Ford F-Series Powerstroke Diesel Problems

jd198328

about the bowl heater i have found that if you use the cheap filters they are a little to big and they push on the wires where they enter the housing. i had to replace the whole thing on my truck. and on 4 others . it only takes about an hour with basic tools.

luke73

I have a 1997 f250 with a 7.3 diesel that runs at normal temps while on the road. When I stop for a few minutes the temp gauge goes to cold. I can leave the motor running and it cools down. I replaced the thermostat which seemed to help for a few days then went back to cooling down. I enstalled a factoy 195 deg thermostat. My feeling is these t-stats are junk. any ideas on what to do?

skptkman

have this problem with my truck it will just die driveing down the road but only when it is rainning, but will always start right back up ,any ideas?

cowboy9

You might wanna look at your Air Intake or Electrical Wiring, sounds like either you are getting water in the Air or Wires or grounding out.

skptkman

thanks cowboy for giving a girl a hand i will look at those

mtnrider1

did you install an aftermarket cam sensor i.e. napa or car quest etc.
if so thwe wipers when in delay interup the cam signal intermittently hope this helps you will meed to install a ford cam sensor newest pn

bogianor3200

hi check for a fuse that control the computer to send signal to gp relay good look.

skptkman

I checked the cam sensor, i would of never put the wipers and cam censor together, you know your stuff, i had a napa sensor in, replaced it with a ford cam sensor, problem solved. thank you so much for your help.

cableguyrobert

Have a 95 F350 crew cab. Vehicle sat for approx 3 yrs - needed transmission. Installed transmission, replaced fuel filter, crank sensor and 2 new batteries. Starts great but when you drive it & pedal is floored is doesn't seem like turbo is working right. Top speed of about 65 mph. Also water & fuel light goes on & off. Any ideas? Thanks!

bigbird6403

having stall problems started 2 months ago. truck dies after warmed up and wont restart untill it sits for about 30 minutes started out this happened once every couple weeks and now it stalls every time i start it after running for 15-20 minutes what could this be?????

cowboy9

Have you drain the Fuel bowl ? There is a little Yellow Tab on the front of it and I believe you it swings to the Left to let the Fuel drain out of it and you may have Water in the Tank in which you might have to completely drain all the Fuel out of the Tank and system. As far as the Turbo just have some give it Fuel while you check to see if the Butterfly Flap is opening, if its not opening it could just be stuck from sitting so long from the Oil not moving through it, the Vaccum lines have a crack in it, its someting that almost needs to be checked out by someone who knows how they truly work, now you can open it up by one of two ways, neither one of them is easy but it can be done. 1 is to pull the Outlet pipe off and get into the Turbo and take the out the Butterfly Flap and the other which is not easy but you can take a 1 1/2 X 1/2 X 3 or 4 inch peice of wood to lock it open. Its a pain in the you know what to get it in but it can be done as I did it, lol. Under the Turbo Butterfly Vavle there is a place in order to put the peice of wood in and swing it to the right, there is a blot sticking up once you have it open to put the piece of behind to keep it open, like I said its not easy but it can be done, lol.

kenbec56

i was wondering if you ever fixed the prroblem because im having the same problem[kenbec56]

cableguyrobert

had to replace turbo, truck runs great now.

ljolly

Our problem turned out to be an after market alarm system. When we by passed the system we didn't have any further starting problem

bigbird6403

yes mine turned out to be the IPR (injection pressure regulator) had a friend use a ford scanner to find the fault. i could actualy blow air on it to cool it off and make it start again. rather than just letting it sit untill it cooled on its own. you have to remove the fuel filter housing to get to it.

bigbird6403

mine started real hard when the inector o-rings got leaky if the 94 is the same as a 97 you could have ipr problem

bigbird6403

my 97 did the same thing but the 97 does not have a waste gate it has an exhaust back pressure valve that is supose to help the motor warm up
the problem doesnt happen as often when i put a cover over the grill. now it never happens because i just unpluged it.
i dont know what year they started putting an actual wast gate in which is ment to relieve exsesive pressure in the intake manifold

bigbird6403

my guess is your problem would be the fuel preheater is bad located in the fuel filter housing. beware the plastic tube that you have to remove to get the heater out probably has left hand threads. and that 2 dollar plastic part costs about 75 dollars at ford

amccormick

I have oil leak on my 2002 f350 7.3 ps. I have 106200 mi on it It appears to be leaking from rear main but was told it may be from top of engine. Question is how can leak on top of engine leak that far back of motor and how would i be able to tell with out replacing rear main first?

