ChikhaiBardo
Registered User
I bought my first 7.3 IDI F250 1989 and so far I am very happy with my purchase. I have only had it a few days but here are some problems I have noticed so far;
1 - The glow plug system is not working. No glow plug activation, no WTS light on dash. I have new glow plugs and and a new controller (timer and relay package) on its way. This one seems easy, but tips are appreciated if there are specific things I need to look for after replacement.
2 - Cruise Control is not working. This is one I could use some advice on. I have owned two F150 I-6 for the last 10 years and before that was a 7.3 Powerstroke. This is my first truck with cruise control in a long time so maybe you guys could give me some advice where to start looking if it's not a fuse. I haven't even looked in the book or gone through my fuses yet.
3 - The dash volt meter (8-18 volts) only reads about a quarter of the way even though batteries are fully charged; confirmed with an overnight trickle charge and a Fluke multimeter on the terminals. Someone told me that the volt meter on the dash should be straight down while driving, which I assume is 12-13.5 volts. Do these dash voltmeter fail or could it be a corroded cable leading to the dash meter? The batteries and cables are "new" within last year.
4 - I noticed it took a while to start, but no more than 30 seconds when I first got it, although the fuel level was low. I filled it up and it turned over immediately after being warm with multiple stops that day. It takes around 10-15 seconds to turn over when cold now, which I assume is due to the glow plug system being out of commission. I am looking at the DB Electric starters to keep in the truck as a backup. This has a NAPA Reman on it now and it's coming close to a year since it was installed. I see two options on Amazon for DB electric. The fully exposed gear and the half cut cone head style, which I assume is for wet locations. Which is recommended for our 7.3 IDI? Both are same price on Amazon and listed as compatible.
5 - My shift points are at 3k RPM unless I let off the pedal around 2k 2.5k it will shift. Is this normal? This does not have the Overdrive switch on the dash so what transmission do I have?
That is all I can think of for now. I know this is a long post with a lot of basic questions in it, but I am new to the 7.3 IDI and I haven't owned a diesel in over 10 years and that was a 7.3 PStroke. I'm also new to this forum and heard this was the place to be if I owned an IDI, so hello and thank you to everyone who helps out around here. I plan on being a contributing member for as long as I own my truck which is hopefully the rest of my life because it only has 178k original miles on it.
1 - The glow plug system is not working. No glow plug activation, no WTS light on dash. I have new glow plugs and and a new controller (timer and relay package) on its way. This one seems easy, but tips are appreciated if there are specific things I need to look for after replacement.
2 - Cruise Control is not working. This is one I could use some advice on. I have owned two F150 I-6 for the last 10 years and before that was a 7.3 Powerstroke. This is my first truck with cruise control in a long time so maybe you guys could give me some advice where to start looking if it's not a fuse. I haven't even looked in the book or gone through my fuses yet.
3 - The dash volt meter (8-18 volts) only reads about a quarter of the way even though batteries are fully charged; confirmed with an overnight trickle charge and a Fluke multimeter on the terminals. Someone told me that the volt meter on the dash should be straight down while driving, which I assume is 12-13.5 volts. Do these dash voltmeter fail or could it be a corroded cable leading to the dash meter? The batteries and cables are "new" within last year.
4 - I noticed it took a while to start, but no more than 30 seconds when I first got it, although the fuel level was low. I filled it up and it turned over immediately after being warm with multiple stops that day. It takes around 10-15 seconds to turn over when cold now, which I assume is due to the glow plug system being out of commission. I am looking at the DB Electric starters to keep in the truck as a backup. This has a NAPA Reman on it now and it's coming close to a year since it was installed. I see two options on Amazon for DB electric. The fully exposed gear and the half cut cone head style, which I assume is for wet locations. Which is recommended for our 7.3 IDI? Both are same price on Amazon and listed as compatible.
5 - My shift points are at 3k RPM unless I let off the pedal around 2k 2.5k it will shift. Is this normal? This does not have the Overdrive switch on the dash so what transmission do I have?
That is all I can think of for now. I know this is a long post with a lot of basic questions in it, but I am new to the 7.3 IDI and I haven't owned a diesel in over 10 years and that was a 7.3 PStroke. I'm also new to this forum and heard this was the place to be if I owned an IDI, so hello and thank you to everyone who helps out around here. I plan on being a contributing member for as long as I own my truck which is hopefully the rest of my life because it only has 178k original miles on it.
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