03 Duramax Hard Starting - no CEL

[chewy]

New to this forum. I have an 03 duramax. Bought it new. I have 180K on it. It has been getting a little harder to start over the last year (cold weather only) Last monday it failed me miserably. Up at 3:00 AM to head to the airport, 15 degrees out, and this thing will not start. Turns over fine. Glow plug light turns on, waited till out and tried multiple times but it wouldn't even try. Returned home 6 days later, 22 degrees out and it starts fine. I haven't seen any CEL or any fault indicatiors. Fuel filter has less than 2000 miles and has been changed every (approx) 20K. Where should I look? Should I test the glow plugs? Seems that (based on posts here) I should get a Check Engine Light if a glow plug fails. Short of going to the dealer, what can I check?
Thanks
By the way, When the truck was new I had startd it w/o block heater at -17 degres. -32 needed the block heater. I was up in Canada. I have never had any problems getting this truch started till now. Injectors were replace at 70K.

 

[HoytBows]

Gel up? That suggestion might not make much sense considering it started at 22 a while later. My buddy has the same problem with his '03 and I actually started a post where guys suggested a bunch of things to check. I think its under "Hard Starts in Cold Weather" on the LB7 board. If its going to be 10 or under I plug mine in, at 217k its just doesnt like the cold that much, but still never fails to start. I know that doesnt help but.

 

[Pepperidge]

one thing I would've tried first even though I'm not in a cold weather area is make sure that the fuel primer is hard...crack the bleeder screw and pump a few times to maybe get rid of any air in the system(you'll also find out if fuel is flowin or is gelled) close it up and pump the primer until its good and firm...then see if it starts up...

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

Since you are in the north where salt is used on the roads, check the bus bars that tie the glow plugs together. If this is a federal emissions truck, it will only code if the relay goes bad and not if teh plugs are bad or not connected. Power goes from teh relay down to the #8 glow plug and a metal tie bar connects the 4 drivers side glow plugs together and at the #2 glowp lug there is another wire that transfers power over to t #1 glow plug where it connects the 4 passenger side glow plugs together. Up north where salting of teh roads is done it is fairly common for teh drivers side bus bar to rust or break through just in front of the #8 glow plug and leaving you with just 1 working glow plug. Since you say it started once it warmed up, I doubt it was fuel gelled or air in the lines.

 

[chewy]

Since you are in the north where salt is used on the roads, check the bus bars that tie the glow plugs together. If this is a federal emissions truck, it will only code if the relay goes bad and not if teh plugs are bad or not connected. Power goes from teh relay down to the #8 glow plug and a metal tie bar connects the 4 drivers side glow plugs together and at the #2 glowp lug there is another wire that transfers power over to t #1 glow plug where it connects the 4 passenger side glow plugs together. Up north where salting of teh roads is done it is fairly common for teh drivers side bus bar to rust or break through just in front of the #8 glow plug and leaving you with just 1 working glow plug. Since you say it started once it warmed up, I doubt it was fuel gelled or air in the lines.

Thanks, I'll check this out. Do I need to pull the inner fenders to see the bus bar? I assume this is a federal emmissions truck. It was purchased new right here in the Detroit area. Thanks again