cowboy9

My first question is it a Stick ? If so then yes its more than likely the Rear Main Seal but yes it could also be coming from the top since the 7.3 is a High Pressure Oil System and it could also be a fuel leak and yes sometimes its a big pain to find where its leaking from. First you have to wash the top side really really good at the same time you wash under where the Oil pan is. If it doesnt leak the first day then they was right and the leak is coming from the top and good luck finding it.

bstuckey

I have a 2002 7.3 also with 178,00 on it and had the same problem your having and it was the orings on the high pressure lines,the oil would run down the back of valve cover and and make it way down threw bell housing,but like Cowboy9 said fuel could be the problem also look in the valley pan under the fuel filter see if fuel it collecting in it.

2byrdj2

I have a 03 utility van with 7.3 block heater doesnt seem to be working so getting started in cold has always been tough but would turn over. Had break in weather yesterday near 60 and was able to start after pouring diesel 911 and cranking for some time. Went out this morning and wouldnt fire granted it is cold 22 but does same thing just cranks not sure what it could be would filters have anything to do with starting and not while idling, doesnt make sense any clues on what I can do thanks.

sjoralmon

check your glow plug relay, you can jump across it to start try this in your search bar How to Diagnose the Ford Glow Plug

cowboy9

If it runs okay once the you get it running then yes the Fuel Filter is probably okay. Now I haven't ever change out the actually Heater but I have replaced many Cords that run to it, it doesnt matter if its 20 below for me my truck starts right up, actually when I first put the key in the Water temp moves up and should in yours too, there should heat coming out of your Vents before you start your truck, if that is not happening I would check the cord first. The other is to check if the Glow Plugs are working and getting power. When standing in front of the truck to the left of the Fuel bowl you will find to Relays, the second one with a Brown Wire going to it from the left should read about 12 Volts, after you turn the key there should be about 12 Volts in the Yellow Wire and you should hear a Clicking sound. You might need someone to turn it on while you check to see the Voltage and to hear that clicking sound. The other 2 small wires are only going to have about 6 Volts, they only pull the Contactor down to complete the circit. Once its completely done working are before you turn the Key on you should only be reading the 12 Volts from the Big Brown going to it. If that is working then you need to Ohm out the Glow Plugs. The Connector going into the Valve Cover is where you do that, pull the Plug to check them. If you dont know how to Ohm them out you Ground your Black Lead to the motor and check with your Red Lead, you will need a Volt Meter that does Ohm though. Still facing the motor on the left side there should be to 2 brown wires at each end of it and the right side on the motor there should be 2 yellow wires at each end of it, ( Guess I should have said to just check the 2 Ports at each end of the connector that actually goes in to the Valve Cover but if the Glow Plugs Ohm out good you will need to make sure they are getting there Voltage. ) Those are the Glow Plugs. They should Ohm out at 2 Ohms to 0.6 Ohms, if they are all close to the 0.6 or lower in Ohms they are pretty much shot. Start there and let us know what happens. Hopefully I didnt Confuse you and you understand how to check it out, if not let me know and you can call me, lol

bstuckey

the truck died like u truned off key at 70 mph,i replaced the cam sensor still nothing,
any ideas?

mustangman65

I had a similiar problem with my 1997 7.3. After about $600.00 and lots of testing, including building my own high pressure oil pump test set, I found it was the ECU. I made a deal with the local Ford Dealer to verify that it was and sure enough I was right.

So you don't have to go though what I did, you might do the following order of testing.

a. Pick up a High Pressure Regulator connector from your local Ford dealer. You may have to go to the parts department the mechanics use. That's where I got mine. The parts guy in the front parts counter told me it was unavailable, but in fact it is. The connector comes with a short pigtail; you'll need to add enough wire to each to reach one of your batteries. There are two wires on the connector. One will connect to the positive terminal and the other to ground. Disconnect the HPR connector currently connected and connect the new one in place. Run the two wires to the battery and ground. Start the engine. If the engine starts, the odds are it's your ECU. If not it could be your HPR or the High Pressure Oil Pump.

b. Make sure your injectors are not leaking and you have at least 500 psi coming out of your high pressure pump.

