Ford 6.0L Power Stroke Diesel :: 2003 F250 Not Starting - Starter Won't Engage

My 2003 Ford F250 superduty diesel wouldn't start. It was a cool morning and I suspected a problem with the glow plugs. I checked the GPCM ( new in the last year) and it was fine, than I tested both right and left harnesses...they showed two out of range. After further inspection I noticed both my buss bars were completely rotted off with the wire and top of the glow plugs exposed.

Since I cranked the truck over so much, I removed the ground terminals from the recently replaced batteries and put a charger on overnight, I also plugged in the block heater since the glow plug system is suspect. I went out the next morning, re attached the batteries, and turned the key. The fuel pump and injectors cycled as usual, than I turned the key to start....nothing....no click...no sound.

I disconnected the starter trigger wire and touched it to the positive post.... a few sparks but no click or engagement. I jumped the solenoid...again a few sparks...but no engagement. I removed the starter (less than a year old, and not a lot of use) and had it bench tested, it tested fine. I re installed the starter, and cleaned all the terminals and connectors through the the system, still nothing.

I checked the cable from the battery to the large terminal...12 volts, I had my wife try to start the truck and checked where the trigger disconnects on the fender and at the solenoid....12 volts when the key is turned to the start position. I used a jumper cable to run power from the battery to the solenoid...nothing, I ran the jumper cable from the ground terminal on the battery to the starter case...nothing. I checked all the fusible links and found a broken wire from chaffing, I repaired it ( but I think it was what was causing my battery light to come on for the last few months) even though the alternator, batteries and everything going else checked good.....nothing. I checked the starter relay...it checked out good, as well as the ignition fuse.

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Ford 6.7L Power Stroke Diesel :: When Engage Low Range In The Diesel / Transmission Starts In 2nd Gear

Well, last night I took my F-350 up a wheeling trail. I'd been up quite a few times in my old Rover, so I knew I could go a ways in without damage. Just uphill, muddy, and ruts / rock steps.

One thing I notice is that when you engage low range in the diesel, the transmission starts in 2nd gear. My previous gas Super Duties always started in 1st. I'm assuming this is to protect the transfer case from torque overload. Also, the throttle response seems to change when low is engaged (the pedal becomes less responsive, which is nice).

I've had the gas Super Duties off road before, and all of mine have had the locking rear diff. The diesel lugged along perfectly. My biggest fear was crunching the DPF / SCR / DOC canister on a rock step. In that respect, I'd rather wheel a gas. The manual shift function makes a lot of sense in low range - you can force a start in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. And prevent meaningless up / down shifts since the grade can change quickly.

These trucks' biggest hindrance is their size. However, if you have the trail room, they are actually excellent off road. Many people look at a Super Duty and see a vehicle good only for pulling or hauling. Not so, these trucks are as good as a Jeep off road, again with trail room being the only concern. The locking rear diff was never really needed, but I engaged and disengaged a few times to keep the mechanism free. I really love this feature.

One thing that happens frequently for me in north-east wheeling is water crossings. Could be a simple brook but mostly it is mud holes encountered on tight trails. In some cases these are only a foot or so deep; in other cases they are 4 feet deep. Ford states to "try" to keep the water below the level of the hubs, which amounts to about 15". Aside from possible front axle contamination, my biggest concern would be the electronics on the diesel which are mounted to the frame or floor pan (transmission module, NOx module, etc.) The gas Super Duties don't have these concerns. In the old days, as long as a diesel had air, the engine would run under water. This engine requires electronic control of many things, including the injectors...so it won't. There are also some axle / transmission breathers which run about floor pan high to be concerned about, but these can be easily extended.

Maybe it's due to the twisty frame which GM loves to insult Ford about, but these trucks have excellent wheel articulation. I'd be surprised if a coil sprung power wagon flexed more, at least in the rear. I'm impressed.

Finally, the traction control. I experimented a bit on a slippery rock step. This was the only step which required the rear locker - sort of. The front wheels climbed the step, but the back flexed to the point of one rear wheel basically almost off the ground and severely unloaded. With 4x4 Low engaged, and traction control "off" as much as Ford will allow, the truck could not pull itself up. Turning traction control on allowed the truck to very nearly pull itself up. A little more throttle / finesse probably would have gotten the truck over, but lots of ETC operation glazes the brakes and spews brake dust everywhere. Being able to start in a higher gear manually really adjusts the torque control. Locking the rear end and the loaded wheel bit right in and she went up and over.

When doing some off-road driving, the "off-road" screen for those of you with the LCD message center is kind of fun and informative to watch. It's nice to see how far your wheels are turned left or right when spinning in ruts or what crazy angle your truck is on. Howie Long could probably document the exact up / down / left / right slope angle a Super Duty needs to be on in order for the tailgate not to open. I never had an reason to open the tailgate while in these crazy angles, of course.

Overall, very impressed. It's not as good as my old Range Rover, but I would say more talented off road than ALL other Ford vehicles except the Raptor.

