Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum banner

7.3 won't start

17K views 20 replies 10 participants last post by  JR.INTERNATIONAL 
#1 ·
I just had 01 F250 (CA) in the shop for a bad glow plug controller and a cam sensor replacement. I picked it up from the shop Thursday night and it started fine. I drove it home and parked it. Friday afternoon I tried to start it and it would not fire. I hooked up the engine heater and tried again 3 hours later, again won't start. This morning the temp gauge shows it as warm but still just cranks without starting. It has 110K miles on it and a Super Chip set to Hi Performance. What can I check? Shop is not open until Monday and I need it sooner than that.
 
#2 ·
How cold is it there? if its not below like 35 at night, its not a temp issue...the new cam sensor could be bad...its not like they forgot to hook something back up at the shop, since you said it started then.

is it a clean crank like svmm svmm svmm, or is it a dying crank sound like svmmsvmm svmm svm sv sv sv ss

i don't know what else to say
good luck

wes
 
#3 ·
wizardket said:
I just had 01 F250 (CA) in the shop for a bad glow plug controller and a cam sensor replacement. I picked it up from the shop Thursday night and it started fine. I drove it home and parked it. Friday afternoon I tried to start it and it would not fire. I hooked up the engine heater and tried again 3 hours later, again won't start. This morning the temp gauge shows it as warm but still just cranks without starting. It has 110K miles on it and a Super Chip set to Hi Performance. What can I check? Shop is not open until Monday and I need it sooner than that.
check the wires at the glow plug controller to make sure they are connected properly, and the wire at the cam sensor (just above the crank pulley....just a little to the left side of motor, has a bronze colored tab off of it that looks like a timing peg) to make sure its hooked up. is the motor cranking at the proper speed, because it has to reach about 600 rpms cranking to be able to fire.....try checking your batteries if it sounds sluggish.....bout all i can think of that you can check yourself without me knowing any more...hope this helps......Marc
 
#5 ·
It cranks OK around the 600 RPM mark and sounds fine. The temp here was down to about 32 (frost on the ground) Friday morning and about mid 50's when I tried to start it first time (3PM). Batteries were and are up, I will double check the cranking voltage. I warmed it up with the crank case heater to remove the temp issue. I will check Sunday for the cam sensor wires. Thanks.
 
#6 ·
Well, I decided to set the Super Chip programmer back to stock. When I tried to crank it, it had a hard crank so I made sure it was fully charged with a jump (heavy duty cables) and it started right up. When it set back to stock and clears the DTC's, I could hear something like a pump running for about 5 seconds. I hear something similar on normal start but only for about a half second. I set the programing to Tow Safe and it starts fine.
 
#7 ·
wizardket said:
Well, I decided to set the Super Chip programmer back to stock. When I tried to crank it, it had a hard crank so I made sure it was fully charged with a jump (heavy duty cables) and it started right up. When it set back to stock and clears the DTC's, I could hear something like a pump running for about 5 seconds. I hear something similar on normal start but only for about a half second. I set the programing to Tow Safe and it starts fine.
the pump running was probably just the electric vacume pump. if it only sits for short times (less than a day) they dont lose too much vacume out of the system, but since yours sat for a while, it just had to build more vacume for the system. no biggie, normal. as far as your issue, sounds to me like it may be weak batteries just starting to go, but thats just off of what you have told me, its tough to diag online.
 
#8 ·
no start

I have the same p0603 tc first bout 3 mo ago my 02 f 350 would not start. I have a super chip on the hi setting went to stat and it just turned over and over. I set back to normal and then it started fine no prob for 3 mo til bout 2 weeks ago would not start didnt have the super chip controller so just unpluged the bat for 30 min and the tuck started. Now it dosent start one out of 10 starts and i pull the cable and it will crank then i have replaced the cps that did no help
please help
thanks:mad:
 
#9 ·
I found that the computer was a little more touchy on the High Perf setting than on stock. I traced mine down to the voltage dropping to about 10.5 volts while cranking and the computer will not function somewhere around that point. Check your batteries and make sure you do not have a bad cell in one of them.
 