Good luck.

gerlad1

At the risk of sounding like a dumbass----what is a ECU and what is a HPR? I can guess but would like to know for sure. Thought I was familiar with most diesel acryonyms,, but not with HPR and ECU.
Thanks,
Gerald

aussamdad

R U sure its motor oil? The drain on the fuel filter housing becomes drippy and the fuel will puddle in the valley then run down the back of the motor. Use a extendable mirror and look for a drip from the drain lever assembly. Easy repair. New drain from Ford and about 30 minutes or so.

shittyf350

ok i thought it was the neutral safety switch on the trans but its not my tuck wont start with the key but i can start it if i jump the cylanoid i just put a new ignition switch in today and same thing sometimes it wont start and u can hear the relays making noise and the gauges inside the cab start going nuts anyone know what the hell is wrong with this thing

autismpower

Just a wild humch, , the wire in the steering columb that goes into the tow haul switch, right at the location where it enters the lever ,under the shrouding in front of the dash, I had a bare wire there on mine shorting out , I found it by sometimes it would stall or not start but if I fiddled with the automatic trans gear selector the problem would disappear.

b132

I was driving down the road and it was like someone turned the key switch off. I used starting fluid, it fired but will not stay running. I checked the fuel filter at the top of the motor and it has fuel. What could be the problem?

rodesigner

I have a 2000 7.3 F250. This subject has been discussed a lot lately. The 3 things that was done to my truck to fix the problem are:
1. the cam position indicator sensor that was a recall item.
2. then the computer that was involved with the injectors.
3. the final thing that ultimately fixed the problem was cleaning and reseating the plugs that are located under the valve cover.

Once #3 was accomplished I haven't had anymore issues of it dying on the freeway and having no power stearing or brakes. Those were tense moments.

cowboy9

I understand everything but the Plugs ? The only plugs are the Glow Plugs which have nothing to do with it running or keep running after it starts. His sounds like a Cam Sensor for sure but on yours did you actually Replace the Computer and Injectors ?

alexec

Hello all I need some advice please I have a 2003 F-250 Diesel and I got it in Tijuana Mexico, I filled it up in TJ and drove back to San Diego, then in the morning it will start and black smoke will come out and then die. Any thoughts on what the problem would be. Thank you in advance for your help.

Alexec

ricker1

check the egr valve and check the pcm senser

michael169

The part you need is a cam shaft position sensor and only cost $28.79 at advance auto

dbweaver

I have 1999 F250 SuperdutyPSD 4x4 and when you put on the high beams the lights go out. I have changed the headlights and the dimmer switch. I don't know what else to try. I can't afford the dealership. Does anyone have any ideas? Or has anyone else had a problem like this?
Thanks in advance.
David

daveh13

I had the same problem with my 03 7.3. I live in what is known as the rust belt. On this truck, there is a small plastic junction block on the top of the driver's side inner fender. It is the main power feed to the cab. In this block is juction from battery cable sized wiring to smaller fusible links. The wiring is not the problem here but the steel stud in the block corrodes and creates an open which can be affected by door slams and bumps. It can also affect idle and throttle response. Quick, temporary fix... bypass the block and stud with a bolt and nut and clean the wire ends first. (temporary). Good luck.

younceb5

Bought '97 Ford F-350 7.3 L Powerstroke diesel in September. Bought from original owner - with all his paperwork and all repair bills. Thought I was getting a good truck. Had to replace the transmission not long after ($2800.00); since then nothing but a nightmare. Truck was cutting out on me while driving all the time and leaving me stranded. Have replaced the camshaft position sensor at least five times. Latest mechanic thought it might be the wiring harness, which Ford doesn't make anymore for this age vehicle, but then said no, it was the reluctor wheel which reads the camshaft sensor. Replaced that. After a month in the shop and lots of money, I had my truck back for one day and it would not start. Batteries were only pulling 8 1/2 volts. So, bought two new batteries for $250.00. Hooked them up and truck started right up - idled great for about five minutes, then cut out. Started right back up, ran for less than two minutes. By this time, the glow plug relay was so hot I couldn't touch it. Ran to the auto parts store and got a new one of those and installed it. Truck will start but not continue to run for more than a few seconds, but glow plug relay no longer gets hot. Now it's throwing several codes - camshaft position sensor (AGAIN), injection control module, and others, but mechanic can't tell me everything because the truck won't idle long enough for the diagnostic test to finish. I am about to lose it. Does anyone, anywhere, have any idea as to what could be the problem? My dad has a truck identical to mine and that's why I bought it - he has had no problems since the recall on the CPS and his was replaced. Mine is a piece of junk. Is there something else that could be throwing all these codes? Electrical?? SOMEONE PLEASE HELP! Thanks.

rodesigner

You still have a good truck. Had the same problem. Check/clean the electrical connectors under the valve covers and if that doesn't fix it check the computer module that controls the injectors.

