IDI wizards please step inside…

[DOE-SST]

1993 E350 van with 7.3L IDI and E4OD. Vehicle is all factory stock, 215K, reman transmission some years ago. Van was bought new for the Dept of Energy and had excellent maint its entire life. I bought it from the D.O.E.


Had three problems recently occur. The no-start is my biggest concern.


1. E4OD delayed shifting from first to second gear, all other shifting is normal. No tach but it seems I’m getting close to 2500-3000rpm before shifting into second gear. I cleaned contacts, checked wiring but no defects found and this problem remains.


2. Glow plug controller solenoid failed. I bought a new one from Autozone which had the mounting plate 180 degrees off so I welded the old plate onto the new one to attach the solenoid to the controller.

Tested the new solenoid by pulling the lead off from an installed glow plug, and sticking a spare plug into the lead and grounding it. It heated the plug orange-hot and the wait-to-start light remained illuminated for 14.7 seconds which I considered a satisfactory test. It was 30 degrees outside. I hooked four plugs to the batt charger and they all glowed orange-hot.


I decided to make a test trip around the block. The van started after 2 seconds of cranking, and I drove off. Still had the shifting problem and as I was pulling into the driveway at a very high rpm, the engine made a rapid clacking noise.



3. Next day I worked on the trans problem and decided to do another test drive. This time, no start. Not even any hint of firing. Put the industrial battery charger on the batts and tried cranking for 5 continuous seconds, with 20-40 minute cool down between each attempt. Starter spun fast but no firing.


Double checked the glow plug system by putting a plug lead on a grounded spare plug. It glowed orange-hot and the plug heated for 15 seconds.


Checked the fuel system by disconnecting the fuel line going into the injection pump and cranking the engine. Fuel spurted out of the line with every movement of the lift pump. Disconnected one steel fuel line from an injector and cranked the engine. Fuel dripped out of the line like I expected it to. I removed the top of the IP, turned the key and the FSS functioned as it should. Installed the FSS and ensured proper engagement with the lever inside the IP.


Now, I assumed I introduced air into the fuel lines, so I resumed my previous cranking attempts to remove it. After my last few attempts I verified there was diesel fuel vapor wafting out of the exhaust pipe, although far less than I expected. Fuel tank has about tens gallons in a 38 gallon tank.


The engine has never fired since last parked.


I suspect that unusual clacking noise has something to do with this no-start problem. Even with a dead glow plug solenoid, the engine would eventually start in cold weather.


Where do I go from here? Simultaneous failure of all 8 injectors? Better odds of winning the lottery.


I eagerly await your wisdom...

 

[ih8minimumwage]

Have you metered individual GPs to make sure they're each actually working? In the colder weather a couple of bad ones with a slow spinning starter can easily cause a no fire. Usually when the controllers fail, they fail on and take out the GPs with them, and then burn themselves out.

Any chance you have a block heater you can plug in for a half day to see if it will fire when warm?

 

[jwalterus]

compression test if you can, crack-in-a-can test if you are getting fuel for sure

I'm thinking you're outta fuel (showerhead) and the clacking was from the air in the lines.....................

dump another 10 gallons in the tank

 

[no mufflers]

have you replaced the tps for the trans problem?

 

[laserjock]

I thought the e4 needed the tach signal?? But you have no tach or it just doesn't work?

That many miles and probably a lot of idle time, compression test is probably in order. If the plugs are lit that long they are probably okay but wouldn't hurt to check them individually for continuity.

I don't know where a van runs out of fuel for a showerhead but that's certainly easy enough thing to try. Do the easy things first. Add fuel, test the GPS. Crack in a can test but only after the GPS have cooled or you disabled them. If it start on ether, it still could be low compression if the GPS are actually working.

 

[icanfixall]

The E4OD requires a tach, speed and tps signal to function correctly. If the rig did not come factory with a tach I do not know how that is bypassed..MaYBE WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW A NON TACH e4od TRANS CAM FUNCTION. Damn fat fingers hit the caps key again.. Sorry...

 

[snicklas]

I thought the e4 needed the tach signal?? But you have no tach or it just doesn't work?

The vans have never had a provision for a tach display (gauge in dash). The pre-92 vans have the same instrument cluster at the 73-79 pickups, the 3 sections.....

Pre-92:

You must be registered for see images attach

The 93+ do not have provisions for a tach either...

You must be registered for see images attach

The E4OD does need a tech signal, and I'm sure there is a sensor in the gear tower, and signal is sent to the TECA. But Ford didn't think it was important enough to put a gauge in the dash to show rpm..... Remember, the E-Series vans were the "red-headed step child" Of FoMoCo.... as much as I like the E-Series, this has been the case...... Heck, they didn't "upgrade" to the 8x170mm wheels that ALL the rest of the line had until the mid to late 00's.....

 

[laserjock]

Learn something new everyday.

 

[riotwarrior]

Dissable gp discoonect its power feed...plug in block heater...attempt start with either...short 1/2 second spurt as you crank engine....dont spray before crank....get it spinning and a wee mist 1/2 second spft of it..see if lights off...

 

[The Bus]

This is going to sound a little off, but when was the last time you changed the fuel filter?

If you don't drive one enough the fuel filter will literally solidify and let a trickle of fuel through. All you need to do is to crank the engine as if you were going to start it. Remove the rubber return line on the rear of the engine where it goes into the steel line (look for the "T") and fuel should run out. Be careful, a lot of fuel will come out if the system is operating correctly. This will all but eliminate fuel delivery issues to the injectors. It easy on the vans to do this.

