Well, looks like I'm experiencing the "hard start" syndrome.

[Marv]

Noticed over the past few days that the truck acts a bit funny when cranking it occasionally. Doesn't always do it, just at random times.

This morning I went out to crank it before grabbing my stuff and heading to work. Typically, as we all know, the truck will almost immediately crank to the distinctive tune (clack) of cold injectors. However, this morning the truck stumbled for just a split second and then cranked fine, but sounded much quieter than usual. Almost as if it cranked on vegi. Once or twice it's done this at lunch after a few hours of cooling from the morning drive in.

Eventually the injectors got louder and the truck sounded normal. Just the first 15-20 seconds seemed odd.

My first thought is that not all the vegi is getting purged from the system on shutdown. Currently the timer is set to the default of 52 seconds and I use the "stomp the go pedal" method that Clay mentioned. At shutdown, I usually rev the engine to 1200 or so rpms and hold it there for 10-12seconds and then let it shutdown at idle.

I know I can adjust the timer cards for a longer shutdown, but is there anything else I need to consider to try and remedy this occasional problem? Hard starts in winter don't sound like much fun.

Thanks!

[Clay]

Time the purge cycle by watching the light on the timmer card when you shut it off. Make sure its purging a full 10 seconds. And i would still change those dip switches to make it run more like 1 minute 30 sec. or thereabouts.

[triplemoutdoors]

I was having the same issue. I checked my timer cards and my purge time was about 9 seconds...i have moved it up to 12-13 and the top card had rubbed up against the fuse cover and the timer wheel was moved and it was shutting off at 45 seconds. I adjusted the top cad to 58 seconds. It seems to have helped.

[Jack_Toepfer]

That stomp method isn't going to work. I thought it would, but it doesn't.

When your switch is on AUTO and you kill the key, giving it throttle does nothing.

If you shut the switch off and kill the key, the truck shuts off.

Shutting off the system, stomping on it and then putting the switch back to auto just puts vegi back into the system.

Is the stomp method working for anyone? First approach would be timer cards.

[Marv]

Time the purge cycle by watching the light on the timmer card when you shut it off. Make sure its purging a full 10 seconds. And i would still change those dip switches to make it run more like 1 minute 30 sec. or thereabouts.

Thanks Clay, I plan on checking that tonight to see what it does.

[Marv]

I was having the same issue. I checked my timer cards and my purge time was about 9 seconds...i have moved it up to 12-13 and the top card had rubbed up against the fuse cover and the timer wheel was moved and it was shutting off at 45 seconds. I adjusted the top cad to 58 seconds. It seems to have helped.

Thanks for the info Triple.

If I'm reading James's post correctly, the bottom card is the purge timer and the top car is the run timer correct?

Thanks!

[Clay]

That stomp method isn't going to work. I thought it would, but it doesn't.

When your switch is on AUTO and you kill the key, giving it throttle does nothing.

If you shut the switch off and kill the key, the truck shuts off.

Shutting off the system, stomping on it and then putting the switch back to auto just puts vegi back into the system.

Is the stomp method working for anyone? First approach would be timer cards.

Earlier discussion brought to light that the pre 03 models got no response when they try to rev it after keying off. So your right. But my 03 6.0 will rev when i hit the skinny pedal and it does in fact speed fuel consumption. The proper way to fix this is written in the TSB section of this forum. James posted it up because there were quite a few people having this issue.
Follow the TSB and it will purge correctly, don't follow it and it won't.

[Marv]

That stomp method isn't going to work. I thought it would, but it doesn't.

When your switch is on AUTO and you kill the key, giving it throttle does nothing.

If you shut the switch off and kill the key, the truck shuts off.

Shutting off the system, stomping on it and then putting the switch back to auto just puts vegi back into the system.

Is the stomp method working for anyone? First approach would be timer cards.

Jack,

On mine, the throttle works fine after killing the key in automatic mode. Engine revs just like it would with the truck fully on. I can also tell that it switches back to diesel by the sound of the injectors (become more pronounced).

I think my primary problem is just that the timer card isn't set high enough.

When I went out to lunch, the truck did the same thing. I pulled away and it blew out black smoke as if it were running on vegi - but the system hadn't switched on yet.

This tells me that there is still vegi in the fuel system even after 52 seconds of shut down run time.

Thanks!

[Marv]

Earlier discussion brought to light that the pre 03 models got no response when they try to rev it after keying off. So your right. But my 03 6.0 will rev when i hit the skinny pedal and it does in fact speed fuel consumption. The proper way to fix this is written in the TSB section of this forum. James posted it up because there were quite a few people having this issue.
Follow the TSB and it will purge correctly, don't follow it and it won't.

Thanks for the link by the way Clay.

[Jack_Toepfer]

Earlier discussion brought to light that the pre 03 models got no response when they try to rev it after keying off. So your right.

Makes sense... I don't have issues, yet, so I'll keep it the way it came

[lancaster,pa]

I believe it is the 99 to 01 models that won't rev (some reported that the
02s and up do rev). I have read the TSB re purging and have set the purge card to 12 seconds (TSB says to set to at least 10 seconds). I didn't see anything in the TSB section re engine run time. Where can I find that info? I currently have my run time set at a minute and 33 seconds (58 seconds wasn't doing it for me). Haven't had a chance to see how this run time is working out yet. Hope everyone will keep posting their results. - Patrick

[Early99f250]

Question

I have a question about purging. I am not mechanically inclined at all (had a friend instal kit for me) and have been having a hard start issue since the instal. I have the run time up to 1 minute 50 seconds and purge time at 15 seconds (according to the purge light) but I am having hard start issues and smell of VO on start up. If instead of allowing the auto shut off to work if I shut the V3 off a few blocks from home and shut down on diesel (i.e. no run time or purge) then in the morning she fires right up as normal.

I am thinking I may have something installed incorrectly but not sure where to start or how to test whether the purge is working correctly other than pulling the return line and watching for diesel. After reading Jame's post on that I had decided not to pull the return line but maybe I should. Can you give me any thoughts on what may be the issue?

[lancaster,pa]

I have a question about purging. I am not mechanically inclined at all (had a friend instal kit for me) and have been having a hard start issue since the instal. I have the run time up to 1 minute 50 seconds and purge time at 15 seconds (according to the purge light) but I am having hard start issues and smell of VO on start up. If instead of allowing the auto shut off to work if I shut the V3 off a few blocks from home and shut down on diesel (i.e. no run time or purge) then in the morning she fires right up as normal.

I am thinking I may have something installed incorrectly but not sure where to start or how to test whether the purge is working correctly other than pulling the return line and watching for diesel. After reading Jame's post on that I had decided not to pull the return line but maybe I should. Can you give me any thoughts on what may be the issue?

Early,

Sure seems like a 15 second purge and a minute and 50 run time would have solved the problem. Not sure if this is possible or what it would actually do to your run time, but is there any chance you may have mistakenly set the purge card to one minute and fifty instead of the run card and the system is actually purging for one minute and 50 and shutting down (just thinking out of the box a bit). - Patrick

[Early99f250]

With me anything is possible but I think I have it right. Top card (& Light) is set to 1 minute 50 and bottom card (& light) is set to 15 seconds.

[lancaster,pa]

With me anything is possible but I think I have it right. Top card (& Light) is set to 1 minute 50 and bottom card (& light) is set to 15 seconds.

OK, sounds like you have it right. In thinking about my post, even if the system were purging for a minute and 50, that should still burn all the veg out of the injectors. With all the people posting here, I know this will get resolved. - Patrick