bigbird6403

i had problem with my 97 truck shuting off and it turned out to be the ipr.it would start back up after it cooled for a bit.you can check the pressure by putting a gage in one of the ports in the head under the valve cover.you will also loose pressure if you have any bad o rings on your injectors.

daveh13

I have worked on many of these with similar problems.
1 Injector Driver Module (IDM) located on LF inner fender behind wheel between firewall and inner fender. Very dumb place.
2 Poor fuel and/or contaminated fuel tanks. This will cause pre-mature failure of the filter.
3 Loose electrical connections under the vale cover. The Valve cover gasket actually has a connections mlded into it. I have discovered these to be loose causing a miss.
4 Make sure you use a Ford or IH cam sensor. Delay wipers can give false signals to the"Parts Store" sensors.
5 Rodents can nest and clog the air intake before the filter. I have seen this on trucks that "sit" a lot.
6 Make sure the oil is fresh. Use a 15W-40 and a new filter. These motors use a high pressure oil pump to open the injectors. They need clean oil.
7 Make sure the ignition switch has not corroded. It is located on the steering column inside.

Good Luck. You still do have a good truck.

younceb5

Thanks all for your help. It was towed back to the mechanic on Monday and I have advised him of your suggestions for him to check. Thanks again.

oilmess

I have a 2005 F350 powerstroke, I have got a massive amount of oil in water system. The motor runs perfect,but now is starting to get hot because oil has cloged uo radiator,It is a very thick cream like . It had fresh oil and filter done about 500 miles ago.Please does anybody know where this oil is comming from?

evilcharger

I bought my 2003 Ford with the 7.3 in it about 2 months ago i didn;t have any problems untill i hooked my 33 foot bumper pull to my truck and went onn vacation everything was fine untill i got home and the next day it would not start to go to work.. later i finally drained the fuel res and removed the fuel filter to see if i had a blockage didn't find anything so i re installed the fuel filter and let the pump run long enought to fill the res back up and it started just fine. the next day it did it again so i went and bought a fram gas filter and put in it did the same thing 2 spins later fired right up. still doing it on first start all i have to do is pop the hood drain the fuel res. and pull the filter then clean it out with carb cleaner wipe it downn put it back to gether and let the pump fill it up and im good to go.... what is going on i do not get any codes or anything everything checks out fine......

new findings today turned pump on about 5 times then started without haveing to take fuel filter out??

calibergirl1

As I was at a stop light today, my F350 leaped forward on its own, wow what a scare. I saw the check engine light come on, so I took it directly to a parts store to hook up to the code read out machine, it read code 2285 fuel injector sensor problem. Before I take it to the expensive shop tomorrow. what might I expect .? This truck has been in the shop about 40 times since I have purchased it....I don't think there is a part on this animal that has not been replaced ..90,000 on this King Ranch

shelbel

Hubby is having issues with truck esepecially after rainstorms like Thursday and Friday. The truck will not turn off. He said he turned the key to the off position on the ignition switch and the truck stayed running. He had to turn the key to the accessory position and the engine turned off. When this happens the a/c and other things are still pulling power instead of shutting off therefore running down the battery. Ignition switch has been changed and a ground wire to fuse box has also been looked at. Any ideas?

bubby50

1997 f350 7.3 5spd man has 159 k miles. 4dr 4x4... bought it a few weeks ago and now its giving me problems... i dont know much about dsl engines, a few days ago i was going down the road and it just died...tried starting it , finally got it started... drove it a few more miles no prob....the next couple days it would just die going down the road....i replaced the camshaft senor still does it... so i checked out the (ICP) had oil in the plug... got a replacemnt (directly from ford) now it seems to run but is smoking alot more(white smoke) and the has lost power dramatically. also misses pretty bad between 2,000 and 2,500 rpm... i tried a memo scanner wont pull any codes like everything is ok ????? if i let it idle it sounds good cept ery now n then it will act like it wants to shut of but wont. anybody got any ideas ?

rodesigner

been there done that. Check electrical connectors under valve cover(s). Clean and reconnect. That was the final solution after cam position sensor and computer replacement. Let us know how you fair.

bigbird6403

my 97 was dying and restarting after it cooled off and it ended up being the ipr and some bad o rings on the injectors it requires a minimum of 300 pounds of oil pressure to make the injectors work properly if you are losing pressure due to bad o rings or if the ipr is failing it will shut down and when the oil thickens back up it will run again. mine started failing once a month and then it got more frequent check your fuel filter and see if it looks extra black in color from leaking oil into your fuel