New member-Please help-7.3l IDI Turbo glowplugs

[icanfixall]

Welcome to a fabolus site for help. No matter what time or day it is someone is always here online. The white smoke and ruff running usually means unburned fuel but the ruff running could be an air leak in the fuel sysyem. Air gets drawn in and creats no fuel so the engine runs ruff till the fuel bleeds out the trapped air in the injecter syste. These diesel engines fire from heat built up during compression of the air, not fuel in the cylinders. The fuel is injected around 8 degrees before top dead center of the stroke. The temp needed to ignite the diesel is 940 degrees. The glow plugs are heating up the area where the fuel is injected so it fires off. The faster the engine turns the higher the cranking temp wil be for compression ignition. As a simple suggestion about replacing the plugs look at ebay under the search.. ZD9. Figure paying no more than $10.00 each for them. Also start by replacing the hard to reach plugs under the turbo. Then you know the kjob gets easier from there. Most of us will leave the tuff part of the job till the end... Kinda like leaving the stuff you didn't want to eat on your plate as a kid.... Its hard to change the way we grew up sometimes...

 

[lilredtdi]

As y'all are so very kind, how about a tutorial on changing the fluid in the front diff? This is the first 4wd I have ever owned and do not know much about them. The rear diff looks straight forward but any tips there would be appreciated also.

 

[lilredtdi]

Picked up 8 plugs at rockauto $79.68 shipped for all 8 Thanks Fellas!!

 

[riotwarrior]

As y'all are so very kind, how about a tutorial on changing the fluid in the front diff? This is the first 4wd I have ever owned and do not know much about them. The rear diff looks straight forward but any tips there would be appreciated also.

Based on my seeing an F250 chicken wing front end...in your sig...not an F350 with solid axle...then....Ya...that's a freakin nightmare....truly is ....

two options....well really four...lets start with the first....

1 DONT change it...just check the level and top up if needed...

2 drive with hubs locked in but in 2wd for quite some distance..this forces the axles to turn the diff and heat the oil....get that oil good n warm....then use some type of suckeroutterthingamabob to suck as much fluid out as possible something like this below...they are awesome for this...once all fluid drained...top up with fresh fluid...plug ...good to go!

You must be registered for see images

3 remove the entire front pumpkin from the swing arm...this entails removing both the axles to be able to unbolt the carrier...then that would drain the setup...clean up really good use some good RTV and then assemble...fill...good to go...

4 there is a big spot on very bottom that looks and is the perfect location for a drain plug and why Ford didn't stick one in...is just beyond understanding! Drill repeatadly larger holes into pumpkin, till you get to say the size needed for a 1/2" NPT plug...tap the hole, then plug it...yer golden now you can change as needed

JM2CW...but #2 is IIMHO your best option...even if you have to pay a shop to suck it all out...and install fresh fluid...Just saying...

Al

 

[lilredtdi]

Ok, I am pulling out my hair over this. Last night spent 5 hours in the dark and cold outside, replacing all 8 GP's with Motorcraft zd9's. Other than being a PITA to reach some, my insulation boots disintegrated on most of the GP wires.

I used a double layer of heatshrink tubing to re insulate. Is this sufficient?

After completing install, jumped in truck and still only a momentary WTS light. Temp was about 43 degrees and truck did start better but not immediately (crank time5-8 seconds)

At that point i cleaned up and came in house.

This morning it was about 33-34 degrees. Tried to start again. Turned key to on, WTS light goes off immediately but can hear relay. Crank engine for 5-10 seconds and does not start. Cycle key again and wait for 10 seconds or so, pedal 1/2 way to floor, crank.............truck starts after about 8 seconds of cranking.

Any suggestions? I am STUMPED

 

[dizdak]

still new as well to a lot of this diesel tech stuff, but if all GP are new, then possibly the glow plug controller?

 

[icanfixall]

Check the engine main wire harness plug for corrosion on the end 2 yellow wires in the plug. The controller gets power from 2 very small yellow wires and its not a good setup. Its way cheaper to use 2 smal wires than it is to use one big proper wire.. Look up at the high voltage wires on those power company metal towers. Lots of times you will see 2 wires about 1 ft apart. Sometimes even three wires are carrying the load on that line. If you find any crap in the plug remove the yellow wires and run one single 4 gauge speaker wire found in any auto radio shop. Get the lugs there too.No need to remove all the yelleow wires from the harness. Just cut off the exposed ends clean and nice looking. Caution... These wires are a continuous hot from the battery. don't believe that... Follow the wires from the fender solenoid to the hot side of the battery... Same gose for the alteranter heavy lead... Its hot all the time too. Never remove these hot wires without killing the power from the batteries. You have around 2000 amps ready to burn those wires off sure as heck. Makes a nice show of sparks and you feel so dumb for doing it afterwards...