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Ford 6.0L Power Stroke Diesel :: Starter Will Not Engage And Its Cold Outside

I have a 2003 F350 6.0 liter crew cab. It's all stock minus the FICM and bullet proof I did a few years ago when I purchased the truck. truck runs amazing with 136K miles on her, but i rarely drive the truck and she's been sitting. SO, I went out to start her up because it's been in the low teens and I wanted to keep the battery up to par. When I had turned the ignition key on to start the truck (after I cycled the glow plugs), I could hear the starter spin but instead of turning the truck over, it made a grinding noise followed by a spin type sound which I assume is the drive gear of the starter not engaging. I can get her to start but it takes multiple attempts.

Once she's warmed up, it seems to stop grinding when i try and start it which makes me think it's more of a resistance issue, possibly a relay. BTW, where is the starter relay on our trucks? I am wondering if the cold has something to do with the proper power and amps to the starter via the relay causing the starter not getting enough power to the starter. Anyway, I'm hoping there is a way to diagnose this through my torque program by looking at amps but not sure which parameters to look at on torque android.....I'm hoping it's a relay problem instead of a starter problem. I really dont want to replace a starter with a bum shoulder.......in the cold to top it off

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Ford 6.7L Power Stroke Diesel :: Starter Turned Over But Did Not Engage

With -37C and -50C with windchill today, I tried starting my truck after being plugged in all night, and it was a no-go. Sounded like the starter turned over but didnt engage. On another note, what is with the glow plug light? mine lights up for a few seconds, maybe, then nothing. Today was the first time it ever stayed on for 5 seconds, and that was only after i tried cranking it over twice. First two times it didnt stay on.

I think my block is still maybe too cold,maybe dead batteries too, and yes the block heater had power made sure to check that, I notice my passenger side battery has some corrosion ontop (1000watt amp hooked into drivers side) so maybe I am needing better batteries.

Usually fires right up, haven't noticed a problem lately either starting. Gonna let it warm up some more, and I put a charger on the truck too, gonna go check the battery voltages and see what it says. This is the coldest yet I have tried to start the truck.

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Ford 6.7L Power Stroke Diesel :: Cruise Control Won't Engage?

I had a nice level straight stretch in front of me and engaged the cruise control. No go! I tried a few more times and it still did not engage, even with various button sequences. My thought was that this truck is a computer on wheels. So at the next opportunity I stopped and shutdown the engine, turned the ignition switch OFF and then restarted started the engine (and rebooted the computer). The cruise control works fine!

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Ford 6.7L Power Stroke Diesel :: Tow / Haul Mode Auto Engage?

Is there a way to auto engage the Tow/Haul mode when you plug in a trailer that requires brakes? Be nice since I sometimes forget to push the button after we stopped for lunch...

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Ford 6.0L Power Stroke Diesel :: Have To Rev To Engage Drive When Truck Is Warm

If the truck is cold when i put it in drive it engages fine. Drive to the store, start it up again after its warm, I then need to rev to 800 rpm to get it to engage. Once drive is engaged one time i can go from park to drive, rev to drive doesn't matter it works correct every time. Rebuilt the transmission with suncoast kit. New precision industries billet torque converter. New trans pump, new valve body, replaced all pistons and seal rings. Replaced all the solenoids except lo rev and overdrive. Will change those in the next couple days. Side note transmission had this exact issue before i rebuilt it. Exhaust back pressure reads 55 to 60 psi at idle. I replaced sensor, cleaned pipe, and checked the wires for cuts. Previous owner had a smoke switch wired up at some point but he removed it before i bought it. Truck is tuned by innovative, sxt livewire... does the same thing with stock tune.

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Ford 6.7L Power Stroke Diesel :: Slow To Engage Locking Diff Message

I don't think it's possible but is there any way to stop this message from popping up in the info centre Every Single Time I exceed 30kmh while the locking diff is engaged? It's winter here on the Canadian prairies and roads are generally snow and ice covered where at live. Makes driving in town really annoying. On My '11 SD I only had to clear it once per drive cycle.

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Ford 6.0L Power Stroke Diesel :: 2004 F350 - 4x4 Will Not Engage From Inside The Truck

I have a 2004 F350 with 6.0. My problem is the 4x4 will not engage from inside the truck. I have to get out and twist each hub to lock in the 4 wheel drive. If I rev the engine with high rpms the front will lock in with a big jerk. It use to lock in just by turning switch. What is the best way to fix it?

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Ford 6.7L Power Stroke Diesel :: Climate Control - A/C Compressor Will Not Engage And Allow For Cooling The Cab Of Truck

Here is the issue i am having. 2011 F-350 King ranch with all bells and whistles. In Arizona now we are in the season that the weather is cold in the AM and sometimes hot enough in the late afternoon to need the A/C in the truck. with the settings on Auto which i normally do, and the external temp reading in the 80s, and the internal thermostat set at 70 or lower, the A/C compressor will not engage and allow for cooling the cab of the truck. But sometimes it will work just fine. I am assuming there is a temp sensor for cabin temperature. Where that is located. or will i have to change out the entire Climate Control Module. I would take it in to have it checked out but it is an intermittent problem, and i cant not have my truck for a couple of days while they try and figure it out.

