Ok here is the deal, this is my DD and I need to get this figured out. I have an 01 quadcad short box automatic. If i have the truck plugged in at night it will have no problem starting it fires right up. The wait to start light stays on maybe 5 seconds when i turn the key to run. If i let it sit for a few hours outside it will still start pretty easy, but when I let it sit outside all day at work (average temps in the low 30's) and go to start it when I leave 9 hrs later she will not start. The wait to start light will stay on for awhile then when it goes off I crank it and after a few revs it tries to fire and then it dies. I try this a few times and I finally get it going by feathering the throttle. It as puffing smoke everywhere. The truck has two optima red top batteries not sure how old since I just bought the truck, maybe two or three years. Also the truck only idles at about 675-700 on my tach. The truck does have a set of don m f1's, a fass and a 62/12 turbo on it. I am just trying to figure out why she won't start in the cold. My old 12 valver use to be fine in all kinds of weather.

I am pretty sure I am not losing prime since it starts right up when plugged in

Any help would be great. Not sure where to start, idle, batteries, grid heater not working???


Thanks,

Paul

 

check the relays on your grid heater to make sure its working. that would be my guess of it. i would say they are trying to cycle and either not turning on or your ecu is not working right. clean the terminals on the relays to the grid heater, try that and see if it works, then go from there.

 

Yeah, what he said! ^^^^^^^^ Can you hear the relay click off when the WTS light goes out?

 

No i can't hear the realy cycle. I read that they are located by the drivers side battery but I can not seem to find them. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Paul

 

Follow the big black wires that connect to the grid heaters. One will go to each relay.

 

On the inner fender, easier to start at the grid heater and follow the cables back to the relays.

Big cables carry juice from the batt to the large terminals then to the heater, other smaller leads provide 12V for the solenoid operate and the PCM pulls them to ground to operate. Check for 12V at the incoming large terminals and the feed small terminals. Believe black with Tan stripe is the 12V side of the engage. Black and Orange stripe and Black and Yellow stripe should be ground to PCM.

Test for operation by grounding the two and listening for the relay to click.

( Verify for voltages before grounding...... )

 

well i think i hear them clicking but i will check for voltage. The batteries read 12.5 driver and 12.3 pass. Could it have something to do with the low idle? So everyone thinks it is the grid heaters? It makes sense due to the truck starting great when it is warm, but I just want to make sure.

Thanks,

Paul

 

hi
yes turn up the idel a little also 800 -850 warm !

i uasualy touch my throttle a tad when i start cold for app 15 sec to idel at 1200 then shes fine for the rest of the day !

 

What is the best way to replace the solenoid if it has melted away?

 

Tx, when you say melted away, I assume you mean the plastic part of the body? I would be very cautious, because there has to be a dead short somewhere for it to pull that kind of current. Check the ohms from the post where the 12V is applied to the engine ground and if I remember ( somewhat ) correctly, I think mine was around 20 Ohmish.

The fusible links by the battery should have let loose before anything melted though......

 

Suggestion that was not mentioned.....have the batt's tested.....i have a dead "Yellow Top" in my 86 ford after one year.....this would cause issue, especially after your heaters cycled....

 

I believe it melted when I tried to DIY my remote starter. Needless the say it didnt work. Anyhow, the plastic body did melt and it is just sitting there. I will check the ohms to see what I come up with. Thanks for the info. NOT A HIJACK@!

 

dieselkid,
Try easy stuff first. When it is cold, and the WTS comes on the volt meter on the istrument panel will dip way down. It is the heaters sucking the juice out of the batteries.
If that is ok, then do a second cycle of the grid heaters. After the WTS light goes off the first time, turn the key off, then back on, when the WTS goes out try to start. Had to do this in near zero weather in Oregon, with no plug in. It worked.

 

What you describe is what my truck does when I ignore the Wait To Start in cold weather, engine cold and not plugged in. It starts, but produces white smoke and rough running for a minute or two. If I Wait to Start once or twice, it starts much nicer. So I guess your grid heaters are not working.

 

also some 5 w 40 rotella synthetic oil will help engine turn over much faster when you can not plug it in ! and use a fleetguard stratopore filter !