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

You've got most of the bases covered on changing out your glow plugs, hopefully you'll get lucky and the burned out ones will be easy locations. Test them with a testlight or voltmeter for continuity, if they are open they are shot. I would suggest vacuuming all the dirt around them to make sure you don't get any debris in the holes, then hit them with penetrating oil like PB Blaster, vacuum again, then try to remove the offending culprits, being careful if they don't pull out as the tips may have swollen. If you have Beru's you should be fine, if you have Autolites take lots of time and care in pulling them as they are notorious for swelling the tips. If you break a tip off you will make a monster out of a very small mole hill.

Good luck and welcome to OB.

 

[lilredtdi]

glow plug troubleshooting/relay

Check the engine main wire harness plug for corrosion on the end 2 yellow wires in the plug. The controller gets power from 2 very small yellow wires and its not a good setup. Its way cheaper to use 2 smal wires than it is to use one big proper wire.. Look up at the high voltage wires on those power company metal towers. Lots of times you will see 2 wires about 1 ft apart. Sometimes even three wires are carrying the load on that line. If you find any crap in the plug remove the yellow wires and run one single 4 gauge speaker wire found in any auto radio shop. Get the lugs there too.No need to remove all the yelleow wires from the harness. Just cut off the exposed ends clean and nice looking. Caution... These wires are a continuous hot from the battery. don't believe that... Follow the wires from the fender solenoid to the hot side of the battery... Same gose for the alteranter heavy lead... Its hot all the time too. Never remove these hot wires without killing the power from the batteries. You have around 2000 amps ready to burn those wires off sure as heck. Makes a nice show of sparks and you feel so dumb for doing it afterwards...

Ok thank you. I did the following:

Tested GPR. I have 12 v with key off. (large lug closest to passenger side)

With key on I have 12v on other side of coil. (large lug closest to drivers side)

Removed all wires and cleaned well and reinstalled.

Took a couple of connectors off glow plug and inserted test light into socket with truck off. Went in and turned key to on. No power to glow plug. Yes I did confirmed test light worked before using.

GP controller? Can they be bad even though they audibly click and with key on have power?

What next??

Incidentally, to make sure I am getting clean power i removed and cleaned main engine ground, all connections on starter solenoid and battery terminals.

 

[lilredtdi]

help bump

 

[lilredtdi]

Small emergency please help

help bump

Hey fellas. Want to install this relay.


http://www.autozone.com/autozone/pa...erByKeyWord=Glow+plug+relay&fromString=search

But it does not look like the one currently installed on truck.

Is it just a stock photo without enough detail or the wrong relay??

Parts store too far to make two trips.

And if anyone can look at my post two posts ago and answer my questions, that would be aces!!!!

 

[smolkin]

Hey fellas. Want to install this relay.


http://www.autozone.com/autozone/pa...erByKeyWord=Glow+plug+relay&fromString=search

But it does not look like the one currently installed on truck.

Is it just a stock photo without enough detail or the wrong relay??

Parts store too far to make two trips.

And if anyone can look at my post two posts ago and answer my questions, that would be aces!!!!

The pic is from a weird angle, but it looks like the right one. The OEM controller from International is twice that price here. Delphi makes the controller that most people here use, I think, dunno if anyone's tried the Delco? My main concern is the quality of the relay on the controller...you want a disc-type contacter not a bar-type. Even though I have push-button plugs, I made sure I used a disc-type from International ($60) instead of the bar-type, which is what all the parts stores had ($15-35).

edit: Have you tested the gp harness (from controller to plugs) for continuity? Remove the harness from all the plugs and test each socket for continuity from the large lug on the controller. If you can't test continuity, you can carefully test for voltage with the key "on" at each socket with plugs disconnected instead but watch out for the loose ends...I prefer the continuity method!

 

[lilredtdi]

Problem solved. Sort of..............rolling eyes. Bought the linked GPC and installed. I now have 10-12 seconds of light. Truck fires up with the twist of the key.

I however may be an idiot. I noticed while changing out old GPC with new, that connector going to WTS light appeared to be loose. While changing out the GP's themselves I may have accidentally knocked it loose. As I already had most of the hardware removed I just went ahead and installed the new one and put the old one in the box and chucked it in my toolbox.

Anyway.............thanks to all who helped me out.

 

[icanfixall]

Grest learning experiance on the controller. Now don't throw away the one you removed. The one you installed may not last as long as the factory parts do ...

 

[lilredtdi]

In the past few years we have had unseasonably warm winters here. The past few days it has been exceptionally cold for here. 18 deg or so at night and 27 or so in the days.

Truck starts immediately with no block heater and runs smooth within 5-10 seconds of starting.

Now off to trouble shoot my 04 TDI. Getting a glowplug code and it takes alot of cranking to get it to start, but it does start. Always something.

Thanks to everyone here for all of the great help.

BTW- I did box up the old controller and threw it in the truck bed tool box.