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Ford 6.0L Power Stroke Diesel :: ABS Will Engage When Apply The Brake Pedal On Sharp Turn

I have an ABS issue. Coming off the free way ramp my abs will engage when I apply the brake peddle. This only happens turning right. doing the same to the left seems to feel something but not as apparent as to the right. I have no ABS light on and no code.

Last year I replaced the left front wheel hub. but didn't have any issues until this. One more thing I was getting a feeling on my brake pedal last week as if my front rotors needed to be replaced. So I did. Rotors and pads. still feel the same. could my rear rotors need replacing as well?

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Ford 7.3L Power Stroke (1999-2003) :: Trans Will Engage When RPMs Get Over 2K

Have to get rpm's over 2k before trans will engage, then in between shifts I either have to let off throttle or let engine rev over 2k to get trans to shift...

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Ford 7.3L Power Stroke (1999-2003) :: 2002 - 4x4 Will Not Engage / Lights On Dash Don't Even Light Up

I have a 2002 7.3 4x4 truck. The 4x4 will not engage, the lights on the dash don't even light up. I took it to the ford dealer and they said the fuse box and gem module. (800.00 to fix). They said the windshield leaked and shorted then out, so I needed to be replaced? I have replaced the windshield and fixed the leak, my question is the fuse box and gem a plug and play and do different years work?

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Ford 7.3L Power Stroke (1999-2003) :: ESOF Won't Engage - How To Diagnose Vacuum Leak

How to diagnose a vacuum leak without a vacuum leak diagnostic tool.

My ESOF won't engage, AC/heat blowers default to defrost - classic symptoms. And while we can leave without AC/heat, we really need the ability to engage 4x4 low, especially as we get higher into the Andes and the roads become rough.

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Ford 7.3L Power Stroke (1999-2003) :: Engine Rebuilt / Now Trans Doesn't Engage

Paid a shop 9000 to rebuild engine. Went to pick it had a major oil leak from back of the motor. They pulled the Trans and resealed the back plate. I test drove the truck and had some boost leaks and the AC needed charged. They pulled the truck in this morning and fixed those items. Now the truck will not move in any gear.

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Ford 7.3L Power Stroke (1999-2003) :: Starter Won't Engage - Clicking In Fuse Panel?

Batteries charged, connection & cables checked. After turning ignition switch, gauges on dash jump around & starts clicking in fuse panel. Top left relay then clicking sound from beside steering column on right side next to trailer brake box. Been having electrical issues & something draining batteries...had absolutely no cold start this winter. No decent mechanics here other than to be ripped a new one @ local dealership.

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Ford 7.3L Power Stroke (1999-2003) :: 2002 - Transmission Work Slowly - Hesitates To Engage Drive After Reverse?

I have a 2002 7.3 e350 quigley 4x4 Sportsmobile with 312k miles. 2nd owner. Bought it with 295k miles 2 years ago. From what I gathered the tranny is original.

After reversing at a downhill angle, stopping, and shifting the lever to Drive, the tranny doesn't seem to put Drive in gear and depending on the angle of the slope, the van will roll back or barely creeps forward even with throttle. Put it in 1st gear, and the tranny engages that in gear and drives forward no issues, then I can shift to 2nd, then Drive and the tranny shifts fine after that.

No weird tranny noises or clunking. Noticed this issue about a month ago or about a couple thousand miles ago. Did tranny service (drain, filter, fill) at the ford dealership at 305k months ago.

I can only replicate this issue when Reversing on a down slope. On a flat surface van Reverses and engages Drive like normal.

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Ford 6.0L Power Stroke Diesel :: 2003 F350 - No Power On Cold Start

I recently bought an 03 F350. I've noticed on cold starts that it has no power. After about 5 minutes it runs very well. I have not noticed any misfires or smoke and there are no codes thrown. Based on what I have read here, I assumed it was a FICM issue. I just got done testing it and it was at a solid 48v with 1 dip to 46 on engine crank. I'm baffled at this point. The truck literally has no other issues except low power for the first 5 minutes.

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Ford 6.0L Power Stroke Diesel :: 2003 - Black Smoke - Lack Of Power

I have a 2003 with 150k miles. My 6.0 has black smoke and can barely crawl up a hill. Dealership is 30 days out for an appt. Air filter, oil change, alternator, and batteries are new. I removed the EGR valve and cleaned, but the valve seat is not perfect. I can see 20 to 30 mil gap around half of the seat. Is this ok or will that little gap cause this?

Hoses all look good. No alarm lights. I have no diagnostic tool but I can use a meter well. It did have an airbag light but I found the fuse missing and replaced it. The air filter alarm switch fell apart but I bypassed it till I get new part. No alarm lights now.

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