My bus did the exact same thing one night. I was on my way to tailgate and noticed the engine was not quite running right so I figured I check it later. After the game and couple of more hours of tailgating it was time to leave. It started and died. Wouldn't do a thing afterwards. So I figured it had to be a fuel issue.

Pushed the schraeder valve on top and some fuel came out. Not a lot, but some did come out. So I took the engine cover off in the cab and removed the return line and NOTHING.

Called the wife and she brought out a new fuel filter and it started right up!

E Series have a tach sensor just like the trucks. It's located on the injector pump gear cover. If you see wires exposed at the sensor, replace it. Eventually the wires will begin to break off one by one causing false signals being sent to the transmission.

Also, if you have any issues with your brake lights (wiring), fix them too. I had transmission issues from this too since they apparently share the same circuits.


Found this pic on a older thread from "ManicMike" on the Tach Sensor location.

You must be registered for see images

 

[DOE-SST]

Thanks for the ideas guys.


I’ve got the block heater plugged in, will let it warm for a few hours. I’ll pull every glow plug and test them although the engine started previously even when they were not functioning because of the dead solenoid.


I have another 5 gallons of diesel I will add to the tank. I removed and inspected the fuel tank components 2.5 years ago and installed a new shower head at that time. I don’t think fuel delivery is the problem. I have strong fuel flow into the IP, fuel dripping out of the steel lines attached to the injectors, and fuel vapor coming out of the exhaust pipe. This vehicle has never had any fuel other than pure diesel put through it.


My “no tach” statement means there is no tach in the instrument panel, which is factory standard for most of these vans.


I haven't done any more work on the trans problem, gotta get it running first.


This van has almost no idle time on it. It was used to run from one D.O.E. facility to another on the interstate highways, carrying a 4-5 man fireteam escorting nuclear weapons. They never stopped unless it was an emergency.


I don’t have a compression tester and I would think low compression would become a gradual problem, not one that occurred overnight. I’ll try to get a can of ether tomorrow.

I checked all the fuses in the fuseblock near the brake pedal, all were fine.

Thanks for the trans repair tips.


I’d love to hear any more thoughts and ideas. This has got me puzzled. I’ve never heard that clacking noise before and suspect it is a symptom of the real problem.


I’ll keep working on the van and post my results later tonite.

 

[riotwarrior]

A clacking could be a rocker or something like that.

Does it clack when turning over?

Even if 1 rocker was off u shpuld still see an attempt to run.

 

[DOE-SST]

Finally got it running.

I'm not sure if it was the glow plug controller, the solenoid or the glow plugs, but I had just installed 8 new Bosch plugs and they appear to have lasted 2-3 cycles before burning out and swelling up. Brand new plugs. All eight of them. It was such fun trying to get 8 swollen plugs out of a van while it was raining, snowing and occasional 45 mph winds.

I could not find Beru ZD-9 plugs locally, every place that said they did actually carried something else that cross-referenced. NAPA tried hard to convince me their Autolites were just as good. So I pulled old Champion plugs and a controller out of a wreck. I've got ZD-9s on order.

Now time to work on the transmission problem. I took it for a test drive tonight, no clacking noise but still very high rpm before shifting

Thanks again for your help.

 

[chief1983]

If the temp sender that tells the controller to turn off the plugs isn't working correctly, you could have an issue with the plugs being run too long by the controller. I imagine that would swell almost any plugs. The controller itself might not be interpreting that signal correctly and shutting them off when it should too. Many say switch to a push-button but as a controller and possibly temp sensor and wiring inspection is the most it takes to fix that, I would recommend against push-button.

Mostly following this because I have my own share of E4OD electrical issues and always like learning what things to check from other people's issues. Does your van have the OD light on the lever that will blink to indicate a transmission code has been thrown? Does the light still work? You might have a trans shop or dealer see if they will scan it for you for free, I doubt the average auto shop can hook up to that computer since it's pre-OBD2. Codes will tell you which sensor might be failing before you throw money at it. Might even tell you if there are non-sensor issues like solenoids sticking, not sure. On the trucks the blinking OD light on the lever indicates a code and the transmission is probably now in "limp mode" which is indicated by high RPM shifts that are hard because of full pressure on the clutches, or something like that. Mostly reciting that last bit from memory. http://web.archive.org/web/20040205144343/http://www.autotransinc.com/limp.htm

Is it shifting into reverse OK? Apparently the filter can suddenly drop into the pan and cause erratic shifting, but usually with going into reverse I think. There are retainer clips and/or aftermarket pans with provisions to prevent that if that has happened.

Fluid level is correct of course? They can be picky about over-full as much as under-full.

While checking level see if fluid smells burnt, etc, the usual.

You could also check that the TPS is calibrated correctly. It may be off enough to cause a high shift but not enough to be out of range and trigger a code. Just need a multimeter. But that might affect other shifts too, not just 1-2. I'm not sure how one that is mis-calibrated would change different shift placements. Mostly just tested the 1-2 going around my neighborhood when I calibrated mine.

Probably more things to look at but I tried to cover the basics that I can remember checking on mine.

 

[scott carey]

This may not help but I learned this the hard way years ago.
What sounds like an acceptable cranking/ starting RPM may not be enough.
Messed with a customers vehicle in the late 80's with various problems, could not get it to start consistently, had to check out another vehicle and the starter was "Singin'" very big difference, had a starter in stock, installed it and it started every time. in those days what we thought was enough starting RPM for a 460ci was not near enough for the 6.9's and 7.3's