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Old 10-19-2009, 10:27 AM   #1
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6.0 PSD won't start after long drives

I have a 2005 SMB with the 6.0 PSD. It has 35k miles, 95% highway miles. About a month ago, after driving up a 6,000 ft pass, I stopped for lunch. 20 minutes later, turned the key, and the engine cranked and cranked, but finally started. On the way home, I stopped at a rest stop on I-90 after driving about 250 miles, after 30 minutes at the rest stop, turned the key and The Van cranked but wouldn't start, tried again after a few minutes, same issue. Finally after about 45 minutes, it started. Last weekend, driving up a steep grade, I stopped to look at some wildlife. Tried to start The Van, it cranked and cranked, but wouldn't catch. This time it was 2 hours before it would start. I drove home, 341 miles, this time I didn't turn it off when I stopped for lunch. When I got home and safe in the driveway, I turned it off. It cranked, but wouldn't start for another 2 hours. The temp guage is midway between "H" and "C", all other functions seem normal, and it runs fine (when I can get it started)

Any thoughts?

Tom

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Old 10-19-2009, 10:55 AM   #2
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Re: 6.0 PSD won't start after long drives

Battery would be my first guess, but I don't know that much about Diesels. When I don't wait for the glow plug light mine are hard to start and a bad battery and/or continued cranking could exerbate that to the point of not starting.

My battery problems were also masked by the way the SurePower was wired... the starter batteries are joined with the house on "Start" but not on "Glow" so you could be getting the house battery kick for cranking it over, but getting nothing from the Starter batts to get the glow plugs going. (although a cold engine should be worse than a warm engine in that case, except I'm more apt to wait longer for the glow plugs when cold).

Good luck.
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Old 10-19-2009, 12:05 PM   #3
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Re: 6.0 PSD won't start after long drives

Since it cranks, it is probably not a battery issue. My first guess would be a leak in the high pressure oil system. The 6.0 has a normal oil pump, and a high pressure oil pump (~2000psi) to energize the injectors. 2005's had a fitting that could leak in the HP oil system. It can take a long time to fully pressurise the HP oil system at cranking speeds. When the engine is cold, the oil is thicker and it would reduce the leak and make for quicker starts.

The fitting that leaks also has a habit of breaking completely and stranding you. Take it in and get it fixed. There is an upgraded part to prevent recurrence.

Mike
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Old 10-19-2009, 03:00 PM   #4
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Re: 6.0 PSD won't start after long drives

X2! This symptom sounds like the fitting on the HPOP. Crappy design that they have changed.
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Old 10-19-2009, 03:10 PM   #5
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Re: 6.0 PSD won't start after long drives

Thanks you guys! I knew that when I took it to the dealer, they wouldn't be able to recreate the problem because it starts right away when it's cold. Now I can tell them what to look for.

Tom
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Old 10-19-2009, 09:18 PM   #6
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Re: 6.0 PSD won't start after long drives

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Originally Posted by Ford_6L_E350
Since it cranks, it is probably not a battery issue.

Mike
Not necessarily.

And not to to a hi-jack but I am going through this situation right now.

6.0 PSD
I shut if off this morning and all was well. Got in to start it up after work and... The starter cranked but made a very funny sounding noise, like there was no resistance. Engine would not start. There was enough current to turn the starter, just not enough to engage it. Called AAA, they were able to jump start it immediately. The tech checked the battery and alternator and believes they are operating okay. What caused the chassis battery to go down is the mystery. Nothing (lights, etc.) was left on. When it failed to start the voltmeter went from 12.4v down to 8.9v and stayed there. The AAA tech said dropping down that low is normal during the start process but it should immediately start coming back during the crank. After it started the engine service light came on and has stayed on after several restarts. I don't have a scanguage (yet) so it's off to the dealer tomorrow to check it out before (hopefully) heading up to the Sierra's on Thursday.

I'm also puzzled why the house battery didn't (seem to) assist during this episode. I thought the process of the house batteries assisting would be immediate, but does it take some time? Could that be the reason why there is a 2-hour delay in flyfishers restart time? (I'm thinking I better bring some jumper cables up the the Norcal meet.)

So my point to this hi-jack was to say, maybe you are being fooled into thinking that the starter is cranking when in fact it does not have enough battery power to engage.
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Old 10-19-2009, 09:46 PM   #7
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Re: 6.0 PSD won't start after long drives

Charlie, when I cranked the starter, it spun like it always does, fast and furious. But it was like the engine wasn't getting any fuel to light up. When the engine is cold, it's a quick spin and it catches right away. But after long drives, or long climbs, it would crank, but not catch, until it cooled down. Which seems counter intuitive for a diesel engine. One would think it the engine is hot, it would fire up with no problem?

Tom
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Old 10-20-2009, 05:59 AM   #8
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Re: 6.0 PSD won't start after long drives

Charlie, when my two starter batteries croaked in September, it took 30-60 seconds of after turning the key before the house battery fired up the diesel.
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Old 10-20-2009, 10:22 AM   #9
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Re: 6.0 PSD won't start after long drives

Quote:
Originally Posted by charlie56
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ford_6L_E350
Since it cranks, it is probably not a battery issue.

Mike
Not necessarily.

And not to to a hi-jack but I am going through this situation right now.

6.0 PSD
I shut if off this morning and all was well. Got in to start it up after work and... The starter cranked but made a very funny sounding noise, like there was no resistance. Engine would not start.
We have to define what 'cranks' means. To me, it has always meant the engine is turning over. What you describe, I would call 'starter spins, engine doesn't crank'. It comes from old cars where the engine was turned over with a crank. It might be more descriptive to say the engine turns over.

In any case, it would be rare for the engine to turn over normally and have a no start caused by a bad or low battery, since a battery issue prevents the engine from turning over normally.

It still sounds like the high pressure oil fitting.

Mike
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Old 10-20-2009, 10:32 AM   #10
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Re: 6.0 PSD won't start after long drives

I'm taking The Van in for service next week, and will report back. I'm hoping it's the high pressure oil fitting, that would be an easy solution. It's one thing to have a vehicle that isn't capable of getting beyond cell phone coverage and AAA, but the whole point of these wonderful rigs is to be able to do just that. When this happend last, I was 7 miles up the Rattlesnake grade in Southeastern Washington. The only phone was 7 miles back down the grade, and the nearest cell phone coverage was about 6 miles up the grade. So I was glad The Van finally started, after a couple anxious hours. I didn't turn it off for the next 341 miles, home safely in my driveway.

Tom
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