6.0 Powerstroke and cold weather
01-02-2008, 06:24 PM
#11
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I am thinking more on the glow plug side too. My 7.3 started acting up this winter too, simple diagnosis to the glow plug relay and I'm good to go. My batteries also needed replacing.
I am not sure how the glow plugs are set up on the 6.0l, but you can usually measure the current draw of each bank to determine if the glow plugs are all functioning. That is of course if the relay is working.
I rarely plug mine in, 1100 watts is a lot of electricity to throw at it. Thats 11 100 watt light bulbs! I only plug in when its single digits or lower. My 7.3 fired at -15 in Vermont with two cycles of the glow plugs. 6.0l should be better, I believe ford rates to -20.
I am not sure how the glow plugs are set up on the 6.0l, but you can usually measure the current draw of each bank to determine if the glow plugs are all functioning. That is of course if the relay is working.
I rarely plug mine in, 1100 watts is a lot of electricity to throw at it. Thats 11 100 watt light bulbs! I only plug in when its single digits or lower. My 7.3 fired at -15 in Vermont with two cycles of the glow plugs. 6.0l should be better, I believe ford rates to -20.
01-02-2008, 06:44 PM
#12
Charter Member #232
Charter Member
First I would test your battery it only takes a min. Make sure you check the connections at your battery as well any corrosion and clean it off good. If that checks out then go to the glow plugs and the glow plug relay. Remember the glow plugs also run for a while after the light in your dash goes out. I think it is like a 1 and a half min.
I have a 7.3 but the basics are the same. Mine was driving me crazy with cold starts. Anything less then like 40 and it would get really hard. We tested everything, replaced the batteries, checked the glow plugs, tested the relays, checked the fuel pre heater, went with lighter weight oil and on and on. It turned out to be a bad glow plug relay. It would test ok but would not pass enough current. They are cheap enough to just replace if all else tests ok. Good luck from what I understand they will start no problem down to zero with out being plugged in. I have had to start my 7.3 down to -15 with out a plug and it did start fine. Little slow but not bad. The nice thing about plugging in is that you have heat instantly.
Jon
I have a 7.3 but the basics are the same. Mine was driving me crazy with cold starts. Anything less then like 40 and it would get really hard. We tested everything, replaced the batteries, checked the glow plugs, tested the relays, checked the fuel pre heater, went with lighter weight oil and on and on. It turned out to be a bad glow plug relay. It would test ok but would not pass enough current. They are cheap enough to just replace if all else tests ok. Good luck from what I understand they will start no problem down to zero with out being plugged in. I have had to start my 7.3 down to -15 with out a plug and it did start fine. Little slow but not bad. The nice thing about plugging in is that you have heat instantly.
Jon
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01-02-2008, 06:46 PM
#13
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How 'bout running like crap for about the first couple of minutes upon start-up? Mine always starts when it's cold, but she sure runs rough for a few minutes.
01-02-2008, 06:57 PM
#14
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Thats exactly what mine was doing. It drove me crazy since I diagnosed it as that, then replaced it and bench tested the old one. It worked! Thought I spent 80 dollars for nothing. Luckily I figured out before too much hair pulling.
01-02-2008, 07:17 PM
#15
Charter Member #232
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Could be a few of your glow plugs are not working. Some of your cylinders are firing but not all of them untill the truck warms up enough.
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01-02-2008, 07:30 PM
#16
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That's what happens when the right side loom goes. Only 4 get hot, the other 4 are along for the ride for a minute or two. Unfortunately the beginnings of injector failure show most often when cold. The weaker one's don't fire well
01-02-2008, 09:07 PM
#17
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The late '03 and all '04 engines are notorious for smoking the glow plug wiring harnesses on the passenger side. It's routed too close to the exhaust manifold and deteriorates over time.
The 6.0 starts down to zero without need for a plug-in. Below 10 it needs a double-cycle on the glow plugs.
Make sure you have a fuel filter set with less than 20K on it and that you pull the water drain with every oil change. If it has a brass plug, get the updated plated-steel one That separator isn't perfect. Use an additive at least in the winter.
Batteries cost less than a tow and a lot less than an evening stranded somewhere. Every battery I own gets replaced at 2 years. That motor's cranking demands and the underhood heat of that truck are especially hard on batteries. The alternator on that truck is a very high output unit and quite small. It also gets baked. They can certainly be failure-prone. Usually it's a diode that goes, giving you voltage ripple and low output- it's a slow death that you don't notice in a day or two. It usually takes something significant to kill it.
The 6.0 starts down to zero without need for a plug-in. Below 10 it needs a double-cycle on the glow plugs.
Make sure you have a fuel filter set with less than 20K on it and that you pull the water drain with every oil change. If it has a brass plug, get the updated plated-steel one That separator isn't perfect. Use an additive at least in the winter.
Batteries cost less than a tow and a lot less than an evening stranded somewhere. Every battery I own gets replaced at 2 years. That motor's cranking demands and the underhood heat of that truck are especially hard on batteries. The alternator on that truck is a very high output unit and quite small. It also gets baked. They can certainly be failure-prone. Usually it's a diode that goes, giving you voltage ripple and low output- it's a slow death that you don't notice in a day or two. It usually takes something significant to kill it.
Last edited by baja bailey; 01-02-2008 at 09:13 PM.
01-02-2008, 09:26 PM
#19
Registered User
Double-cycle helps starting when it's really cold. That added heat helps it catch. The problems you descrive are atypical for the 6.0. You have another problem other than it being cold outside. If you have slow crank, my guess is it's bad batteries. If they're original, they've been on borrowed time for a while now. I'd also go to somewhere that can do a charging system analysis to tell you if the alternator is OK. I don't believe the slow crank is affecting your starting- diesels don't need that fast starter hit like gas engines like to have. They need heat. On a warm day, that comes solely from compression. On cold one's they need a boost from the glow plugs.
The truck needs to visit the Ford dealer. Buy cheap batteries beforehand. The Ford battery differs from the $65 Wal Mart battery only in price.
The truck needs to visit the Ford dealer. Buy cheap batteries beforehand. The Ford battery differs from the $65 Wal Mart battery only in price.
01-03-2008, 08:24 AM
#20
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I agree, there is something wrong. I had a 6.0 powerstroke in a 2004 Excursion and never plugged it in. It sat many times outside all night in below zero weather and started without plugging in or even double cycling. It started a bit hard but nothing unusual and ran loud but always started.
