Battery Woes?

[ninjai]

Hey Guys,

Winter is here again where I live (nothing too serious, at night between -6 to 6 Celsius) and my '90 F350 7.3L seems to have issues starting. Here is what happens from a cold start:

The engine starts, it glugs for a little bit like it's struggling to run, then it dies. After this it's a bit of a ***** to get started again. I pump the pedal while I start at this point and it seems to help it. Tonight I almost ran my batteries flat before it started and I was far from home in the middle of nowhere so that was a relief.

Cold Crank Amps. I just put new batteries in last year, and I can't exactly remember but they are like 650-750 CCA. If I recall correctly, that should be plenty. But is it really my batteries or something else?

 

[93f250idi]

sounds like air intrusion.

 

[ninjai]

Air intrusion had crossed my mind last year, but why only during cold weather?

How would I check for air intrusion are there any tests for this I can do?

 

[OLDBULL8]

Air intrusion: Put a clear line from #1 cyl back to the filter, that is replace the one that is already there, you can see bubbles if it's air.
Do you have the cold advance solenoid hooked up on the IP, also the Hi idle solenoid on? It take's one cycle of the go peddle to set the Hi idle solenoid with he key on. The Hi solenoid is powered thru the connector close to #1 glow plug, it keeps the Hi idle on until the engine reaches 120 degrees. Also, just make sure the battery terminals are clean and cables in good shape, no corrosion at the ends.

Edit: What year and engine is the truck? Put it in your signature.

 

[93f250idi]

check in tech articles. theres a thread in there on the 2nd page (i think) titled "hard starts and thoughts on air intrusion"

 

[GreenDiesel]

I also vote air intrusion, look for wetness(Fuel) around the fuel filter, fuel heater plug, and return line caps. usually that will tell you where there is a problem, but sometimes you can suck air without leaking fuel

 

[rhkcommander]

Winter time coldness makes the engine turn slower because the oil is colder, and the batteries push less amps from being colder. So an air intrusion symptoms can appear worse in the winter.

Crank the truck over, while doing so push in the shrader valve on the fuel filter head, hear hissing? If so its a telltale sign of air intrusion/fuel leaks. Bad batteries wouldn't stall your truck

Also being a 7.3, your fuel filter heater in the filter head if you've got this could very well be leaky. I have a 6.9 but I've read about many people having this problem just fyi.

---

Do you guys just use 3/16" or 1/4" (depending on return line size) pvc clear tubing?

I've been having nasty air intrusion, the two return lines that go into the T at the back are leaking but not sure if I have another leak - the rest are all dry. Gonna replace those two with some new hose even though they are new too.

 

[ninjai]

Know what? Come to think of it I've had a very slow leak from somewhere under the hood for quite some time. I was never able to trace it's source. I'm pretty sure it's just oil though. Unless the diesel is mixing with some grime on the way down, I don't think that's what the leak is.

So I guess I should check that both my fuel filters are tight and that my injectors are on tight?

Crank the truck over, while doing so push in the shrader valve on the fuel filter head, hear hissing?

Care to elaborate? What's a shrader valve? I have 2 fuel filters in my truck. The guy that owned it before me had a second one put in that has a hand pump on it for those situations where you get air in the system ^_^. Has proven itself useful once

edit:
I just found this post, I have messed with that valve before when I had a fuel problem. I know the one.

 

[johneich]

Care to elaborate? What's a shrader valve? .

Its on a (stock) filter head and looks like the tire valve that you use to put air in your tires.

 

[ninjai]

Its on a (stock) filter head and looks like the tire valve that you use to put air in your tires.

So while the truck is running, or while I'm cranking it, I somehow have to hear hissing over the noise of that loud ass motor!?

 

[johneich]

So while the truck is running, or while I'm cranking it, I somehow have to hear hissing over the noise of that loud ass motor!?

No, you will see fuel or fuel and air comming out, it is a test to find out where you are getting air into your system.

PS, I crank the engine using a remote starter switch connected to the starter solenoid, right near the filter, (Then you can activate the shrader while you crank) you can make one or use a screwdriver, but Harbor Freight has them for about $5-10.

 

[ninjai]

Okay, I've decided I'm taking my truck to NW Fuel Injection for them to take a look at it. I got her started tonight in order to drop her off, and while doing this I found that fuel bleed valve above the fuel filter, and used my second fuel filters handy pump to pull the fuel up. There was a few sputters of fuel that came out, then finally lots of fuel with air bubble still present, and at this point I tried to start my truck up and it struggled getting there and the batteries nearly died again but it started. So I guess my air leak is before my filter. I'll keep you guys posted on what NW fuels finds out.

 

[icanfixall]

Air is being sucked into the fuel system. This is possibliy the brass nuts on the line from the lift pump at the factory filter head or the line from the filter to the injection pump. These brass nuts have a gasket in them that looks like a small piece of rubber hose. They are called olives and are easy to find at any good injection pump shop. Or buy from typ4 on this board. He has them... Try tightening up the nuts some. These olives get hard and start to leak. Any wetness is a fuel leak. Sometimes the o-ring on the drivers side of the injection pump leaks. Its on the advance plunger. It willleak onto the valley pan under the intake manifold and run out the back drain. Then it pourd down over the starter. It will be black looking when its reaches the starter and ground. Makes it look like dirty oil...

 

[trapper]

time for a E-Pump upgrade, when i put mine on and took out the lift pump all i gotta do is turn on the ignition and hold open the valve till all the air is pushed out of the system

 

[ninjai]

Air is being sucked into the fuel system. This is possibliy the brass nuts on the line from the lift pump at the factory filter head or the line from the filter to the injection pump. These brass nuts have a gasket in them that looks like a small piece of rubber hose. They are called olives and are easy to find at any good injection pump shop. Or buy from typ4 on this board. He has them... Try tightening up the nuts some. These olives get hard and start to leak. Any wetness is a fuel leak. Sometimes the o-ring on the drivers side of the injection pump leaks. Its on the advance plunger. It willleak onto the valley pan under the intake manifold and run out the back drain. Then it pourd down over the starter. It will be black looking when its reaches the starter and ground. Makes it look like dirty oil...

SOB. I did the lift pump in my truck a year or two ago... if there's one thing I remember for sure, it's that my lift pump was a HUGE PAI to install. There were a couple nuts or bolts or something that were really hard to get a ratchet onto properly so I had to use crescent wrenches and even then I was working with angles . Well hopefully I don't have to do any of this myself ^_^