Hard Starts

[2INSANE]

Hello! I have a 1984 M1009 with the 6.2 diesel with only 50,000 miles on it. For some reason it seems to be having hard starts when the motor is cold. It has new batterys, new glow plugs. There is a puff of bluish white smoke that comes out after it starts with a heavy smell of fuel. Once the motor is warmed up, it always starts right up but when I let it sit over night and let it cool off, it has hard starts. I am thinking low compression or the small leak from the injection pump throttle seal? I am doing 2x 15 second glow plug cycles with a 6 sec cool down on the glow plugs to get it to start. What do yal think?

 

[sneekyeye]

Make sure your glow plugs are actually getting their voltage to activate when you are seeing the wait light. Potentially you could have a glow plug relay problem or glow plug controller issue.

 

[Matt S]

Once the motor is warmed up, it always starts right up but when I let it sit over night and let it cool off, it has hard starts.

Maybe a drain back issue with the fuel filter?

 

[Drock]

The blueish smoke is unburned fuel. It could be both things previously mentioned (air leak), (glow plug relay). I'm leaning towards bad glow plug relay. Are you running the glow plugs on a button or with the factory glow plug card?

 

[2INSANE]

I installed years ago a push button override glow plug button and an upgraded heated spin on fm100 fuel filter set up. What would be the normal cold watts/Amps for the glow plugs?

I do have to be honest to get the best info from you guys. The hard starts did not start happening until I got drunk and accidentally kept the glow plugs turned on all night twice. Hence the push button glow plug switch...

That's why I am thinking bad compression from melted rings or the leak on the injection pump throttle seal?

 

[dougco1]

Indirect addition of alcohol to your system is always bad for your glow plugs.

 

[Drock]

Well I'm not a fan of manual glow plug switches, kind of a hack job in my opinion . The factory glow plug system works way better when properly maintained. I forget who?, but there's a guy on here who makes upgraded glow plug cards. Anyway, based on your drunken mistake I think the cylinders are fine. If they were damaged you'd get massive blow buy out of the oil fill cap. Sounds like you just fried the glow plugs & the glow plug relay.

 

[2INSANE]

Yes my bad... I had a manual flip switch and somehow hit it with my knee when I drunknly got out of the blazer... It does have some some blow by. How much is too much blow by?

 

[Drock]

Yes my bad... I had a manual flip switch and somehow hit it with my knee when I drunknly got out of the blazer... It does have some some blow by. How much is too much blow by?

A little blow by is normal, that's what the CDR system is for. Too much is when you get smoke out of the top of the oil fill cap with the truck idling. This video is of mine with a bad cylinderhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GcQPwwIubk

 

[Barrman]

Have you replaced the glow plugs since the incident?

 

[2INSANE]

Thanks for the video! Will check it for sure! Yes, I have changed the glow plugs. Even checked all the ohms and they are good.

 

[Mg84648]

Well I'm not a fan of manual glow plug switches, kind of a hack job in my opinion . The factory glow plug system works way better when properly maintained. I forget who?, but there's a guy on here who makes upgraded glow plug cards. Anyway, based on your drunken mistake I think the cylinders are fine. If they were damaged you'd get massive blow buy out of the oil fill cap. Sounds like you just fried the glow plugs & the glow plug relay.

Antennaclimber I believe is his screen name. When I bought my new card from him I had to undo all the extra added "shade tree" glow mod buttons and switches the PO had done to it. I thought to myself, it must have taken this guy all day long to install all this crap as opposed to spending $100 bucks for a simple plug and play card!
Between a resealed IP and the new glow plug card, my Oh-9 starts like new.
http://www.glowplugcards.com/prices

 

[nyoffroad]

You've changed and checked the glow plugs so and shouldn't have a compression problem at 50K. Try this simple test with a cold engine go thru your normal start up routine then when engine starts shut it back down immediately, wait a couple minutes for it to cool down and then start it again. If it fires right up the second time I'd suggest checking the lift pump pressure.

 

[2INSANE]

You've changed and checked the glow plugs so and shouldn't have a compression problem at 50K. Try this simple test with a cold engine go thru your normal start up routine then when engine starts shut it back down immediately, wait a couple minutes for it to cool down and then start it again. If it fires right up the second time I'd suggest checking the lift pump pressure.

I put an eclectic pump on it awhile ago. It seems to be working. Could be too much pressure? I'll try your method and get back with ya.

 

[nyoffroad]

I put an eclectic pump on it awhile ago. It seems to be working. Could be too much pressure? I'll try your method and get back with ya.

Not sure if over pressure would or would be a problem, with the stock mechanical pumps they can get a hole in the diaphragm and then leak back or into the engine oil either way the engine fires up and then dies and is then slow to restart

 

[2INSANE]

Not sure if over pressure would or would be a problem, with the stock mechanical pumps they can get a hole in the diaphragm and then leak back or into the engine oil either way the engine fires up and then dies and is then slow to restart

I wish it was that easy of a fix! Lol!

I fired it up after another hard start and checked the blow by before warm up and there is some white puffs coming out of the filler. I took the M1009 to the shop to get the brakes power flushed since I just finished the rear disk brake conversion. After the long drive to the mechanics house, I once again checked the blow by and still has the same amount of white smoke puffing. My mechanic said that's not good. I asked my mechanic to go ahead and do a compression test as well. Will post the numbers when I get them to see what you guys think.

 

[rsh4364]

White puffs from filler tube is normal at idle, if it still puffs smoke at 1500 rpm and above not normal. Its also nice when you do an upgrade like rear discs to offer up the company used ,part numbers, and how install went .

 

[Matt5]

Hope they checked the fluid type and did not just put in dot 3.

 

[2INSANE]

Compression numbers are in! All cylinders are 390-410 psi. What do you guys think?

 

[rsh4364]

That's great.