My truck was stuck at the beach & I can't get it started.

[the spotted zebra]

Help,


I can't get one of my 1008's started. I took it down to our beach house & left it there over the summer, for us to use when we needed a truck down there. We haven't used it in 6 or 7 weeks. I went down before Sandy hit & tried to bring it back then. It cranked fine, but wouldn't fire up. Everything seemed to be working, it just wouldn't start. So we left it there & went back down this weekend to get her & I'm still here.

It still won't start. I have installed fresh batteries, new glow plugs & I have fuel at the filter vent. I have power at the fuel shut off solenoid & It seems to be working. I cracked the lines loose at the injectors & it seemed like there was air in the lines, but I have fuel now & it still does nothing. I pulled the glow plug card & grounded the relay to run the glow plugs steady & a little longer, still nothing. In desperation, I sprayed some starting fluid in it (glow plug card still out). Not even a peep.

I need some advice here. This is my most reliable truck. I have never had a problem with it. It started & ran fine, last time I used it. Now it's 240 miles from home & I'm dead in the water. I have tried everything I can think of. I can't get it to do anything, but crank. It sounds normal cranking, but it won't even try to start. No spits or sputters, nothing.

I have very slow internet here, think 5-10 minutes to load a single page. I can't browse the forums. I feel lucky that I was able to get here & post this (took over an hour). I may drive into town later & see if I can find some free wifi somewhere. Meanwhile, if anyone has any ideas, please chime in here. I'm out of ideas. Going to let my jumper cables cool off & my batteries charge.

Just to clarify, it's a stock 1986 -1008 with about 24K on the clock. Has always started & ran fine. This is a new problem that came on with no warning. I am currently rather unhappy with this specific truck. I think I"ll have a beer. Now... that's better.

Happy Veterans Day - A Day Late

Thanks in advance - Darren

 

[wallew]

a medium towbar would be helpful at this point to get it home and work it at your shop at home

You've covered all the bases. Perhaps a bit more ether? I know many here don't like using it but you HAVE done everything else.

GOOD LUCK

if I were closer I would volunteer, but Texas is a long way away

 

[wheelspinner]

a medium towbar would be helpful at this point to get it home and work it at your shop at home

You've covered all the bases. Perhaps a bit more ether? I know many here don't like using it but you HAVE done everything else.

GOOD LUCK

if I were closer I would volunteer, but Texas is a long way away

I would be very careful using ether on the 6.2 engine. Bad things can happen. There is even a warning label not to use it on the air cleaner...unless I am missing something.

I had a very similiar problem and my sons buddy showed me a trick. Take an air blow gun with a rag around it and add a little air pressure to the tank by holding the air gun and rag at the filler. The rag lets most of the air back out, but my 1009 started almost immediately after hours trying when I ran it out of fuel. He said it helps re-prime the system with a little "back push". I know it worked for me...

 

[Buz]

I would not use any more ether, that stuff is like a bomb. Try spinning it over while someone sprays some WD40 into the intake, that worked for me a couple weeks ago when I ran one out of fuel.

 

[Keith_J]

White smoke on cranking? If not, you have no fuel.

 

[epartsman]

When you say you have fuel at the injectors is it enough fuel? A trickle is not enough. Does the IP Solenoid Click? Check the wiring around the back of the engine and make sure it did not ground to a valve cover like mine did. You can pull the hose off of the filter going to the IP and make sure you are getting pressure from your lift pump. The GP solenoid should click on and cycle. When in doubt a tow may be the answer.

 

[the spotted zebra]

Tuesday morning was very cold & wet. I tried to start it again, with no joy. The gray dreary rainy day prompted me to head home, collect more information & head back down this or next weekend.

To address some of the questions, when I remove the vent cap from the fuel filter, I have fuel shooting up about 6". The fuel shut solenoid clicks every time I touch the wire to it, with the ignition on. I don't know if I have enough fuel at the injectors. It struck me as not very much. I plan to compare it to one of my other trucks this week. I have no smoke from the tail pipes when cranking. The glow plug system seems to work fine. The solenoid clicks after the key is on for 15-20 seconds. And I did pull the controller card & grounded the relay, just to make sure everything was working. I took the glow plugs out & dried them off, they were wet. Put them back in & still nothing. Cranked it over for 30 seconds, pulled several glow plugs & they were wet. So I am getting at least some fuel.

I know about the starting fluid. I didn't wan't to use it, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I have only seen one diesel that wouldn't at least try to start with the starting fluid. That was an old 7.3 with a big turbo on it that just didn't have enough compression to run any more. That became harder & harder to start every time you drove it. My current problem was a sudden failure. Something's broke, maybe it's me.

It is a long way home & I would rather not tow it if I don't have to. Even if I do get it home, it still doesn't run & I have to get it fixed. Now it is just making me feel stupid. Doh...

Thanks for the help, keep it coming. Darren

 

[epartsman]

Did you check to see if you are getting voltage at the glow plugs? If you are still running them with the original resistor then you may have had a cascade failure. If you have voltage a fresh set and the 12V conversion may be in order. If not follow the wiring as I had mine short out on a valve cover melting a hole in it. I suggest you rent a tow dolly if you have to, remove the rear drive shaft from the axle, tie it up securely, then tow her home.

