Taking longer to start?!

[airdrew99]

I have a 2000 F-250 7.3L. It has only been in the 50s here lately and my truck is taking a little longer to start than normal. I replaced the GPR about 5,000 miles ago and the glowplugs around 10,000 miles ago. The truck cranks over at a good speed (the batteries are good), it just doesn't fire off as quick as it usually does. What can you guys recommend looking at? I don't want to have it let me down as we head into winter. Thanks for any advice.

Drew

 

[BJS]

check the glow plugs & the relay, depending on what relay you bought it may be fried already which is why you will find many of us recommending the stancor DC Contactor as a GPR replacement.

Is it only slow to start in the morning or is it every time you try and start the truck?

Weak batteries and/or starter are common problems and other possibilities are the battery post connections.

Test for the batteries that is easy is to plug the truck ~2hrs before you want to start it then disconnect the switched side plug for the gpr and try to start her- this will greatly reduce the amp draw on the batteries because the glow plugs are out of circuit.

 

[iracemine]

what makes the batteries "good". have you load tested them separate out of your truck, or just put a volt meter to them thinking there only a year old?

 

[airdrew99]

The batteries have been tested and are good. I have both my good batteries out of the truck right now. I put a battery in from our boat. The hot side of the GPR read 12.7 volts with the key off. When the key was turned on (and GPR energized), the hot side read 10.9 volts and the other post read 10.3 volts. I understand that this is a pretty big voltage drop. But is the 10.9 volts on the hot side bad as well? Any one have any ideas for this? I'm tempted to order the Mouser GPR everyone recommends.

 

[bigrigr]

What type of glow plugs did you use when you replaced them? The general conscensus around here seems to be use only motorcraft glow plugs as well. If you SURE the batteries are good, and the connections are clean and tight, then I would go with the reccommended gpr, if that does'nt do it, double check the glow plugs, could have a weak one or two, if the low quality ones were used. Good luck

 

[DaveBen]

Don't get caught up in the belief that your batteries are NOT important. They are very important in a diesel engine. You must crank these engines over 500 rpm to get them to start. Just reading the batteries with a volt meter is not enough. GET THEM LOAD TESTED, individually!

Dave

 

[airdrew99]

Each battery was load tested (individually) out of the truck at our local Auto Zone. Both are fine. I charged them both up over night and installed them back in the truck. When I turn the key on this morning, the hot side of the GPR read 11.3 volts and the other heavy post read 10.6 volts. I have a Mouser GPR on the way. The glow plugs I installed were the Motorcraft (if I remember right). Oh, and I keep the battery posts and terminal ends extremely clean. I clean them often.

 

[BIG JOE]

Don't get caught up in the belief that your batteries are NOT important. They are very important in a diesel engine. You must crank these engines over 500 rpm to get them to start. Just reading the batteries with a volt meter is not enough. GET THEM LOAD TESTED, individually!

Dave

Just an Add On Dave....

Be DANG sure they are of the right Group/Series (CCA's etc.) Too. (?)

Joe

 

[airdrew99]

The batteries I have are 1000 cranking amps each. Is this factor rated?

 

[BIG JOE]

The batteries I have are 1000 cranking amps each. Is this factor rated?

My .02 would be: Yer Good to Go, on CCA's.

My point was: Sometimes, the Batteries that are at an "affordable price".... Are not the Batteries we NEED... for our PSD's. Especially, on a Cooooold winter morning..

Joe