7.3 F250 Problem.

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My 7.3PSd 2004 / 120,000 km's has just started acting up.

The Yellow service engine soon light is on, and it seems to run on only 4 cylinders - lots of white smoke - no power.

It was running fine and I shut her down - went to start her maybe 3 or 4 hours later and this - running like a chaff cutter.

Water Oil & Battery all fine.

Is this common?

Any idea's?

Could it be the CPS?

I have a spare available - I thought they just quit running altogether when it is CPS.

Manual says it is emissions control when the yellow engine light comes on.

Someone must have come across this before me - from running like a swiss watch to running like a dog with just one turn of the key.

Most unusual.

Anyone?

Cheers
 
It would not be the CPS if the engine run. Read the OBD code and see what it says. White smoke means there is water or coolant in your fuel.
 
Like before if it threw a code...get it read, however.....change the fuel filter first. Fill the new filter with PowerService fuel additive or pure ATF. Crank that engine until it starts and see if that solves the problem first. A fuel filter would be a cheap fix if that is it.
 
No code reader available due to remote location, no ford dealership within 1000 miles.Drained the fuel water filter no water found, restarted, yellow engine light still on, runs rough on a few cylinders, no power. No coolant leak. No water in oil. Oil full and clean. Air filter clean (new). Only symptom is yellow service engine soon light on dash. Manual mentions emissions control problem if not water in fuel. Water in Fuel light did not come on. Any other suggestions? besides swap CPS tomorrow?
 
White smoke in a diesel is unburned fuel.Can you tell if it is running on which 4 cyls. My wife has a powerstroke and I have done some work on it it is some what simple to repair but a code reader is needed and one that can do a buzz test " which fires the injectors with the engine not running is a needed tool. There are Ford powerstroke web sites that have lots of info. If you have the cps changit it takes a few minutes.
 
Originally Posted By: Flywest
Where abouts is the water/fuel separator located on the vehicle?
If it is like my wifes Powerstroke open the hood and there is a plastic thing that says Powerstroke on it. It is right on the top of the engine. 2 nuts hold the plastic cover on. there is a yellow lever on the back of the unit turn it "horizontal" to drain out the water .Turn on the key to fill the filter .and start it.
 
Originally Posted By: Flywest
My 7.3PSd 2004 / 120,000 km's has just started acting up.

The Yellow service engine soon light is on, and it seems to run on only 4 cylinders - lots of white smoke - no power.

It was running fine and I shut her down - went to start her maybe 3 or 4 hours later and this - running like a chaff cutter.

Water Oil & Battery all fine.

Is this common?

Any idea's?

Could it be the CPS?

I have a spare available - I thought they just quit running altogether when it is CPS.

Manual says it is emissions control when the yellow engine light comes on.

Someone must have come across this before me - from running like a swiss watch to running like a dog with just one turn of the key.

Most unusual.

Anyone?

Cheers


Hello FW, all good suggestions so far but likely to only get you started. As you say this is not usually symptomatic of the CPS in this engine.
To go from running good to not so quickly w/ white smoke could be one of several things. First would be to check water in fuel as suggested. The fuel drain lever is yellow on the back of the fuel filter bowl, lift up to drain and catch in a clear container to check for water in the fuel. The tube runs down the front of the engine on passenger side and is metal. Easiest to connect a pvc tube to it and run to a jar to catch, I think about a 3/8" ID .

Next would be to pull codes and see if/ which are set. They can point you to the direction you need to go. Could be a sensor gone out, the under-valve-cover wiring harness or connector has chafed and shorted, an IDM gone out or IPR relay, the EBPV stuck closed, fuel pump gone out, etc.
I think the most common ones are UVC wire harness problems or fuel pump.
Unfortunately a standard OBDII reader will not be able to pull all of the codes available. You will need one that can specifically pull Ford codes.
There are a few online forums that people have diagnosed problems like this quite a few times. Here are a couple.
http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/
http://powerstrokenation.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/index.php

Here is one I got on searching for "white smoke" in the forum:
http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/f24/early-99-running-like-[censored]-shaking-no-power-white-smoke-etc-186341/
 
Thanks heaps guys,
I have ordered online the auto ingenuity software and USB connector to read codes. Likely it will take a week or more to get here.
I will truck the vehicle to a Diesel Fitter, in nearbye town.
This is [censored] for an otherwise good vehicle...if a simple stuck exhaust back pressure sensor can disable the vehicle in remote locations to the point you have to truck the vehicle 1000's of miles JUST for diagnosis?...because there are no Ford dealerships?

No wonder Ford are going broke internationally even tho they build good big trucks.

