2001 7.3L F350, Service Engine Soon, truck shakes
 

Hi All,

My truck starts just fine, but lately, as I get up to speed (around 40 mph) the "Service Engine Soon" light comes on and the truck begins to shudder and shake like driving on a bumpy road. I can tell that the truck immediately loses power also. Sometimes the light will go off after 30 seconds and the truck drives fine and I won't see the problem again for the remainder of the driving cycle. Sometimes the light stays on and the truck runs rough the entire time. Other times, the light will come on, go off, come on, go off, etc. I bought a code scanner and it gave me a "No Codes" reading. I just changed the fuel filter and air filter last week thinking that may be the problem, but it still happens. Has anyone had a similar experience? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Darren
2001 F350, 7.3 L Turbo Diesel, Crew Cab
Automatic Transmission

Welcome to FTE Darren. Most of the generic (read inexpensive) code readers will not work on our engines. I'd be willing to guess if you could read the code that is in there it would be a P1316 code. The common cause for what you're describing is a loose plug on the UVCH (under valve cover harness)

Here's what the problem looks like
http://home.comcast.net/~kwikkordead/crooked_plug.JPG

Now the trick is to figure out which valve cover you need to remove to plug this thing back in. Since you don't have a good scanner that can run things like a buzz test, the next best option is to grab a multi-meter and set it to read ohms. Located on the inboard side of each valve cover you will see some wires leading to a plug connector. This is a flat 9 pin connector that you will need to unplug to expose the pins inside.

The 9-pin plug is wired as follows:

G G I I C I I G G

G=Glow Plug +
I = Injector +
C= Injector Common

The injectors fire with a 115VDC signal from the IDM. Do Not pierce the wires to test.

Test between "I" and "C" to test the injectors, should be less than 5.0 Ohms.

To check glow plugs Test between "G" and battery ground. Should be between 0.6 and 2.0 Ohms

If you find readings outside these numbers, pull that valve cover and check for the loose connector.

We also have a 7.3 diesel specific section located a little further down the main forum listing page. We'll see if we can't get your thread moved down there so you get more input on this from other folks that have the same motor.

Thread moved to the 7.3 forum :-X22

Welcome to FTE. I think Chris has you going in the right direction.

I agree with Rick and Chris.. it is your under valve cover plastic piece of junk 9 pin connector is coming loose.. I made a shim to slip behind the the two plastic locking tabs of the connector to prevent it from happening again.. ... or you can buy a repair clip from Ford.. Let us know what you find.. (the covers gaskets are reusable)..

Ok, I ohmed out the connectors as Chris suggested and I have some interesting results for you:

Driver side test between "I" and "C": (this appears to be normal)

3.1 ohms
3.8 ohms
3.4 ohms
3.6 ohms

Driver side test between "G" and battery ground: (this is obviously not normal)

4.2 ohms
7.8 ohms
56 ohms
infinity (open)

Passenger side test between "I" and "C": (what the ??)

infinity (open)
infinity (open)
infinity (open)
infinity (open)

Passenger side test between "G" and battery ground: (also what the ??)

infinity (open)
infinity (open)
0.5 ohms
0.5 ohms

I double checked my multimeter settings and checked each connector twice. From these results, it appears that the passenger side UVCH may be totally loose and the driver's side UVCH is working it's way loose. I drove the truck today and the SES light came on immediately and stayed on the entire driving cycle. The truck had no power at all and shook like crazy. I'm looking to the experts for advice on what I should do next. Is it common for the UVCH on both sides of the engine to come loose?

Thanks in advance...

Darren

It looks like you should start pulling valve covers..

Sounds like you're on the right track Darren. Remember the other possibility for some of your readings may be you have some bad glow plugs. This won't affect how the truck is running, but as long as your pulling valve covers, might as well replace any bad ones. Have you had any trouble or excessive smoking starting in cold weather?

