Early '03 F-350 6.0L Cold Hard/No-Start

mchan68 · December 9, 2010

Maybe one of you guys can help me out with this one. Vehicle is our Coffee truck. It's an early '03 6.0L (with the 90 degree offset injector clip) with almost 300,000 kms. (about 186,000 miles). The complaint is it begins to run rough when down to 1/4 tank of fuel. Also hard/no-start when first started up in the morning. I replaced a #8 injector (for a dead miss on #8 hole) and a new HFCM (due to noisy and erratic operation) last week. Yesterday morning, he came in on the hook unable to fire it up. When I attempted to start it in my bay, it sounded like a 6.0L that was about to hydrolock as I cranked it over. After two attempts, the vehicle fired right up. Here's the data when he rolled in, before I was able to start it:

-FICM_L 12.6 volts (down to 10.2 volts while cranking)

-FICM_M 48.5 volts (down to 48.0 volts while cranking)

-FICM_V 12.6 volts (down to 10.0 volts while cranking)

-FICM_SYNC (switches to YES almost instantly while cranking)

-SYNC (switches to YES almost instantly while cranking)

-ICP volts 0.23 volts (up to 1.15 volts while cranking)

-IPR duty cycle 14.84% (up to 55% while cranking)

-RPM (between 185 to 210 while cranking)

-Injector Buzz test passes with all eight injectors clicking nice and loud (also precycles loud during initial key-on)

-Fuel overflows instantly from secondary filter housing with cap removed as soon as you "blip" the starter

Once the vehicle is fired up, he drives all day without further issue. Only complaint is "it just doesn't have the power that it used to". Vehicle has had a fuel tank recondition (aft-axle tank) about 6 months ago. It gets plugged in EVERY night 365 days a year. Goes through approximately two or three tanks of fuel per week. Oil and filters are changed like clockwork. The only test that fails is the EGR valve is a little slow on the close command of the air management test, but that wouldn't cause a hard/no-start would it? I should point out that it does NOT misfire when he does manage to start it cold (which would rule out stiction). Relative compression shows green bars across the board with all eight at 0%. Power balance is nice and flat (after injector #8 replacement), even with FICM compensation disabled. The only codes retrieved in memory are a cylinder #4 and #5 contribution low and the usual P2614 an P2617 in memory. He says to get it to fire up in the morning he "pushes the gas pedal to the floor" to get it to stay running. If glow plugs (or its circuitry) were an issue, it would flag the P06** codes, would it not? I don't want to throw parts at this. Anybody have any ideas where else to go with this?

BrunoWilimek · December 10, 2010

For the rough running concern at 1/4 tank, have you inspected the pickup to see if the "umbrella" at the bottom is still there, especially since the tank was serviced recently? I see you mentioned it sounds like it is hydrolocked when started and owner says he holds accelerator to floor to get it to run smoothly. Sounds like a flooded engine to me. It might be a pain, but could you remove the glow plugs and crank it over when cold using the pigtail near the passenger side battery and watch for white fog or liquid fuel from a cylinder(s)?