Replacing Glow Plugs

[Mellifluous]

Have any of you done it before? We have a 2001 F-250 and the glow plugs seem to be gone (takes forever to get it started on cold mornings, we plugged it in last night and it cranked like a dream this morning).

I am thinking about running out to the Ford place and picking up some new ones and having a DIY glow plug replacement party. I just don't want to pay a mechanic if it is something that is fairly easy. I get "pay" a bigger role with the truck upkeep now that I use it more than hubby.

I am about to start my research on how to so if any of you have some good instructions, they would be most welcome. I am assuming that there is one plug per cylinder?

[Terry Wallace]

Have you checked the glow plug RELAY? I'd sure check that before I replaced glow plugs. My F250 did the same thing... The glow plug relay was at fault. It is located in the middle of the engine in front of the air intake, behind the fuel filter, in front of the turbo...it looks like a starter relay. How many miles are on the truck?

[pasoglide]

I fixed the glow plug relay to a pushbutton switch inside the cab . This way I can make the switch stay on longer and warms the glow plugs up so it starts easier . I thought I had to replace the glow plugs until I did this .
If it doesn't start when you wait for the light to go off then jump the relay
with a screw driver or some thing and see if it starts that way . If it does than it is your relay.

[Mellifluous]

It has 130,000 miles on will check the relay.

[Terry Wallace]

To elaborate.... One side of the relay will have voltage all the time, one side will have voltage when the key is on, and it is in the heat cycle....(you know..when you are hearing the seven CHIMES before starting a Powerstoke)You want to jump across the two large terminals...key ON to check that relay. If you just hear a click, and jump across without the key on... it doesn't mean it is bad...be sure to jump the large terminals...KEY ON.
If it starts...you need a new relay....

[Terry Wallace]

130,000 miles...could be either...may be relay...may need glow plugs...easiest to check relay first. The glow plugs are under the valve covers....you must take the valve covers off to replace the glow plugs....
BE ADVISED...to be very careful when removing the valve covers, as the wiring for the injectors and the glow plugs are under there. be very careful not to damage the gasket while removing the valve covers, as that gasket is like $200...yep...$200 dollars!

Disconnect the outside wiring harness before removing valve covers...then disconnect it at the plug on the INSIDE, so the cover will come off without pulling the wiring harness.... The wiring harness plugs are "one way"...you really cannot re-connect it "wrong".

[Terry Wallace]

Just thinking about one more thing.... Is your "check engine light" on? If so...it is a control issue. If not, then it is either the relay or the glow plugs.
My advise....do NOT bypass the computer by adding a swith on the dash...or you WILL have "check engine light " on at all times after that. It is not a good idea to bypass the computer...

[JennLM]

OK I feel so truck challenged now.. we have a 2001 Ford 250 and I have no clue what Glow Plugs are...

[Terry Wallace]

Glow plugs take the place of spark plugs..... diesel engines do not use spark plugs ...they fire on "compression"...not spark.

[JennLM]

ohh *cries* no one had any diesels in Vegas or even close when we were looking and needed one so bad, a week after we bought the truck everyone had them. :evil: So it's ok I don't know. I was worried I was ruining our truck or something.

[Jane Hurl]

Jenn ... if you haven't already, please tell us about the horse in your avatar. And if you HAVE already, please point me at the thread.

[pasoglide]

Terry I have a 1997 f350 diesel and I haven't had a problem with my check engine light coming on .

[Mellifluous]

No check engine light, just sluggish to start in cold weather (for us anyway). Need to get it running smoothly before next weekend, right Ed?

[JennLM]

Jane (quick hijack- This is Rocket, my 1 1/2 yr old Perlino Paso Fino/Peruvian Paso who has now been gelded.)

http://americanpasofinos.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6745&highlight=rocket and Pics (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v92/JennLM/RocketMan/)

[Fino1]

No check engine light, just sluggish to start in cold weather (for us anyway).

Not sure what temps you are dealing with, where you are etc., but we kept our f350 and Ram350 duellies, plugged into timers during ALL cold winter weather. That way the engine(s) were ready to go in the morning. Three to four hours on the timer was all we ever used, except when the weather got REALLY cold and by that, I mean below freezing and then it was plugged in all night. It's so much healthier for the engine all the way around.

But by all mean do checkout what Terry has suggested. She sounds like she knows her diesel stuff too.

130,000 miles......just getting "broke in" as Bill used to say.

Bill had been a trucker for over 40 years and knew his trucks.......

Good luck....I sure DO miss my duelly...ALOT

Judy and Chloe the Bengal who by gosh, streaked out the open door this evening......BUT....her long tail served as a "catchall" and she was back in the house before she knew what had her by the tail....snicker.....
She is such a devil cat !!

[cowboy ed]

yeah, mel, you gotta be ready to go for next weekend! however, the temperature at ridecamp should be mild, highs in the low 80s for saturday!

until you can get it worked on, try this. the glow plugs only stay on for a short time, so turn on your ignition switch, wait until your "wait to start" light goes out, and try to start the truck. you should only crank for about 2-3 seconds max. if it doesnt start, then turn off the switch completely, and go through the above sequence again, then repeat if necessary. i bet it will work better for you.

[sherry k t]

we were our west camping two years ago and the truck wouldnt start, luckily we finally got it started got it back to camp where thankfully we had electric there as we were getting ready to go out to wildernss camping without electric. our truck would start as long as had been plugged in. we took it to the mechanic in town took him less than 30 min to change glow plugs and relays. we havent had another issue with it. quick and easy and a comfort to know when you turn the ignition the glow plugs are going to work. so didnt ruin our camping trip. cost us 100.00with labor but could have been much worse we were in the middle of tourist central and the few minutes we were there they turned several customers away they were so backed up. small town. thank goodness he squeezed us in.

[Terry Wallace]

Pasoglide...that is because of the year of the truck. Trucks get changes every single year, electronic controls and computers change every year, as MFG's try to meet an ever escalating emission control law(s).
What was law in 1997 is not the same as now, nor are the on-board computers.

The newer the vehicle, the less tampering allowed..the less you can re-route off the computer without possible damage to the truck.

MEL...BTW..I can get you a step-by-step instruction on glow-plug change-out off of my service website we use and have a yearly subscription to.

[pasoglide]

So I'm not hurting anything am I ? My next door neighbor works on diesel
trucks and he is the one that told me to do this.

[Terry Wallace]

Pasoglide...if it is working this long...you *probably* aren't hurting the truck... I'd probably opt for a proper fix though... I don't recall how stringent the 1997 "brainbox" is... From 2000 on----they get pretty complicated.