To address the issue of the loose plugs, there is a retainer clip you can purchase from Ford or International to prevent this from happening again. The other option would be to make yourself a shim to prevent the plug from coming loose. A quarter just happens to be the right width and thickness if you grind one edge down. That's what I used on my truck.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...199820.520.390


https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...193946.520.390

The other thing I would suggest you do while you have the valve covers off is to re-torque the rocker arm pedestal bolts (circled in Red) to 20 ft-lbs, and the lower injector hold down bolts (circled in Blue) to 120 in-lbs. They've been known to work their way a little loose, and tightening 1/4 to 1/2 turn on any loose injectors really makes your engine sound better.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...202812.520.390

If you have any questions, don't be shy about asking.

subscribing.

Chris, I just started pulling the driver's side valve cover off about 30 minutes ago. There is alot of stuff in the way, i'm guessing it's the intercooler duct which i removed. However, there is a small black duct about a foot long that connects to where you see the turbine in the turbocharger and there is a small (1 inch diameter or so) hose in the bottom of that duct that runs to some small metal box on top of the valve cover. It seems like i need to get that duct out of the way to get to my valve cover, is that true? How do you get it off? It looks like some sort of clamp i've never seen before. The passenger side looks like its going to be even worse, but if i can get the driver's side off tonight, i will consider it a small victory. Thanks for your help.

Darren

X2 ^^^bump

What you're describing is the crank case vent (CCV). It's got a metal band that holds that little hose on to the doghouse (funny box on the valve cover) and the part of the intake tube. Take a pair of pliers and twist that band clamp to get that little 90 deg hose off. A regular hose clamp can go back in it's place when you put things back together.

Don't get discouraged. The hardest part of this whole job is just getting the stuff out of the way so you can remove the valve covers. Personally, I think the passenger side is the easier one, but I've only seen one other member here agree with me on that. The worst bolt on the drivers side will be the one in the back of the valve cover. You'll just need a 3" extension with a short socket and remove it by feel, since there's no way to see it.

On the passenger side, I use a swivel adapter to get the 2 bolts next to the AC. Others use a wrench and access the bolts from under the wheel well. The plastic clips that hold the heater hoses just slide off the bolts (sometimes it takes a little convincing). It's also easier if you unscrew the oil fill tube and take it off the valve cover before pulling it. Getting the passenger valve cover out of the engine bay on an auto tranny takes holding your tongue just right.

Don't worry too much. You'll get the drivers cover off tonight.

Chris,

Ok, I got the CCV hose off and the black duct out of the way. After that, it was easy to get the valve cover off, and guess what?? The UVCH was extremely loose; i could easily push it further into the connector about 1/4 inch, so I think this is definitely the problem on the driver's side. I'm very happy!! I suspect that the passenger side will be the same story. What are the specific steps i should take to get the passenger side valve cover off? Anything I need to be aware of?

Also, in working around the turbocharger and intercooler ducts during this project, i noticed that they have sort of a film or grease/dirt on them. Is that normal? I spun the turbine in the turbocharger by hand and there didn't appear to be any binding, so I think it's ok. I'm just wondering how the grease got on the outside of the intercooler ducts.

So would you recommend the quarter trick or actually buying the shim from the dealer? How much does the dealer part cost? Have you had any problems with your quarter method?

Last thing, you mentioned bad glow plugs earlier. How do I tell if the glow plugs are bad? Should i just replace all of them while i'm in there? Any specific brand that you recommend?

Thanks again for providing such great advice. I will be leaving for College Station tomorrow, but will be back Sunday to attempt the passenger side. I hope you'll be around in case i have any questions. :)

Thanks,
Darren

Where are you leaving from to head to College Station. Sounds like you're another Texas boy. I live 15 miles North of Hillsboro. Don't suppose you're near me are you?

Now that you have the plug connected properly, go ahead and ohm the glow plugs again. If you still get bad readings, go ahead and change those plugs, just don't use autolites as replacements.

