More clatter than usual on cold starts.

So my truck has always clattered about for a little bit until warm but recently it's been doing something different. When I start it cold it shakes and puts off a cloud of smoke until what seems like a clog is worked out. This only takes 10 seconds or so then it's idling normal. All my fuel filters are new, injectors and pump are only a couple years old as well. Truck runs great besides that. Any thoughts?

Maybe a bad glow plug or two. Runs rough until those cylinders warm up.

Air intrusion? Once the air gets worked through, everything works better and the timing changes a bit too...

Normally air intrusion causes longer cranking times.

I did notice around the glow plug under the turbo it looked dirty/damp. The Injector is dry, maybe that's just gunk cause it under the turbo and kinda hard to get at. Going to have to look closer once it warms up a bit lol

Plug your block heater in and see if it still starts the same, that would confirm or eliminate glow plugs.

Sounds like a couple of glowplugs not working. But for that to happen you must be running a manual switch. One bad glowplug will foul up the stock glowplug controller.

Glow plugs seem to be working fine, getting a full 9second cycle and very little cranking till it fires.

To me it sounds like perhaps both air intrusion And a couple bad glow plugs.

1) Take a few minutes to ohm test or test light each glow plug while it is unplugged from the wiring harness. You should see some resistance if using a ohm meter or a dim light if using a test light. You may have 1, 2, or 3 dead ones. Also look for problems with your gp wiring harness and gp connectors.

2) Air intrusion causes different start up issue symptoms.
a) Longer crank times.
b) Engine that races up after several cranking attempts, which is the extra diesel that made it to some cylinders when cranking for a while burning off. Then comes the cloud of white smoke which is not fully burned diesel.
b) Engine idles rough, till it primes.
c) Engine idles rough and then dies 1 or 2 times. Does this a couple times till you achieve prime.

3) You mention more clatter, you likely know, but when the engine is cold the IP advance comes on and causes more clatter.(Advances the timing.). But also check your cold start soleniod is working and raising your idle, that will help too.

So if your glow plugs test 100% now you will need to find the source of the air intrusion.



Attach some pics and let us know what you find.

So just to touch on a few things mentioned above.
Glow plugs are motorcrafts about 4 years old.
I have a Classic diesel design gp wiring harness.
My high idle is disconnected.

So how do I use my volt meter to check glow plugs??

And just to throw it out there once my truck has been start after sitting over night, I can start it the rest of the day with no issue.

You hook the "ground" wire of the test light to the + post of the battery and then tough each post of the glow plugs with the probe. You should see it light up if good and nothing if bad.

DaveBen said:

You hook the "ground" wire of the test light to the + post of the battery and then tough each post of the glow plugs with the probe. You should see it light up if good and nothing if bad.

Click to expand...

I meant my multi reader volt meter?
I thought I heard where I could use it by setting it to OHM?

Read the ohms between the post and ground. It should show some resistance, like 10 ohms, if I recall correctly.

1) DaveBen has it correct. You use the meter on the ohms setting. You are looking for some resistance, a open is a burned up GP.

2) At 4 years you could have a bad GP or two.

3) Sounds like air intrusion is an issue, that is why it starts fine every couple hours but not after sitting +12 hours.