Ford 6.0L Power Stroke Diesel :: 2003 F250 Not Starting - Starter Won't Engage
Oct 16, 2016
My 2003 Ford F250 superduty diesel wouldn't start. It was a cool morning and I suspected a problem with the glow plugs. I checked the GPCM ( new in the last year) and it was fine, than I tested both right and left harnesses...they showed two out of range. After further inspection I noticed both my buss bars were completely rotted off with the wire and top of the glow plugs exposed.
Since I cranked the truck over so much, I removed the ground terminals from the recently replaced batteries and put a charger on overnight, I also plugged in the block heater since the glow plug system is suspect. I went out the next morning, re attached the batteries, and turned the key. The fuel pump and injectors cycled as usual, than I turned the key to start....nothing....no click...no sound.
I disconnected the starter trigger wire and touched it to the positive post.... a few sparks but no click or engagement. I jumped the solenoid...again a few sparks...but no engagement. I removed the starter (less than a year old, and not a lot of use) and had it bench tested, it tested fine. I re installed the starter, and cleaned all the terminals and connectors through the the system, still nothing.
I checked the cable from the battery to the large terminal...12 volts, I had my wife try to start the truck and checked where the trigger disconnects on the fender and at the solenoid....12 volts when the key is turned to the start position. I used a jumper cable to run power from the battery to the solenoid...nothing, I ran the jumper cable from the ground terminal on the battery to the starter case...nothing. I checked all the fusible links and found a broken wire from chaffing, I repaired it ( but I think it was what was causing my battery light to come on for the last few months) even though the alternator, batteries and everything going else checked good.....nothing. I checked the starter relay...it checked out good, as well as the ignition fuse.
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I have a 2003 F350 6.0 liter crew cab. It's all stock minus the FICM and bullet proof I did a few years ago when I purchased the truck. truck runs amazing with 136K miles on her, but i rarely drive the truck and she's been sitting. SO, I went out to start her up because it's been in the low teens and I wanted to keep the battery up to par. When I had turned the ignition key on to start the truck (after I cycled the glow plugs), I could hear the starter spin but instead of turning the truck over, it made a grinding noise followed by a spin type sound which I assume is the drive gear of the starter not engaging. I can get her to start but it takes multiple attempts.
Once she's warmed up, it seems to stop grinding when i try and start it which makes me think it's more of a resistance issue, possibly a relay. BTW, where is the starter relay on our trucks? I am wondering if the cold has something to do with the proper power and amps to the starter via the relay causing the starter not getting enough power to the starter. Anyway, I'm hoping there is a way to diagnose this through my torque program by looking at amps but not sure which parameters to look at on torque android.....I'm hoping it's a relay problem instead of a starter problem. I really dont want to replace a starter with a bum shoulder.......in the cold to top it off
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With -37C and -50C with windchill today, I tried starting my truck after being plugged in all night, and it was a no-go. Sounded like the starter turned over but didnt engage. On another note, what is with the glow plug light? mine lights up for a few seconds, maybe, then nothing. Today was the first time it ever stayed on for 5 seconds, and that was only after i tried cranking it over twice. First two times it didnt stay on.
I think my block is still maybe too cold,maybe dead batteries too, and yes the block heater had power made sure to check that, I notice my passenger side battery has some corrosion ontop (1000watt amp hooked into drivers side) so maybe I am needing better batteries.
Usually fires right up, haven't noticed a problem lately either starting. Gonna let it warm up some more, and I put a charger on the truck too, gonna go check the battery voltages and see what it says. This is the coldest yet I have tried to start the truck.
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My new to me 2006 F-350 6.0L began having starting issue this week. I'll try to describe it as best I can. Not every time I start it, but about every 3rd or 4th time this happens.
- She will start to crank as if the batteries are weak.
- Very low starter rpm's. If I stop cranking, and immediately try again it will do the same.
- if I wait 30 seconds to a minute, she will go back to a high rpm crank and start up after 2-3 seconds.
I have Auto Ingenuity and a SCT tuner so I can data log PID's.
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Batteries charged, connection & cables checked. After turning ignition switch, gauges on dash jump around & starts clicking in fuse panel. Top left relay then clicking sound from beside steering column on right side next to trailer brake box. Been having electrical issues & something draining batteries...had absolutely no cold start this winter. No decent mechanics here other than to be ripped a new one @ local dealership.
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I have a 2003 that won't engage all the time. I have manual locking hubs.
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2003, 6.0,128K, original starter, I was towing a heavy trailer out of state, shut engine off at a gas station 2 miles from my destination. Truck started back up as normal. Continued on my way towing uphill. I backed in the driveway and shut it off for a half hour while unloading the trailer. Went back out, all lights came on with ignition, but no crank. I don't hear a click like a solenoid. I checked fuses, I got hung up on checking what looked like a solenoid on the passenger fender. Its a big relay, but now I;m thinking its for something else. I had to leave the truck out of state and was able to get a ride back. I won't be back there for two weeks. Should I bring a new starter? A 6.4 starter?
