Hard start when cold

[SKing]

My 03 has a long crank when its cold over night. If I plug in the block heater I have no problems. When its warm outside I also have no problems. . I think that I have narrowed it down to the intake air heater or the fuel heater. There is no smoke when its starts. Will low battery have any effect on the heaters? What is the chime I here when I crank for a long time?

 

[SKing]

anybody out there. Hello.

 

[jjdiesel]

How cold is cold? It has to be pretty wicked out for it to threaten not to start, even unplugged. It could very well be that you have a bad battery or two. Have you tried to cycle the 'wait to start' light a couple of times before firing? If all is working right, that should get her to fire up even under extreme cold... . like teens below zero.

 

[SKing]

anything in the 30-40 range. I had my battery checked one at a time and they were moderate. When I crank there is no change in the crank speed, it just cranks and cranks then I get a chime in the dash then it starts a few seconds latter. If its left plugged in it starts right up. I have cycled the key two to three times with no change.

 

[mberry]

If I have to guess, I would say your batteries are a bit less than moderate at these temperatures.

 

[SKing]

Thats what I was thinking when they where checked. I guess true voltage can be checked before you start it. The reserve was about 230 below rating between the two batteries. This is why I wanted to see how much the voltage effects the heaters.

 

[jjdiesel]

30 to 40 degrees is nothing... . are you waiting for the 'wait to start' lamp to go out before you begin cranking? If it is cranking at the same rate throughout then it seems as though your batteries are fine. Perhaps a cam or crank sensor is going south. Another thing... once it starts, does the heater grid cycle like normal, does your voltage gauge move with the cycle?

 

[SKing]

Yes I wait for the start light to go out. I replaced the batteries tonight with some 875 cca/ 1000ca ones. If you are refereing to the clicking sound and the dimming and brightening back and forth when I first start the vehicle that happens till the voltage goes over 14. You might say the gauge moves a little back and forth till it holds over 14. Call me crazy but I swear the truck runs smoother now. The batteries were a little over 4 years old and the truck has 120,000 on it. Another thing I did was buy a new belt also. When I went to put it on I found a crack in the generator bracket. Now I have something else to fix. Im going to leave it unplugged tonight and see how it starts in the morning. Its 36 now so If its going to act up I will find out.

 

[Bill Stockard]

... When I went to put it on I found a crack in the generator bracket. Now I have something else to fix.

There is a TSB for repairing a cracked alternator bracket if your bracket is the stamped steel type.



TSB 08-007-03:

Alternator mounting bracket cracked.

This bulletin applies to vehicles equipped with a 5. 9L 24-valve diesel engine (sales codes ETC, or ETH) and built on or before February 13, 2003, with engine serial numbers prior to 57013271. The problem is that the vehicle operator may experience an accessory drive belt squeal during normal driving conditions. This bulletin describes how to replace the alternator support bracket with a revised bracket.



Bill

 

[jjdiesel]

If there is not enough tension on the belt, perhaps the alternater is not working efficiently to charge the batteries