Ford Truck

[Gray_Fox]

My 05 Ford Diesel on cool morning now is hard starting. Sometime it will take two or three times cranking before it will start. After it has run then it's OK. Does any one know what the problem could be, before I take it to a ford dealer. The truck has about 146,000 mi.

[rhagfo]

romore wrote:
Are the glow plugs working?

Road Runners wrote:
I would suspect the glow plugs need replacing.

about X4

Glow plugs for cold starts, if your wait to start is staying longer then during warm weather could be a strong possibility.

45Ricochet wrote:
Might also check your batteries. Having low voltage will kill your FICM which is about $1k . 6.0 PSD are known to eat ( rather be harsher :B ) on batteries.
As others have stated, glow plugs could also be the problem.
I'd load test the batteries 1st as the glow plugs are further down the expensive list.
Good Luck

You can get a better than Ford rebuilt FICM for around $500 if needed.
Had a friend with weak batteries, and had a crank no start issue. Replaced the batteries, and alternator now starts fine.

[Hank85713]

if ya dont have a scan gauge get one. they can be programed to check and monitor all the parameters you need to monitor except egt and maybe fuel pressure. I just used mine to check a couple of diesel class B+s. Both checked fine but one ran much better than the other. You can go to FTE and give your numbers and they will be able to tell ya if they are OK. Consensus on my truck everything was fine but it appeared the alternator was low on output, so I ordered a 160amp alternator for it.

The scan gauge can be had from Camp World for about $150 or autozone for about the same or less. You might be able to score on amazon or someplace like that also.

[Gray_Fox]

Yes I did have new batteries put in Jan 2010 at 81,249mi.

[45Ricochet]

Gray Fox wrote:
I had to make an appointment with the ford dealer because we are leaving on a trip to KS in 10 days. It was 60 this morning and it started right up, even though it was not plugged in. I know the Glo-plugs have not been changed but just about everything else has been. Mileage on the truck is 145,500.

1. New Cam Sensor
2. 8 Injectors
3. E G R Valve
4. Fuel Injector Control Module
5. Turbocharged Cleaning
6. Fuel Level sending Unit

All of this has cost tons of cash, and I have all the slips to prove it. The only thing I did not have to pay for was the turbo cleaning because that happened at 98,000 mi.

Have you looked at the new ones while you were at the dealer? Maybe time.
Back to my orginal post, how old are your batteries? Didn't see em on your list. I know several folks who have replaced batteries two times in a 2005 PSD. They eat batteries and when they go so does the FICM which you've already had to replace :H
Maintenance is very important to these engines and they need to be pampered to keep em running. Of course it's still a 6.0 :W

[whsk]

RUN FAST is my first impression as the "MONEY PIT" is growing fast!-whsk

[nremtp143]

If it is diagnosed as the FICM(fuel injection control module) get one, or have yours refurbed at FICM Repair We used them on our ambulances and many of our guys that own 6.0s have had theirs upgraded. Really work well. Best of all, you can do it yourself in minutes.

[Gray_Fox]

I had to make an appointment with the ford dealer because we are leaving on a trip to KS in 10 days. It was 60 this morning and it started right up, even though it was not plugged in. I know the Glo-plugs have not been changed but just about everything else has been. Mileage on the truck is 145,500.

1. New Cam Sensor
2. 8 Injectors
3. E G R Valve
4. Fuel Injector Control Module
5. Turbocharged Cleaning
6. Fuel Level sending Unit

All of this has cost tons of cash, and I have all the slips to prove it. The only thing I did not have to pay for was the turbo cleaning because that happened at 98,000 mi.

[Brantime]

We have an 05 F250 SD and went through the hard starting problem a couple of years ago. It went from being hard to start to not starting at all. Then the next day would crank fine.

Went to three diff shops and they all said no probs! On the way home, we got to Denver, and it would not start the next day so we had it towed to the Brighton Ford Dealership. They stayed on the phone with Ford for 3 hours and tracked it down to the EGR valve being bad. Repaced the EGR valve.

Never had a prob again starting (2 years) until they replaced the EGR valve last week...now it is hard starting. Had always started on the 2nd or 3rd crank prior to the repair, now it;s on the 5-6 or even 8-10 range.

Sigh...here we go again, lol!

[Dave_H_M]

Gooseneck wrote:
I have an '03 with a 7.3 and it was doing the same as yours. I replaced the glow plug relay (on top of engine on the 7.3) and solved the problem. Don't know if your '05 has one or not. Only cost twenty-some bucks, a lot cheaper than replacing glow plugs. Try searching on Ford Truck Enthusiests web site for your '05.

yep same here.

I do not know the 6.0 though. if they have a glow plug rely I am sure there is a Utube video on how to check it.

[Gooseneck]

I have an '03 with a 7.3 and it was doing the same as yours. I replaced the glow plug relay (on top of engine on the 7.3) and solved the problem. Don't know if your '05 has one or not. Only cost twenty-some bucks, a lot cheaper than replacing glow plugs. Try searching on Ford Truck Enthusiests web site for your '05.

[CORNFED__5-0_]

My 04 did the same thing. I replaced the cam position sensor and crank sensor. Issue gone and you do not need the dealer. Buy the parts and do it at home. They were a pain to get to but I did it. Both parts were about $100.00 ea

[2oldman]

Use your block heater. And if those are OEM batteries, replace them.

[45Ricochet]

Might also check your batteries. Having low voltage will kill your FICM which is about $1k . 6.0 PSD are known to eat ( rather be harsher :B ) on batteries.
As others have stated, glow plugs could also be the problem.
I'd load test the batteries 1st as the glow plugs are further down the expensive list.
Good Luck

[Road_Runners]

I would suspect the glow plugs need replacing.