 

[the spotted zebra]

The glow plugs are all working. I did the 12V conversion in all my trucks some time ago. I also put in all new glow plugs this last weekend. I own a tow truck, so towing it isn't a problem. It is just a long way off & there isn't any reason for it to be having this issue. Also, it's kind of heavy for a tow dolly. I really believe that it is a fuel issue, but why? I will compare cranking pressure at the injectors with one of my other trucks in the next few days. I don't believe that something just crapped out while the truck sat for a month and a half. This truck always starts & runs perfectly. That is why I take this one down to the beach the last 2 years. It is the most reliable one that I own, until now. Could it be flooded? Cylinders washed out & not able to seal enough to produce the compression needed to fire? I don't know. Either way, it has to be fixed. There is no reason that I can't fix it down there & drive back. If I can fix it here, I can fix it there. That is just me being stubborn, but hey... that's how it is.

 

[tgtaylor64]

What is the DC voltage going to the glow plugs on the bottom of the relay? I doubt you have any. Your glow plugs are not heating up; otherwise, it should fire up immediately.

 

[rickf]

If the glow plugs are wet then they are not heating up, even a little heat would dry them in a hurry. If they were heating up the ether would have gone Boom! The fact that it did not even burp on the ether makes me wonder, do you have any compression? Does the cranking sound normal? Have you had the air cleaner off to make sure the local rodents have not used the filter as nest material in the manifold?

 

[Warthog]

Or in the tail pipe?

 

[kenz5380]

Harbor freight has a cheap compression gauge that I used on one of my 1008s. I had a similar issue and it turned out my rings were shot. I only had about 100 psi across all the cylinders where you are supposed to have 400+psi. That issue was different as that engine was not running just a few days before; it was the first time I had tried to start a truck I had just gotten. It is possible that you had some kind of engine failure though that is killing your compression.

Hopefully it isn't that though. Reringing is a big job.

 

[CycleJay]

Hello Zebra,

Would gently tapping the starter with a hammer help?

Just my $0.02 cents...

 

[rickf]

Hello Zebra,

Would gently tapping the starter with a hammer help?

Just my $0.02 cents...

Why?? It is cranking fine.
That is also not a good habit to get into because ALL of the newer starters use rare earth magnets in the armature and they will shatter very easily even with a light tap of a hammer.

 

[greenmonster]

+1 on pressurizing tank even a small pin hole in the suction side of the pump can cause havoc. I am guessing you did not put half a can of ether in it. I am sure because it was your last resort you used a min amount that is probably why it did not start. Even with no glow plugs and poor compression they will fire on ether I have had many many 6.2's that were junk and were ether bound for the rest of there days but they smoke like heck and start only on the bottle. I have never had any luck with the wd-40 most is not flammable anymore so it is hit or miss on if it works. That is just my experience some may have had better results. Best bet is pressurize tank look for leaks. If no leaks found check at injector and make sure it has lots of fuel at injectors. My guess is you will find a leak in one of the lines prior to pump. I.E. suction side. These are normally the hardest to find and cause the most head aches...good luck

 

[CycleJay]

Hello Zebra,

It was just a thought. It has worked for me before... When I used tohave trouble with an old starter.
But now since I have a new starter, I do not have to do that anymore.

Was just trying to help.

Just my $0.02 cents...

 

[rickf]

People really need to read the thread from the beginning. He is getting plenty of fuel blowing out of the filter. You will NOT get a lot of fuel at the injector since there is not a lot injected at one shot. If the glow plugs are wet then he is getting fuel to the cylinders, or whatever is being pumped through the lines anyway. You need to verify with a meter or test light that you are in fact getting voltage to the plugs. A meter would be best because then you could ohm out the plugs and make sure they are good also. Take an injector line off of one injector and put a hose on it without bending it and put the other end of the hose in a small container, preferably clear. After cranking for a bit check to see what you have and verify it is in fact clean fuel. The more you verify ahead of time the better chance you have of finding the problem before burning up a starter and ruining the batteries.

Rick

 

[ford]

People really need to read the thread from the beginning.

Absolutely right. Lot of good info here. Just not correct for the symptoms. There was some mention of smoke out the tail pipes relating to fuel flow but if the plugs aren't heating, then we can't expect any combustion and no smoke from the tail pipes either. No smoke + wet plugs sounds like an issue with the plugs not heating up. The air temp around the glow plugs should be 1300-1600*F so there should not be any liquid that has not vaporized. Since the plugs are new, it has to be an electrical problem to the plugs or possibly a loss of compression.

 

[Goose2448]

I would check compression, but give it a shot with some brake cleaner. Have someone shoot some in the intake while cranking. This has worked a few times to get one of our 7.3s to stat. It turned out to be 2 injectors only half working. Once it got going, it would stay going. But you said there was no smoke, its either plugs are not working or a compression issue. That's about all I can offer without the truck infront of me.