Help with a Starting Issue

[MandolinMan]

Hello all,

I just purchased my first truck, a 1988 Ford F-250 with the 7.3 and a 5 speed manual. I was able to get a great deal on is because it has a starting issue (Which I hope isn't very serious). It has 197,000 miles on it, but appears to be pretty well taken care of. Here's the details:

When I turn the key halfway in the ignition the wait to start light comes on for a second or less then goes off and there is a clicking sound from under the hood. I hear that the WTS light normally stays on for 8-10 seconds?? And is the clicking normal?

The engine turns over fine but will not fire. However, with a shot of ether in the intake it usually fires right up. If it's been running for a while, it will usually fire up without the ether.

I bought it from a farmer who only used it occasionally and rather than fixing the problem just used the ether. He suggested that it was probably the glow plugs. Hoping you fellows could help me get this issue worked out. Thanks ahead.

 

[mjs2011]

Do not use ether to start an idi.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=s_LWm4g35Jw#t=88

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4

 

[icanfixall]

Welcome to the forum. You probably have burned out glow plugs. Get a set of motorcraft beru ZD9 plugs and install them. I bet you wait to start lite stays on for 8 seconds with new plugs. Hope that helps. As for the ether use. I feel with a non functioning glow system your safe to use a SMALL shot of it. A large shot can damage the engine easily. Now if you completely disable the plugs by lifting the power lead to the controller use what you will but be easy on the crack in a can. Too much can cause issues.

 

[MandolinMan]

Thanks for the heads up about the use of ether. I purchased the truck just earlier this week and aside from driving it home, haven't started it up since knowing ether wasn't good for engines. Hope to get this problem fixed soon cause I'm dying to start driving it.

 

[texcl]

If you need to start it without gp's plug in the engine block heater and it'll begrudgingly start without them. Starting fluid will destroy your gp's and they will break off destroying your engine in a worse case scenario.

 

[vegas39]

We hear a lot of talk about how bad ether is for our motors but the most important thing no one mentions, aside of disconnectiong the glow plugs first, is the fact that the engine should really be turning over before the ether is sprayed in.
I've heard many a story of people shooting the intake full of ether and then hitting the key, next thing you know, the starter snaps off the block, or even worse, internal damage.

My father in law has a method he uses for heavy duty diesels, he sprays a rag with ether and then lays it over the intake. He says the motor starts up nice and easy and doesnt get all the obnoxious knock from otherwise squirting ether straight into the intake.