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New and need help with my 1999 7.3 as soon as possible

1

1999e350

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I'm new and hate to start out with a long post. I came out from work a couple of weeks ago and noticed a puddle of oil under my van, was pooring out of the oil filter. I removed it drained it put it back on and added oil and it seemed to work but still replaced with a new one. The next day coming home I noticed my battery was dying, replaced the battery but started doing the same thing so I removed the starter and alt. and had them tested, both were bad so I replaced them. I figured that sense cold weather was coming and I was replacing things that I would also replace the stater relay on the fender, glow plug relay and the relay next to that one along with the fuel filter and belt. Now comes the major problem I have to turn the key 4 to 5 times to get it to start and it will finally start but only run for about 30 seconds and then it cuts off and I have to repete the process and it dies again after about 30 seconds. I pulled the valve cover on the pasenger side because I noticed that this side was not getting warm after it ran for only 30 seconds, only the drivers side was getting warm, connection was ok. I'm thinking that I wired something wrong. PS: all fuses in the interior and exterior boxes are good. Please help, thanks
 
Not real clear on if you replaced the fuel filter or not. Yes? No?

Replacing a fuel filter would get air into the system. Need to find the air bleed valve if any- maybe on the filter?

As far as the cold side-warm side, maybe you have some glow plugs failing. This would also affect cold winter starts. It would also be good check your glow plug harness conductivity/power in the process. This combined with the air in the fuel system would make for the rough starts (only half of the engine getting fuel) you describe.
 
I still beleive it has to be something electrical. The truck starts fine when it is warm out and when I have it plugged in for about 15 minutes or so. With all the things I replaced I would think I screwd up the wiring on one. Glow plug relay, starter solinoid on the fender or the relay next to the glow plug relay. PS: I have changed the fuel filter before and did so this time. I have never had to replace the oil cooler O rings but did and do not know if that may have some effect on it. Thanks
 
You can use an ohm-meter to check glow plug resistance. I don't know this particular figure for the 7.3. Maybe somebody will chime in. I know for sure an open circuit is not good.

Cold starts are much easier with 8 good GP's...

Wouldn't hardly think an oil cooler o-ring would have anything to do with a cold start.

Relays should have a 'harness' plug that keeps wiring in order.

Each individual glow plug wire has no particular order, just as long as they supply proper currant to the GP's.
 
Make sure the glow plugs are working. Check the voltage on the controller an make sure it is putting 12 volts to the glow plugs. Also ... if you have an oil cooler leak ... fix it! The oil is draining out of the system an making it hard to start. The injectors rely on oil pressure to fire.
 
It just seems so strange along with is driving me grazy and keeping me form doing side work. Basically I noticed oil pooring out of my oil filter one day so I replaced it and changed the oil and it went away but a couple of days later I noticed it was de-charging and then died. I purchased new batteries had both the starter and alt. replaced because they tested them and they were bad. I just figured that sense I was replacing things and cold weather was coming that I would go ahead and replace the GPR, AIR and the fender mounted starter relay/silonoid, also checked the fuses inside the van and the ones in the engine compartment. I have to turn the key 5 or 6 times and even then I have to continue cranking before it will start and then within 30 seconds it just shuts off and I have to go through the same process to get it started again. One thing I did notice is while I'm trying to crank it it does not smoke until it starts and that goes away within seconds. I still think I wired something wrong and there would be a good chance of this because I had to wire it the next day because something came out right after I pulled all the wires. PS: this motor only has about 50,000 on it, had it replaced with a remanufactured engine by mid atlantic. Thanks
 
1999e350 said:
I still beleive it has to be something electrical. The truck starts fine when it is warm out and when I have it plugged in for about 15 minutes or so. With all the things I replaced I would think I screwd up the wiring on one. Glow plug relay, starter solinoid on the fender or the relay next to the glow plug relay. PS: I have changed the fuel filter before and did so this time. I have never had to replace the oil cooler O rings but did and do not know if that may have some effect on it. Thanks
Click to expand...


You just described a glow plug problem to a T with this. 7.3's are VERY dependant on the glow plug system for cold starting as the high pressure oil injection injectors do not deliver very much pressure during cranking and MUST have some sort of help when it's cold to ignite teh diesel that is injected. Also it is always a good idea to replace teh valve cover gaskets when you pull the covers off. I know they are expensive since the wiring harness feeds hrough them, but it is a common issue for that harness to fail at the connector that goes through the gasket. As for replacing the relays, sounds like you swapped out the glow plug and intake heater relays. Make sure you didn't cross the wires to these, and that they are working. I have seen bad relays right out of the box. Also you need to find your oil leak as it may be a high pressure crossover line that is leaking and causing the high pressure pump to lose all of it's oil and this would cause it to shut-off.
 
I got the oil leak issue fixed. One thing I forgot to mention is that I noticed that after it did run that only the drivers side valve cover and rail got warm the passenger side remained cold. For days I tried to find photos of all three relays GPR, AIR and the starter relay on the fender so I could make sure I wired them correct but had no luck. I still think this is the problem but if the starter relay was wired wrong it would not turn over and if the GPR was wired wrong it would never start and from what I have rread the AIR does not matter because most guys block them off. Note: The AIR relay had two big orange wires with black strips, one was hooked back up to the same side as the one on the GPR and the other is connected to the other side of the relay but not attached to anything. The other side has a nut on it and appears that is was not connected to anything because it was so rusted even the threads. If anybody could post some photos showing them installed I could check mine and delete this as a possible problem, thanks
 
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