[ReefBlue]

What else aside from glow plugs cause this crap? I'm going to ohm out the glow plugs even though half are a couple months old and I'll check the Stancor relay that is maybe 3 or 4 years old. Driver's side glow plugs are probably 4 years or more old--they don't go bad that quick, do they?

4 injectors less than a year old (1, 5, 7 and 8) .

I don't blow smoke under any condition except black while standing on it, or white at cold-ish startup.

No AE test throws any codes other than coast clutch solenoid and . . . wait for it . . . seat belt light is burned out.

I spent last year plugging my truck in every night on a timer or I wouldn't be able to start it at all once it got into the 40s unless I want to do a monthly starter and battery changeout. I don't want a repeat of this and only have a couple months to figure it all out. After all this work this summer (about 4k or more), I'd hate to still have the problem I had before doing any of it.

 

[ReefBlue]

Does low compression cause a slow crank? If it lacked compression, shouldn't it spin normally, just unevenly?

It is a bit slow to crank and it looks like the voltmeter drops pretty good.

Had 15 months of unemployment in a 24 month period, during that time, I had a bad battery, so I replaced it with what I could afford--a Pep Boys battery(750CA), other one is a Bosch (950CA).

That was two years ago. This coupled with a battery that is like 3+ years.

Did a load test on the batteries with the cheese grater tester, for 10 seconds as it says on it. They both tested good, but that is with a warm truck when I got home. Maybe they're just at end of life and colder air isn't helping.

Doesn't seem like these trucks are kind to their batteries and they just don't last too long. I seem to remember reading a lot of people replacing batteries at 3 years instead of 5 or more.

On another note--I replaced a napa starter that really spun that engine with a motorcraft that spins noticably slower. I'm hoping it is a combination of a slower starter with weak batteries. I'd hate to think it is a compression issue, which I think would manifest itself in other ways, though it could be possible.

 

[ReefBlue]

Slow cranking is a very real problem, and the likely culprit if you're not smoking. I never get more than three years without one of the batteries failing, and I always replace them as a set. You haven't listed year, model, mileage. I'm surprised that you have had to change the starter more than once.

It is a 99.5 250 with 368k on it.

Change the starter more than once? Read on . . .

Starting with original starter . . .

I had a no start condition and replaced the starter relay . . . that wasn't it, so I replaced the starter. That wasn't it, so I finally figured out it was the transmission range sensor.

Starter #1.

Had starter problems, truck started cranking seriously slow but the batteries were relatively new. Put in new starter and everything was fine, definitely the starter.

Starter #2.

Transmission gave it up with 304k on the clock, replaced transmission and flexplate--didn't know it was badly warped and that took the previous starter out. A month or two after putting in the new transmission, that starter must have been damaged enough to start having problems.

Bring on starter #3.

This one was a pep boys since money was non existant at the time. Truck started ok, but you could tell it wasn't going to be in it for the long haul.

This summer, between starting in the morning and the afternoon one day, it was a dramatically different start--way slower.

Oh, hai guise!! Starter #4.

And that is where we are at now.

I'm getting ready to figure out how to put an air starter off of a bus in this thing.

 

[ReefBlue]

Batteries=replaced. Put in two motorcraft MAX batteries (1090CA, 850CCA).

Started the truck this afternoon in the sun on a nice day and the needle dipped almost to the line above 8. That is certainly not good.

Even though it was warm out when I got the batteries home, so it isn't a good test for a hard start, it started quicker and the voltage needle stayed in the middle of the voltage gauge.

That should be it, tomorrow morning should show me for sure.

 

[ReefBlue]

Of course, warmer than it was yesterday morning, so it isn't a similar test.

I think the motorcraft starter just doesn't spin the engine that quick as the napa starters did.

I'll have to measure the current draw during startup after work this afternoon.

I hate the idea of it spinning slow when it is 50 degrees out. When it gets to 30 degrees, and that isn't as low as the temperature is going to get. All that means is another starter is going to have to go in it, something that spins hard and fast.

I refuse to put the block heater on every night this winter just to get going in the morning. I'll have to come up with something.

 

[ReefBlue]

That denso starter is like 400. Pricey, but if it is worth it... also have to price the gear reduction ones... all it takes is money.