed up but now it just cranks but wont start, it acts like its going to start but just not getting enough fuel, i dont have access to a scanner and the CEL isnt on, frame mounted lift pump is running. I was thinking maybe its a CPS but im leaning more towards a bad IPR or bad IPR orings and looking for some advice.

Thanks
 
#2 ·
I know this is the answer nobody wants to hear but start by checking your battery cables. I had the same problem, I changed the IPR, and the cam sensor and still had the same problem. So I called my budy who was a Ford diesel tech for 20 years, the first thing he did was clean the battery cable ends and terminals on the battery and it fired right up. I felt so stupid for letting my truck sit for two weeks and throwing a bunch of money at it just to have it turn out to be corroded battery connections. I would start there, if it doesnt work it still didnt cost anything and it never hurts to have clean connections
 
#4 ·
My buddy that fixed it for me said that the computer needs a certain voltage ( I forgot the exact voltage) to the computer to fire the injectors. If the voltage is too low, the batteries may still have enough power to crank the motor normally but not enough to fire the injectors too. If you hook up a battery charger to give it a boost does it start?
 
#5 ·
Could be your pcm fuse under the dash. Its number 22 i believe and it also runs the fuel bowl heater. If its blown unplug the heater and put a new fuse in. pretty common
 
#7 ·
Our 2000 E350 just started doing the same thing. Did you figure out what was causing this on your van? Thanks
:ORG welcome:

check your batteries, you need voltage. do you have a spare cps sitting around? pump is running?
 
#8 ·
I've got something close to the same problem. After I did an injector buzz test when the engine is cold I found out only 3 injectors work. When I get the truck started it runs fine when warm. If I do the buzz test when the engine is warm all the injectors work. I will be changing the injectors this fall... lol
 
#9 ·
running for now

Changed the fuel filter... still cranked over but no start.
Changed the CPS... still cranked over but no start.
Disconnected both batteries and checked them independently... aok, reconnected and still no start.
Opened up the HPOP and put a rod down to check oil level. It was full... Closed it up again and motor started right up.

So I have no idea what was wrong or what fixed it. The van was 2 quartz low on oil before it quit starting. Maybe it had something to do with the HPOP. I'll drive it around for a while and see if it does it again.
 
#10 ·
I have a 97 e350 retired ambulance with a 7.3 powerstroke in it and mine is doing the exact same thing, turns over perfect sounds like it wants to fire but doesn't.. changed the cam sensor, fuel filter, oil and filter and now the ECM still wont fire, I need help and insight on what to look at now.. battery cables are clean and tight, someone told me to check the IPR sensor and everything I found online showed it under my turbo so I took it off and its not there! really frustarated and need advice please!
 
#11 ·
Have you checked to make sure you're getting fuel to the bowl? Drain the fuel bowl, and then cycle the key abd see if it fills up....

How is the oil level? Make sure its up to the line. It won't break or run if really low on oil
Sent from AutoGuide.com App
 
#14 ·
the truck is currently plugged in and usually is, its a retired ambulance so there is always draw on the batteries so ive always plugged it in over night.. cranks a lot faaster then the truck in this video did just wont fire... truck is at around 16-18 volts according to the gauge and there is a onboard charging system once plugged in
 
#15 ·
2001 E350 7.3 Turbo
I'm new to diesel's and the forum as well, but am gaining experience the hard way. My issue sounds similar. Crank no start unless I mist the air intake with weedeater gas and it'll fire, but the injectors hammer like mad for a few minutes till it warms up. It has no power and doesn't want to take fuel for several more minutes. After it runs for about an hour, it runs fine. Once the engine gets cold though, repeat. I pulled the body bolts and raised the body and put glow plugs and a new glow plug relay in. I have two brand new batteries and a new starter. (Hope I don't have to jack up the body again) I don't have anything to diagnose it with, but would be willing to buy something if I knew what to get. I have several car code readers, but nothing for this. I watched some videos indicating a bad ICP sensor. There is oil on the harness when I unplug it. I ordered one and while waiting on the part, watched another video of a bad IPR that hammered just like mine. I ordered that. When I got it in, I went to change it and oh my gosh, trying to get to the thing is a puzzlement. The videos were of F350's. The E350 engine sets under the dash and access is tough. I googled and found this forum where I read I might have a bad fuse or relay causing the IPR not to work. I've not checked those yet. On my search for access to the IPR (if it's not the relay. My wait to start light comes on so if I read the post right means the ECM is getting power from the fuse, but not necessarily the relay. Correct?) I read some people were taking the turbo off or the fuel bowl to gain access. Can anyone tell me the easiest way to get to this thing? There's not room to get my head in there enough to even look to see what I'm doing. I know this is an old thread, but I'm desperate. Thank you in advance for any suggestions.
 
#18 ·
I'm new to diesel's and the forum as well, but am gaining experience the hard way. My issue sounds similar. Crank no start unless I mist the air intake with weedeater gas and it'll fire, but the injectors hammer like mad for a few minutes till it warms up. It has no power and doesn't want to take fuel for several more minutes. After it runs for about an hour, it runs fine.
So this isn't about a sensor, if it takes that long to straighten-out something serious is going on. How many miles on you injectors? Try this, plug the block heater (really oil heater) in for 3hrs and see how different it makes your cold starting.


