Start/No start

6speedsd · Feb 6, 2012

Problems with my dad's 2004 6.0 again. Lately, he has been getting a hard cold start. Turn the key, and it'll fire right over hard, then immediately go dead. Try again, same result. After about 3 or 4 times, it will finally fire over and run fine. When it fires over and goes dead, it sounds like one does the first time you try to restart after an oil cooler change. I checked the voltages on his FICM today and it never dropped under 48 volts. However, he has a code (P1379) about "FICM voltage high". Not sure why he is getting that. Also has these other codes.

P0148 fuel delivery error
P2291 injector pressure too low when cranking
P0278 cylinder #6 contribution/balance

I told him to change his fuel filters first and see if that helps any. He said it's been a little while since they were changed last. I'm leaning towards a bad fuel pump, but I've been wrong before. Truck is stock, with EGR deleted and a new oil cooler about 4 years ago. What do you guys think? Ya'll know alot more about these trucks than I do.

6speedsd · Feb 6, 2012

Oh and another thing he told me that's happened a couple times lately. Says he can be driving down the road, and all of his gauges will peg out to the right, then drop completely back to the left, then back to normal. Wiring issue somewhere?

PowerStrokeEnginuities · Feb 7, 2012

On cold engine, check oil filter housing for base oil, what kind of oil filter and cap are you using? 2291 is a high pressure oil problem,but need to check base oil first.

6speedsd · Feb 7, 2012

Oil filter cap is stock. He runs Wix filters for fuel and oil I know. He has a small oil leak around the cap.... like the O-ring didn't seal well or something.

"On cold engine, check oil filter housing for base oil,".....What did you mean there?

PowerStrokeEnginuities · Feb 7, 2012

pull oil filter off and hold down check valve at base while you crank it over. It should fill up.

6speedsd · Feb 7, 2012

Oh ok. I'll give that a try next time I'm out there. Hope he's not looking at a HPOP issue. He uses that truck 7 days a week.

PowerStrokeEnginuities · Feb 7, 2012

On the 04s the hpop also has a check ball on the side, sometimes it will fall out and cause a long crank when started.

HaysKSFirefighter · Feb 7, 2012

Non motorcraft or racor oil filters are known for causing oil pressure issues.

PowerStrokeEnginuities · Feb 7, 2012

They don't hold the check valve Dow at the base of the oil filter housing. Also causing a hard/long crank.

6speedsd · Feb 7, 2012

I've always ran Motorcraft in mine, but he swears by Wix for every filter he buys, from his truck, to his lawn mowers, to his tractors.

I also know he has some injector stiction issues, but I don't think it's bad enough that it would cause this issue though.