Maybe the laptop & software should be standard equipment in a F truck?

Really dissapointed in this vehicle as far as reliability / repairability!

Tried to swap out the CPS but couldn't get a 10,mm socket or ring spanner on the bolt - RH drive versions have the steering box and steering arm, transmissions coolers pipes etc all in the way - my arms and hands are too fat to fit up into the available space - even my teenage sons arms hands wouldn't fit and he is as skinny / limber as Gumby, so the suggestions a CPS swap is a 10 minute job is fallacy for RH drive versions.

I think it will be necessary to drop the suspension components to get near the CPS.

Like I said 0 very dissapointed with this Ford, thinking of trading it for the new Landcruiser 200 model twin turbo diesel - at least there are dealer backup services.

Cheers
 
Quoted by Jmac: Could be a sensor gone out, the under-valve-cover wiring harness or connector has chafed and shorted. I think the most common ones are UVC wire harness problems or fuel pump.


Jamc is dead on, this happened to my 7.3 when I had it and a bunch of others I have seen. On mine, I pulled the plug that connects to the valve cover gasket and you could clearly see it was burnt, so I replaced both of them and it ran like normal. While your at it I would buy atleast two cps's to keep on hand, because you will eventually need them. They are the cheapest at a international dealer.
 
Originally Posted By: Flywest

Tried to swap out the CPS but couldn't get a 10,mm socket or ring spanner on the bolt - RH drive versions have the steering box and steering arm, transmissions coolers pipes etc all in the way - my arms and hands are too fat to fit up into the available space - even my teenage sons arms hands wouldn't fit and he is as skinny / limber as Gumby, so the suggestions a CPS swap is a 10 minute job is fallacy for RH drive versions.

I think it will be necessary to drop the suspension components to get near the CPS.


Probably the rh drive, I replaced more than a couple in my time, 10 minutes tops for a $90 part, that Ford will charge in upwards of $200 to replace.
 
I drained the fuel filter & no water. I even opened the drain, and cycled the key to pump some more fuel just to be sure, still no sign of water in fuel.

Yes RH Drive are a cow to get at the CPS....we were at it 4.5 hours before giving up..

The new LCruiser 200 twin turbo diesel has 600+Nm of torque from an engine 2 liters smaller than the F truck! Amazing and i could probably sell the 2004 F truck for close on $100K - buy a new Cruiser 200 twin turbo diesel and have change left over.

Just have to get the fault in Effie fixed first.

I couldn't find the plug that connects to the valve cover gasket - is it inside the valley or on the outside near the exhaust manifolds?

There are so many wires and pipes on top of that engine it looks like spaghetti when you open the hood.

Its annoying I have so much work to do tis week requiring the use of the F truck - that I can't afford to be without it.

I have a Ford 4 year premium extended warranty, that I purchased for $2800 when I bought the vehicle 16000kms ago. When I rang to ask if they would pay for the repairs - the company claimed they had no record of the warranty - and that the dealer never passed on the paperwork or $2800+, 14 months ago when I bought the warranty.

Now I am waiting on the Ford dealership to find their paperwork and send it to the Ford extended warranty company, so they can enter it on their computer system & give me the go ahead to truck the vehicle to a repairer of my choice.

Just another example of poor Ford dealership experience.

It is this type of failures by Ford that leaves people with a bad taste, and causes them to become loyal to Fords Japanese copmpetition at Toyota.

Sad but a large chunk of US manufacturing looks like it will die with Ford if they don't lift their game, IMHO as a user of their product.

See what the future brings, I doubt I will see any use out of this Ford for a month to 6 weeks maybe 2 months before this is all sorted out!.

I reckon i will end up substantially out of pocket as well into the bargain.

Cheers
 
Originally Posted By: Steve S
White smoke in a diesel is unburned fuel.Can you tell if it is running on which 4 cyls. My wife has a powerstroke and I have done some work on it it is some what simple to repair but a code reader is needed and one that can do a buzz test " which fires the injectors with the engine not running is a needed tool. There are Ford powerstroke web sites that have lots of info. If you have the cps changit it takes a few minutes.


Unburned diesel fuel is black smoke not white.
 
Originally Posted By: mcrn
Originally Posted By: Steve S
White smoke in a diesel is unburned fuel.Can you tell if it is running on which 4 cyls. My wife has a powerstroke and I have done some work on it it is some what simple to repair but a code reader is needed and one that can do a buzz test " which fires the injectors with the engine not running is a needed tool. There are Ford powerstroke web sites that have lots of info. If you have the cps changit it takes a few minutes.


Unburned diesel fuel is black smoke not white.
No it is white.
 
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