Once the engine gets cold though, repeat. I pulled the body bolts and raised the body and put glow plugs and a new glow plug relay in. I have two brand new batteries and a new starter. (Hope I don't have to jack up the body again) I don't have anything to diagnose it with, but would be willing to buy something if I knew what to get. I have several car code readers, but nothing for this.

If your gonna keep & maintain the truck yourself I strongly suggest you get access to the special scanner software you need to do it. You need something that has Both the Diesel Specific and the Ford proprietary codes in their library. Unfortunately it takes something other than a Generic OBD-II scanner, like the Auto Parts Stores use, to scan, test, and retrieve codes.

Here you have a couple of the most common choices;

1) If you want to do Everything you'll ever need to, then look at the AutoEnginuity + the Ford Enhanced Package (@ $350 - you add an old computer of some sort to run it with)

2) To retrieve most of the codes you'll need to help and even do some testing look at the FORscan Lite (you add an Android device and Blue Tooth Adapter for @ $30) OR the Windoze version with a USB adapter.

Just a few years ago you needed to buy a professional scan tool because our trucks need to have a scanner with a Library containing both the Ford Proprietary AND the Diesel Specific codes in it. Add to that, our trucks are Not, specifically, OBD-II so the Generic scanners the Auto Parts Stores have are of little use to us. But today there are some very good App based tools, that are close to what the pro tools do, for fraction of the cost.


https://www.powerstroke.org/forum/9...n/1044057-ford-superduty-diagnosis-cheap.html

I watched some videos indicating a bad ICP sensor. There is oil on the harness when I unplug it. I ordered one and while waiting on the part, watched another video of a bad IPR that hammered just like mine. I ordered that. When I got it in, I went to change it and oh my gosh, trying to get to the thing is a puzzlement. The videos were of F350's. The E350 engine sets under the dash and access is tough. I googled and found this forum where I read I might have a bad fuse or relay causing the IPR not to work. I've not checked those yet. On my search for access to the IPR (if it's not the relay. My wait to start light comes on so if I read the post right means the ECM is getting power from the fuse, but not necessarily the relay. Correct?) I read some people were taking the turbo off or the fuel bowl to gain access. Can anyone tell me the easiest way to get to this thing? There's not room to get my head in there enough to even look to see what I'm doing. I know this is an old thread, but I'm desperate. Thank you in advance for any suggestions.
This is really not the way to go about it :( You're buying expensive parts you probably don't need. At least get a app so you can monitor your sensors and retrieve codes.

There are no IPR fuses or relays, if the IPR wasn't working at all it wouldn't run (unlike the ICP, you can't just unplug the IPR and start).

Vans can be Very Hard to get access to some things. Another reason not to throw parts at your problem, you don't want to suffer the installation of unnecessary parts.

Get the right diagnostic equipment, see what your HiPres Oil system is reading, make sure you don't have serious codes, if your injectors are high mileage (<200K) and plugging in for 3hrs makes a huge difference this may all be tired injectors.

Read about high mileage injector trouble and cold starting problems here -> http://www.swampsdiesel.com/files/7.3LInjectorDiagnostic.pdf


Also FORGET SNAKE OILS, they're for the uneducated...

And finally, next time,,, start your own thread instead of tacking-on to an old one, and break up a post as big as yours into pertinent paragraphs. Yours is kinda hard to read and you'll get more "reads & responses" if it's easier :wink[3]:
 
#17 ·
Thank you Rappy700. I'm afraid of that too. The biggest problem with the van is that you can't get the passenger valve cover off without either unbolting the body and lifting it off of the frame. (which I did to install glow plugs breaking a few rusty body bolts in the process) or taking the motor mounts off and lowering the motor. (This might be easier. Lifting the body was tough.) I was willing to spend the money on an ICP sensor and an IPR as a chance to not have to do that again. I checked the relays and fuses today and they were all good as well as the oil level in the hpop. I changed the oil as part of previous troubleshooting. I'm thinking I may have to pull the fuel bowl too. I can lay down in the van and look just over the transmission between the pipes and I can see the valve plain as day. The valley is really clean thank goodness, but I can't see any way to get my hand up through there.
I did buy some BG244 Diesel Fuel System Cleaner as someone suggested, but I'll invest in some archoil ar9100 and give that a go. Hopefully they'll free up. Thank you so much for responding
 
#19 ·
Thank you NoRalPh. I have actually bought this 2001 van and a 2001 F350 ambulance package I've converted into a truck. I'll never do that again. The conversion cost more than if I'd have just bought a truck. So, I don't mind investing getting set up to work correctly. The van has a little over 300,000 miles, but a more experienced shade tree Ford diesel mechanic that helped me install glow plugs said it's had a new crate engine installed in the no too distant past. I bought it through a salvage auction so I don't know it's history. He unhooked each injector one at a time and he said they were all working and that I just needed to drive it to get them working right. Well, when it takes you 30 minutes to be able to drive one, you don't drive it much. I say less than 100 miles has been put on it. I love the 7.3 in the F350. It's awesome. I had to get new oil cooler seals which I'll have to do to the van as well, but I'll be in the vehicles for a while I think.
 
#21 ·
I would honestly try the archoil stuff. I’m not really believer in stuff like that, (for example, I never have and never will ever use any sort of stop leak products) but I’ve never ever heard of anyone being unhappy with archoil products.

For the price of archoil vs injectors and labor in a van chassis, why not? I’d put in 3-5x the recommended dosage to see if it straightens anything out. You don’t need to buy the big bottle, even the small bottle is enough to treat like 300 gallons of fuel


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top