#11 ·
I have a 1996 E-350 club wagon with the 7.3L DI turbo. i was driving it home when i bought it for $1000 all of a sudden i lost almost complete power and it sounded like a geo metro with a blow head gasket. ive replaced the (CPS) cam sensor. and still nothing im thinking it may be somthing with the glow plugs. the fuel filter bowl is filling with with diesel which I beleve is normal. so i know it is getting fuel. bought new battreys and cleaned up the grounds and it just keeps cranking and no smoke out the tail pipe any tips anyone who has a simair problem please reply
 
#13 ·
just because there is fuel in the bowl does not mean that it is getting fuel,and the glow plugs have nothing to do with your problem,you need to get it scanned.
 
#12 ·
Try some wd40 in the intake, it's warm enough right now that you should be able to start even is the glow plugs aren't working. Might want to try spraying the intake with some WD40 to see if it will start. Just to test wether your injectors are working or not. If it starts and stalls out you may want to check the harness to the injectors as it seperates, the fuses, maybe the PCM.... It can go on but usually just the GPR, CPS, or the harness.

Oh and create a new thread so people can help you persomnally.
 
#14 ·
spraying wd-40 does not test the injectors,spraying wd goes in the intake not the injectors.like i said before check for codes first.
 
#15 ·
I have a 2000 f350 7.3 6 spd it has no wait to start light and the fuel pump is not turning on. I unplugged the bowl heater checked the fuse under the hood and under the dash i dont have a single blown fuse i swapped them out just incase #30 #22 #9 #19 made no difference still no start. before I played with the ignition a bit and a bit of turning over eventually the wts light came on and pump came on but then again it went out after a bit. also something i noticed when the key is in the off position there are still to lights on the dash very dim barely noticable the abs light and battery light... can anyone help me on this ??? been trying for a couple weeks to fix it now checking wires and fuses and charging batterys I need a solution quick
 
#17 ·
2000 f350 7.3 6 speed no wts no fuel

Thanks for the reply toobadq, I am good with motors and wiring etc but not sure exactly what your saying if you could give me a little more detail. btb just so you know again basically when the key is off there is a few lights on the dash (abs, battery) very dim barely noticeable, when I turn the key on I get no wts light and the fuel pump doesn't come on. I have already done the following, unplugged the bowl heater checked every fuse under the dash and hood not a single blown. ALSO the truck does crank over a couple times i was able to turn it over and let the battery drain a bit and the wts light came on and fuel pump but after turning it over once right after that it went away and i haven't been able to get it to come back. I assumed it was a short somewhere as well mainly because it randomly worked and then stopped again. let me no were i should start not great with some names of stuff and such so if you could give detail thank you !!!!!!!!! :thumb:
 
#18 ·
From the sound of it your short on Volts out of the batterys.....Can you put a meter on them and see what it reads key on and then while cranking....The PCM needs 10.5 volts to function...below 10.5 and the PCM shuts down....The truck may crank fine but not have power for the PCM
on the 5v ref....The PCM sends out a 5v ref to some sensors...EBP, MAP, Baro, Cam, APP and ICP...short anyone of them to ground and the PCM RESETS(Does not work) till the 5v ref returns when this happens the wait to start light does not come on and the fuel pump does not work....The PCM does not know to turn them on
 
#20 ·
2000 f350 7.3 6 speed no wts no fuel

I dont have a volt meter to check the batterys right now but one battery is only a few months old the other is weak but not completely. when i turn the truck over it turns over really quick definitely not turning over slowly. But i did notice that when the wts light randomly started working for a minute the battery gauge went down quite a bit it still cranked just not as fast. but I did what you said and I unplugged some sensors one at a time and got nothing still, but i did notice something. i plugged the bowl heater back in and when the key is off like before i said the abs light battery light and air bag light are on very dim when the key is off, well when i plugged in the bowl heater and the key is on the wts light and the water in fuel light and engine light are on instead.. any ideas?
 
#21 ·
thanks for all your input, and toobadq I double checked all my sensors starting with the map sensor unplugged going through to cam sensor, app etc etc. still nothing i checked all my wires under the dash checked for a broken wire somewere nothing as well as under the hood. again i have no blown fuses and just really getting confused I havnt had a truck for weeks its killing me any help much needed !!!
 
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