glow plugs & heater both out need help?

lastbugle · Dec 11, 2009

glow plugs & heater both out need help? fixed up date

first cold weather hit hard here truck would not start I assume the glow plug relay went out where do I look to even find it 92 ford F 7.3 & anybody have a guess as to replacement cost?
so after I found out it wouldn't start I remembered the engine heater so I plug it in and next morning started right up OK good.
Now this morning it was plugged in and wouldn't start. so now my question is I read somewhere that you could bypass the glow plug relay at least enough to start is this possible.
Thank you for any & all help.

mj05 · Dec 11, 2009

Don't forget to unplug the heater BEFORE you start the truck. I've seen heater elements blow out in trucks at the garbage company I worked at because drivers didn't know this.

Andylad13 · Dec 11, 2009

What is the truck doing? Is the wait to start light coming on? If so, how long? Why do you want to bypass the relay?

RLDSL · Dec 12, 2009

That's a big assumption. What happened? Did the plugs not cycle at all? what did your volt meter do when you turned the key? Did the wait to start light come on at all,. and if so for how long?

In an emergency, you can disconnect the wire feeding the GP controller and hit it with ether , but strongly not advised if you can figure out what the real problem is. Do not EVER use ether with the plugs active or you might as well start saving for the rebuild.

crashnzuk · Dec 12, 2009

In a pinch, a heat gun or good hair dryer blown into the air intake can help start a cold diesel.
Travis..

lastbugle · Dec 12, 2009

mj05 said:
Don't forget to unplug the heater BEFORE you start the truck. I've seen heater elements blow out in trucks at the garbage company I worked at because drivers didn't know this.

I didn't know this and really don't know if I did or not usually I would unplug but I very well my have not I really don't know?
When I turn on the key the start light is on maybe 1-2 seconds closer to 1
all I know for sure is the truck will not start now cold i have two very good batteries so I know thats not it. when I did get it to start cold then it would start easy the rest of the day.

RLDSL · Dec 12, 2009

lastbugle said:
When I turn on the key the start light is on maybe 1-2 seconds closer to 1

OK, Your Glow plugs are toast, at least a few if not most of them. Get a new set of Beru plugs and pop them in and you should be good to go.

lastbugle · Dec 12, 2009

RLDSL said:
OK, Your Glow plugs are toast, at least a few if not most of them. Get a new set of Beru plugs and pop them in and you should be good to go.

OK thanks!
is there any particular place that carries that plug and just curious but why is that the go to plug. I take it all plugs are not created equal.

RLDSL · Dec 12, 2009

lastbugle said:
OK thanks!
is there any particular place that carries that plug and just curious but why is that the go to plug. I take it all plugs are not created equal.

Looks like Ryder fleet products still has them for around $10 ea.

The beru plugs are the factory ones for these engines and for some strange reason, other plugs just don't hold up, even ones that do well in other engines.

The controller senses internal resistance on the plugs, resistance changes as they heat up. When one or more burn out , it causes the controller to get a false reading and short cycle like that, so when the controller only stays on for 1-2 seconds, that tells you it's plug time

lastbugle · Dec 16, 2009

mj05 said:
Don't forget to unplug the heater BEFORE you start the truck. I've seen heater elements blow out in trucks at the garbage company I worked at because drivers didn't know this.

Why is this so important to un plug isn't it separate from the engine.
I mean its a 110v plug in.
what would make it blow out?
I don't see the connection? :dunno

I need to know because I think I may have burned mine up. LOL

also I ordered new gp they havent come yet to see if it made the differance.

sle2115 · Dec 16, 2009

lastbugle said:
Why is this so important to un plug isn't it separate from the engine.
I mean its a 110v plug in.
what would make it blow out?
I don't see the connection?
I need to know because I think I may have burned mine up.

also I ordered new gp they havent come yet to see if it made the differance.

I would think if nothing else, the vibration on a scolding hot element wouldn't be good! I was told to ALWAYS unplug before starting, I ALWAYS have and have a block heater from Napa that is going on 5 years old with no issues...knocking on wood!

IH_444 · Dec 16, 2009

When my truck did the same thing last year, I replaced the glow plugs and it still didn't help. I got a new controller and then they worked. Still started hard though. Hopefully yours is just the glows, but you might not be out of the woods yet.

I've never heard that about unplugging block heater before starting- heck I always leave my 6.2 plugged in while warming up.

Agnem · Dec 16, 2009

Yup. Vibration is the issue. These are basically the same elements you would see in a hot water heater. They aren't really designed to be jarred around very much when hot.

lastbugle · Dec 21, 2009

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! you guys are great!
that was it the glow plugs. The Wait light stays on forever now and it started right up cold.
After i took out the old ones I checked them with the charger and 4 of the 8 wouldn't light, I didn't keep them in order to know if it was all one side or not wished I had. Thank you all again!!!!

65sixbanger · Dec 21, 2009

Ok I tested all my plugs and they are all toast, but the light stays lit for about ten seconds, then cycles to like five, then two, then just clicks but it wont start this way..

glow plugs & heater both out need help?

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