Diesels and cold weather

mbutts wrote:
I was glad to find out that all the Ford diesels have block heaters, but you may have to buy the cord (I got mine on eBay for $25). Even below zero it will start easily and only needs 2-3 minutes warm up to get going.

Where is the block heater outlet located and where would the plug-in be at? I don't see it in my manual.

Quote: "I would be interested in how you did this install. I think that this is most likely my problem be cause it only acts up when the outside temps are 20 degrees and below. Thanks, John"

John, it's been a long time since I've done it, and I think I remember how it's done. But I may have forgotten something, so be aware of that. For what's it's worth:

I found the electrical connection for the EBPV at the base of the turbocharger. It was a plastic joint that could be disconnected. I disconnected this wire at the plastic joint and left it separated.
Now you have two wires that are separated: one goes into the engine's wiring harness some way, and I just taped off the end and abandoned it. The other, which runs to the EBPV, I took and joined to a new wire going into the cab and connected it to one pole of a new switch in the cab. To the other pole of the switch I connected a fused 12 volt wire running to a 12 volt source, such as the positive side of the battery.

With the EBPV wired in this manner, the EBPV is totally controlled by the driver. If he wants to use it to warm up faster, he'll throw the switch and will hear the engine struggling to exhale through a restricted exhaust. The engine's computer will have nothing to do with controlling it anymore, so cleaning the exhaust tube for the EBPV sensor noted in another post in this thread becomes unnecessary, in my experience.


I should note that if one wants to use this EBPV as an exhaust brake with an automatic transmission, he will have to wire another switch to control the torque converter. This is necessary because the transmission can overheat if an exhaust brake is activated and the torque converter is not locked and allowed to freewheel and churn the transmission fluid.

Seattle Lion - The block heater was an option (which I ordered) on my 2013 F350.

If installed, there will be a short 110 volt cord coiled up that you can see hanging down just to the left of the front license plate holder (standing in front of the truck). It is all black and has a black cover over the plug end so it is a little difficult to see.

But - It may be standard on trucks that are ordered from dealers in northern states. Best idea is to call your local dealer and ask. I would guess it would also be listed on the window sticker also.

Tim B.

Airstreamer67 wrote:
If your 2003 7.3 has an exhaust back pressure valve (EBPV) on it like my 1996 does, then that may be your problem.

The EBPV is designed to restrict the exhaust flow during very cold weather until the truck warms up while idling. Thus, it helps the truck warm up faster than otherwise.

The EBPV is designed to open up when the truck is warmed up and/or driven off. However, if the EBPV sticks in a closed position, which it is known to do in some cases, then you will have very restricted power and boost. Because this can happen, some owners disable the EBPV by separating the electric connection that activates it, or they mechanically tie the EBPV open, or they just remove it completely since they don't value the faster warm-up anyway.

In my case, I installed a switch on the electric connection and use the EBPV as an exhaust brake when towing in the mountains, which works very well. Ford should have done this at the factory, which would have made them an industry leader in providing exhaust brakes on pickup trucks back in the mid-90s.

You can definitely tell when the EBPV is closed by a change in the sound of the engine. It produces a "whooshing" sound under the hood at part throttle or when you're decelerating. I would never bypass or remove mine unless I moved to an area of the country that doesn't get below freezing. Check to make sure that your EBPV is not sticking and is properly lubricated. Also, there is a tube that runs to the sensor which activates the valve. It is known to become clogged with soot and require cleaning. If you Google it, you can find several YouTube videos showing how to check and clean this system.

Airstreamer67 wrote:
If your 2003 7.3 has an exhaust back pressure valve (EBPV) on it like my 1996 does, then that may be your problem.

The EBPV is designed to restrict the exhaust flow during very cold weather until the truck warms up while idling. Thus, it helps the truck warm up faster than otherwise.

The EBPV is designed to open up when the truck is warmed up and/or driven off. However, if the EBPV sticks in a closed position, which it is known to do in some cases, then you will have very restricted power and boost. Because this can happen, some owners disable the EBPV by separating the electric connection that activates it, or they mechanically tie the EBPV open, or they just remove it completely since they don't value the faster warm-up anyway.

In my case, I installed a switch on the electric connection and use the EBPV as an exhaust brake when towing in the mountains, which works very well. Ford should have done this at the factory, which would have made them an industry leader in providing exhaust brakes on pickup trucks back in the mid-90s.

I would be interested in how you did this install. I think that this is most likely my problem be cause it only acts up when the outside temps are 20 degrees and below. Thanks, John

mbutts wrote:
I was glad to find out that all the Ford diesels have block heaters, but you may have to buy the cord (I got mine on eBay for $25). Even below zero it will start easily and only needs 2-3 minutes warm up to get going.

They all do???? I just got a 2014 F350 diesel. How can I tell if it really has a block heater?

If your 2003 7.3 has an exhaust back pressure valve (EBPV) on it like my 1996 does, then that may be your problem.

The EBPV is designed to restrict the exhaust flow during very cold weather until the truck warms up while idling. Thus, it helps the truck warm up faster than otherwise.

The EBPV is designed to open up when the truck is warmed up and/or driven off. However, if the EBPV sticks in a closed position, which it is known to do in some cases, then you will have very restricted power and boost. Because this can happen, some owners disable the EBPV by separating the electric connection that activates it, or they mechanically tie the EBPV open, or they just remove it completely since they don't value the faster warm-up anyway.

In my case, I installed a switch on the electric connection and use the EBPV as an exhaust brake when towing in the mountains, which works very well. Ford should have done this at the factory, which would have made them an industry leader in providing exhaust brakes on pickup trucks back in the mid-90s.

Do you have to have a cover? No, none of the trucks "have" to have a front cover. But in cold weather they help warm the engine and transmission a whole lot faster then without one. So it's your a call. Me as I'm getting older I hate the cold weather and enjoy a nice toasty warm truck. But that's just me.

Don

I live where it can get to -40, and regularly is -20. I use a winter front (grill cover) and it stays closed all winter. There is enough of the rad and intercooler behind and blow the front bumper to allow plenty of air for cooling the water and intake air.

I have always installed the winter cover on my GM's when it is below 30f. It gets plugged in when below 0f. A good friend of mine bought 2 new 6.7 Fords this year and had the cold problem too. He was plugging in...but the trucks would still run cold for about 30min. He ended up getting a couple of winter covers and it solved the problem.

As far as making no boost. We have an 8l Cummins in a box truck that does that too until it reaches normal operating temp...180ish. I think it is part of the "engine protection" feature.