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2004 F250 6.0 and it's a no start. I have a snap on scanner and I did koeo test and it came up as inj circuit low for all 8 inj. I performed "the buzz test " and all inj click. The voltage on the scanner for the ficm is 52 and everything I read say that's more that enough. Where I should look?
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I have an 05 f250 6.0. We have started to reach 38 at night here in northern IL already. The trucks been having a rough time starting and it's not even that cold yet. Any recommendations on the truck that I can do to have easier starts. Sometimes cycling the glow plugs 4 5 6 7 times isn't enough to get her going. I plug it in most of the time on bitter days in the winter but sometimes I leave it parked where I cannot plug it in. The batteries seem just fine. I think one is a little weaker so I will get new batts.
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I have a 2001 f250 ext cab long bed 4x4 that I use as a feed pickup. I have had it for about a year now. one of the issues I have noticed since I bought it is the issue I am having with the flywheel/starter. Its very random like maybe I have a missing tooth or something on my fly wheel. but every so often when I would go to crank my truck over it would just make a little whirring sound and nothing happen ( like my starter gear isn't sliding out and engaging my fly wheel.
After looking through my inspection cover I noticed I had a little wear on the sides but no teeth to my knowledge broken or stripped off. I noticed my starter had one bold loose but other two perfectly tight. It was also covered in oil and dirt from my truck sweating horse power I decided to replace my starter and have my original ford starter rebuilt. I replaced it with a NEW oreillys starter. I noticed it cranked about 5 times as fast but again every 10-15 starts I am getting the same no start. any thing I am over looking?????
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'99 F-250 7.3 PS 2WD Automatic 246,000 miles
Jumped in my truck a bit ago and it wouldn't start, although it is turning over. The "Wait to Start" light is not coming on and the Overdrive button on the shifter is lit up OFF and won't change with me pressing the button. I've checked all the fuses under hood and inside cab with multimeter and everything checks out ok.
Also, when it was raining last week I found that when I turned on my windshield wipers the truck would die. My solution to get home was to just flip it back & forth real quick every so often so I could see out the windshield.
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My dad has a 99 F250 with a no start issue. Everything was starting and running fine one day. The next he gets a no start. Cranks fast and fine but wont fire up and start. He has a scangaugeII hooked up to it and his oil pressures and volts look fine. His tach moves when he is trying to start it. He checked the icp sensor and it had oil through it so he replaced it with a Ford part. Unplugged it and the scangauge pressure goes up but no start. He also replaced the ipr with a new Ford one just in case. He checked and is getting low pressure and high pressure oil. I am having him check the fuel heater fuse #22 to make sure it is not blown. He had the block heater plugged in all night along with a battery charger to make sure they are topped off as well. We have gone through a couple of the checklists on this site for a no start condition but nothing has solved it yet. If you need any info off the scangauge let me know and I will post the exact readings. I think he is sitting at about 200k on the motor. No major issues or problems until now. He is currently also pulling the ICM to check it out as well. No codes are being thrown.
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This is my first dual-bat vehicle. 2011 F250 with ~60K. Dual alternators. Bought in August of 2010. One battery(passenger side) was leaking pretty badly in ~2012 and was replaced under warranty along with the harness as it was corroded.
Yesterday, I drove the truck quite a bit on ~20-25 mile trips and left idling during a couple of them while inside Home Depot. No indication of any trouble.
Today, would not remote start, and when I put the key in and turned it to the on position, the dash lit up for about 3 seconds but once it started waking everything up, it all went dead. Start results in a faint click. I got 11.2V from a trusted meter. I've got my 20A charger hooked to one side right now.
Is there any special trick or attachment procedure to charge a dual battery setup? What about jumping off? Does one bad battery cause both to "act" bad? If I can determine which battery is causing the issue, am I safe to replace just that one, or should I get two new batteries?
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I have a 2003 Ford F-350 super duty 6.0. A few weeks ago it starting loosing power, it wouldn't even go up to 15 mph. It now won't even move. There is 0 power. When I press the gas the motor bogs down to a very low idle and wants to die. I also had recent trouble with it starting. It would wind up to a very very low idle and about a minute later it would crank up to full idle. I changed the fuel filters (on top of the engine and under the cab) and also changed the fuel pump under the cab. After that I still have no power when pressing the gas it will still act like it wants to die.
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I have a 1995 f-250 7.3 liter diesel engine. Truck starts fine and runs good for a while and then it will stall. I pull over and after a couple of attempts it will start and run fine for a while. I have changed the fuel filter and put fresh fuel in but it still stalls.
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I have a new to me 1999 F250 with the 7.3 engine. The previous owner installed a push button start to get around the ignition actuator being broke. Over the weekend I pulled the column and replaced the actuator but the truck will still not start with the key; with the push button it starts just fine. I'm not getting any power on the starter relay signal wire, so I suspect something in between the key and starter relay. I searched around a bit, but could not find a wiring diagram for a 1999 diesel super duty.
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2001 F250 7.3l 294k miles
Ok so truck has always had difficulty starting cold since I got it about 12k miles ago. Replaced glow plugs, that made things slightly better but still no start unless temp gauge was in that first line above the C. Changed to Rotella, immediately after oil change starts better and at slightly colder temps.
