Wait to start light and cranking

[John Sugrue]

I have a 97 F-350 with the powerstroke and in the now heat of summer the wait to start light is on maybe a second and when I crank the engine it fires within seconds as well.

My 01 Excursion PSD is different. The wait to start light stays on from 10 to 15 seconds and I have to crank the engine alot longer before it fires. Someone told me that's because the engine is new (1120 miles) but I don't remember having this with the truck when new.

I think it's a glow plug problem. Any thoughts or am I just paranoid? [img]images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]

[Worm]

This time of year the glow plugs shouldn't come on at all, I don't even look at the light since late spring. From what I understand the newer PSD is slower to start than those a few years ago. My E350 has a long crank time, even at running temperature. Not excessively long, about 2 full seconds maybe 3. My new X starts in about 1 second most of the time????? I know my wife doesn't look at the "wait to start light" she doesn't look at the dash. I'll have to explain to her come winter. Anyway, I started my van upa couple of times at 30 deg.forgetting to wait, it just smoked a little but other wise was fine. I'm long winded tonight(second long post).

[UTAH]

John - I don't use the Wait feature either in warm weather. The PSD should fire within a second or two of turning it over (mine does). [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[DRAY]

I bought my PSD Excursion in March, 2000, and I've never waited to start it in Houston. It starts quicker than my Suburban; day or night, summer or winter. I crossed the Red River last Thanksgiving and had to wait to start there.

[rvassar]

John,

I've noticed similar behavior on our '01. I've been thinking that the light is controlled strictly by the computer. It doesn't behave anything like the glow plug light in my dad's '86 6.9L. The glow plugs on it will cycle on and off for as much as a minute after it starts. I've never seen the "wait to start" light on our X come back on after it goes out.

Now that it's summer, I haven't been paying much attention to it. I turn the key, it starts. I'll admit I usually flip the ignition on before I reach for my seatbelt, and crank after I'm belted in. Habit...

Back in December, we made a trip to Tahoe, and left our X with the valet at our hotel. When we departed, it was about 10 deg./F outside. I could see the kid out in the lot trying to start the beast. He fiddled around for about 2 or 3 minutes before it fired up. I guess he kept turning the key off. I've been thinking about getting PSD badging ever since.

[H ED S]

John I have been driving a Ford diesel since 85 and During warm weather I never wait for the light to go out. Never had a problem other than the normal maintaince of the glow plug system. You know the relay and a few plugs from time to time. May have even increased their life.

I think the difference in start times is the PSD uses oil to fire the injectors and when it is cold it takes a couple of seconds for the high pressure oil pump to build the neccessary pressure. I noticed it more so on my early 99 than I do on my X It does take them longer than it did on my 85, 91, and 93.

Take care,