7.3 IDI crank no start. Help me get a list of what to take please!

[Ramzilla]

OK so my wife drove the IDI to work today and she said it ran like a top. So she works all day and comes out to a no start. It was around 70 degrees out. She said she cut the key on until WTS light went out and cranked- no start. She said she repeated this several times until the batteries started getting low then she got her sister to come get her. I just got home from work and learned this and I can't go look at it until in the morning since it is locked up inside her work lot. So can you guys help me with a list of stuff to take with me and things to check. Oh and she said it had plenty of fuel(my first question)

So far I am taking:
jumper cables
ether
basic hand tools
jumper wire
meter/test light
filter pliers

So what else do I need and where would you guys start checking? I did a little searching but well I'm kinda in panic mode and having a hard time concentrating after working 12 hours and now this.

 

[aofarrell2]

Be really careful about using ether. Use it sparingly, and be SURE to disable the glowplugs before attempting to use ether or you could blow your engine up!!

If it's not firing, either the GP aren't heating up (which if the WTS light came on it's at least getting power somewhere), or more likely not getting fuel somewhere. If it will fire with the ether but not keep running on it's own make sure it's getting fuel. Don't run the engine on ether though, it should only be used as an aid to ignite the diesel and should never be given enough to the engine to allow it to run off of ether. You have been warned...

 

[Ramzilla]

I got her up and going. Glow plug relay was open. Got her running and home and finally wired up the glow plugs for manual operation.

And as for the ether...I was a Ford senior master tech for 7 years and have been an OTR diesel mechanic for CAT for 6 years. I have started literally hundreds of engines on ether and never had an incident or seen any other techs have an issue. Just unhook the heater system and spray it. It's just choke in a can!!

 

[aofarrell2]

Starting it with ether is okay I've seen too many people give it too much or try to run an engine on ether and that's where the trouble begins

Glad you got ut running.

Sent from my HTC Hero S using Tapatalk 2

 

[Josh Carmack]

Cranked my IDI thousands of times on ether, and still do as compression is low and I run it on oil. I can attest that most diesels if they are not at least getting SOME fuel they will not run on ether alone. Good to know you got it up and running.