my friend has a '96 f250 4x4 ps w/5spd manual trans. for about the last year or so he has to plug it in for at least 30 min to get her to start if the temp gets below 50deg. is there any way to check the glow plugs without pulling the valve covers? the wait to start light cycles like it is supposed to but i guess it could be a glow relay also. i know the 6.5 like the back of my greasy little hand but not too familiar with the ps. he'd love to get it fixed and i would love to be able to help him. thanks in advance.

I have had my glow plug realy go out a couple of times.....it looks like i big ford solenoid....I think it's by the P-side battery????http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley5.gif


How many mile are on the truck???


IF your buddy does have bad glow plugs they are pretty easy to change, and I have a set I can sell you if you guys themhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley1.gif...


Good luck, Have you gone to www.dieselstop.com (http://www.dieselstop.com)


It's PSD forum...


-Carl-

don't you have to go into the valve covers to get at the glow plugs?


he has 280k and never been into it deeper than the water pump.

Hmmm...


Yes you do have to take the valve covers off , but they really are not that hard to get off... The passenger side is the hardest one to get off b/c of the A/C evap cooler....but even then....it will take you about maybe an hour at the MOST to get both covers off.


Including taking the turbo intake piping, and the other bs lil things....http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley1.gif


-Carl-

can you test them without going that deep into it? maybe through the harness?

......Hmmm...I dont know if you could..????http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley5.gif


B/C the power for them is run into the valve cover gasket, but I think that they ground themselves though the head.....I think..???


I'm sure if you took it to the dealer they have a scanner that they can hook up to it and find out what's going on.....


.....

As far as I know you have to take the valve cover off to cheek the glowplugs on every psd I have ever looked at you have to take the velve cover off. It really sounds like the glowplugs.

You do not have to remove the valve covers to check the glow plugs. Use a digital multi meter and probe between ground and the outer two pins in each plug. (two plugs per valve cover, one pin for each glow plug) The resistance as measured at the v/c plug is between .9-1.2 ohms. It does sound like glow plugs to me also. If you get a bad reading it does not mean you have a guranteed bad plug, it could be the wire came unplugged or the wire got cut/burnt. But either way you will be taking the covers off for either of those problems. And if they all check good well then you saved yourself some time.Edited by: Ggg6

I have a 95 F250 7.3 PSD. Last winter I went through the glow plug and glow plug relay problem. So I thought it was that. It ended up being the engine oil was too thick. 15W40 for the summer and now I use 10W30 Duron (PetroCanada) for the winter. The relay for the glow plugs is on the passanger side, International sells this part cheaper than dealer. Glow plugs can be tested without removing valve cover.


Watch the Dash Voltmeter when you goto Glowplug warmup mode. IF the voltage drops your relay should be ok. After about 2 minutes the voltage should come back up.


Another option, If you wait for glowplug light to go out turn the key off and try warmup again to reset the glow plug timer, so you warm up for 4 minutes instead of 2. Sometimes that will help if glow plugs are not upto par.


With the 2005 GMC Duramax the glow plug indicator is only on for like 3 seconds and its ready to start. Haven't tried this one in the cold winter yet.Edited by: HayBay

I have a '96 F450 - it has been a hard starter in cold weather ever
since I bought it new, with 8 miles on it. The entire glow plug
cct has been replaced twice, and it still needs to plugged in for ½ an
hour before it will start. I also have a '02 F250, which has
never had any trouble starting, in temperatures down to 30º below..



I just bought an 05 Kodiak, I am looking forward to the rapid glow plug
feature.. I have looked for a glow plug indicator, but it happens
so fast this weather, that I can't find it..... Anyone know where
it is on a 2005 C4500?



Mylash

2005 K2500HD glow plug indicator is in the top left side of dash board. It only lights up for a few seconds you have to be quick to see it. It is an image of a coil (a wire that is curled around a few times). It may be the same place for your C4500.