Since getting the truck when you turn the ignition on you can hear a 'whistling' type noise which I believe is the fuel system pressurising. That used to last as long as the chimes did when you first turn the ignition on. More recently it lasts a lot longer.
Towed recently and had intermittent check engine light - believe this could be HPOP related, haven't checked codes yet as we're on vacation. No oil in the valley. But I do have a little oil carry over in the turbo intercooler pipes.
Truck slightly sluggish at setting off initially and then picks up reasonably well when not towing but my Dyno says I'm putting a bit more pedal to get the same performance from say two months ago
Pretty sure injectors haven't been changed since truck was new but can't be absolutely certain as there is no history. I was surmising this is probably both a HPOP and injector age issue but only from what I've found searching...
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I have a 2001 F250 Crew Cab with Powerstroke. The dash lights are starting to go out one at a time. How do I get to and replace the bulbs?
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Truck stalls out and cranks hard for 7-10 seconds before starting if I don't let it warm up adequately before I start driving. Transmission is hesitant to shift. Also, white smoke comes out exhaust if it's cold and I get in the throttle too much or if I hit 70+mph.
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The other day, I started having problems with the truck not starting when at operating temp. Went for a drive and stopped a a scenic overlook, and spent about 30 minutes taking pictures. Went back to the truck, and it wouldn't start. Outside temp was about 95 degrees.
I tried for about half an hour to start it, but all it would do is turn over. There was a work crew there with their heavy machinery, and I was able to borrow their starting fluid. One quick squirt into the intake, and it fired right up.
Although I do have an oil leak from the right valve cover, when I checked the oil, it was just off the full mark. The truck was parked on a slight angle with the driver side being about a foot higher than the passenger side.
2003 F350 w/6.0, 180,000 miles
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Well, last night I took my F-350 up a wheeling trail. I'd been up quite a few times in my old Rover, so I knew I could go a ways in without damage. Just uphill, muddy, and ruts / rock steps.
One thing I notice is that when you engage low range in the diesel, the transmission starts in 2nd gear. My previous gas Super Duties always started in 1st. I'm assuming this is to protect the transfer case from torque overload. Also, the throttle response seems to change when low is engaged (the pedal becomes less responsive, which is nice).
I've had the gas Super Duties off road before, and all of mine have had the locking rear diff. The diesel lugged along perfectly. My biggest fear was crunching the DPF / SCR / DOC canister on a rock step. In that respect, I'd rather wheel a gas. The manual shift function makes a lot of sense in low range - you can force a start in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. And prevent meaningless up / down shifts since the grade can change quickly.
These trucks' biggest hindrance is their size. However, if you have the trail room, they are actually excellent off road. Many people look at a Super Duty and see a vehicle good only for pulling or hauling. Not so, these trucks are as good as a Jeep off road, again with trail room being the only concern. The locking rear diff was never really needed, but I engaged and disengaged a few times to keep the mechanism free. I really love this feature.
One thing that happens frequently for me in north-east wheeling is water crossings. Could be a simple brook but mostly it is mud holes encountered on tight trails. In some cases these are only a foot or so deep; in other cases they are 4 feet deep. Ford states to "try" to keep the water below the level of the hubs, which amounts to about 15". Aside from possible front axle contamination, my biggest concern would be the electronics on the diesel which are mounted to the frame or floor pan (transmission module, NOx module, etc.) The gas Super Duties don't have these concerns. In the old days, as long as a diesel had air, the engine would run under water. This engine requires electronic control of many things, including the injectors...so it won't. There are also some axle / transmission breathers which run about floor pan high to be concerned about, but these can be easily extended.
Maybe it's due to the twisty frame which GM loves to insult Ford about, but these trucks have excellent wheel articulation. I'd be surprised if a coil sprung power wagon flexed more, at least in the rear. I'm impressed.
Finally, the traction control. I experimented a bit on a slippery rock step. This was the only step which required the rear locker - sort of. The front wheels climbed the step, but the back flexed to the point of one rear wheel basically almost off the ground and severely unloaded. With 4x4 Low engaged, and traction control "off" as much as Ford will allow, the truck could not pull itself up. Turning traction control on allowed the truck to very nearly pull itself up. A little more throttle / finesse probably would have gotten the truck over, but lots of ETC operation glazes the brakes and spews brake dust everywhere. Being able to start in a higher gear manually really adjusts the torque control. Locking the rear end and the loaded wheel bit right in and she went up and over.
When doing some off-road driving, the "off-road" screen for those of you with the LCD message center is kind of fun and informative to watch. It's nice to see how far your wheels are turned left or right when spinning in ruts or what crazy angle your truck is on. Howie Long could probably document the exact up / down / left / right slope angle a Super Duty needs to be on in order for the tailgate not to open. I never had an reason to open the tailgate while in these crazy angles, of course.
Overall, very impressed. It's not as good as my old Range Rover, but I would say more talented off road than ALL other Ford vehicles except the Raptor.
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