I don't know how much the Ford shims cost, but my shims cost 25 cents each.:) While the valve cover is off, go ahead and grab a quarter (no need to grind it down yet) and slide it in the connector. You'll see how snug it fits. If you grind the top down so it fits inside the valve cover, you'll see there's nowhere for the quarter to go once it's installed and the valve cover is put back on. I've done this to my truck, my wife's, a couple of work trucks, and a fellow member here at FTE (millerfeed) and haven't seen any problems.

If you want to check your turbo, grab the shaft in the middle of the wheel and wiggle it around. You should feel a slight up and down or side to side play as long as it doesn't touch the housing. You should not feel any in and out play on the shaft.

I should be around, but not to worry. You're in good hands here at FTE, and we're a lot less expensive than the dealer.

That CCV hose and clamp contribute to that oily film all over the place! Lots of us have done the CCV mod by plugging the outlet into the air intake, turning the "doghouse" around and routing tubing to the back of the truck. Do a search to get a better idea and pics, and once you do it you can keep the engine lookin cleaner.

I would go for the quarter trick. Its only a quarter and u dont have to leave the house! Never seen it before but if Chris did it, chances are its a good, easy fix.

You can ohm your GPs out to see if theyre good or not. More than 2 or so ohms and theyre most likely bad. DONT BUY AUTOLITES!!!

Chris,

That's right, Texan all my life. I live 15 miles west of San Antonio in a town called Castroville. I know where Hillsboro is, one of my college roommates was from there, and my other one was from Aquilla, which is near there too I believe.

I'm gonna go ohm out that plug again right now and try the quarter. Unfortunately, I won't get to crank her up until I get back Sunday. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks,
Darren

Just ohmed out my connector again. All injectors are reading around 3.3 or 3.4 ohms which i belive is normal according to your first post. All glow plugs are reading 0.5 ohms or less, so does that mean the glow plugs are still good?

How did it turn out? I'm curently having the same problem with mine. I have been researching it here and found your thread. Is the problem solved with yours?..........Ron.

The driver's side connector was definitely loose. I haven't done the passenger side yet because I'm out of town this weekend. I will have to pull that valve cover Sunday when I get back. So I haven't had the chance to crank the truck yet.

As far as your truck is concerned, I would say test the plug using the instructions Chris provided, it's not that hard. If you get some unusual results like I did, then you can go ahead and pull your valve cover.

I hope it all works out.

Darren

well, I'm new here as you can see, but I'm glad I was persistant in searching this forum and found this thread. I have a 99 F250 PSD and last night the wife was driving home when it started loosing power and when idling, was idling very rough. I got home and started her up and it was acting like it was only running on a couple cylinders. I opened the throttle and rpms would go up but very sluggish and still missing. After a couple times of revving up, it died and won't start back up. I read about the Cam position sensor but the tach is still reading RPMS while cranking. I was going to replace the fuel filter tonight, but it looks like I will be doing some OHMS testing to.
I'll keep you posted, and if there are any other ideas out there for me, it would be greatly apreciated
Jason

PS: and I hope I wasn't thread jacking:-X0A6

I'm gonna follow all of those instructions. I think I have the identical problem. Post your results when you're done. I would appreciate any other info or further ideas you guys come up with. Mine is a weekend vehicle and I might not be able to touch it till after the holidays.

Thanks....Ron.

Ron.. did you did a "Service Engine Light" ?

Jason... Did you get a "Service Engine Light" ?

Negative on the service engine light. I have an edge evolution tuner, and its not giving me any codes either. I did try ether (Iknow not supposed to) and it will fire up on that but not stay running, so it deffinately seams to be a fuel problem, but haven't had a chance yet to check fuel pressure or any other checks for that matter.
Jason

Ya, the SES is on, but I dont have a code puller.......Ron.

Great job Chris with the UVC harness help and pic's you gave dahr85 :-X22 reps sent.

As long as they're reading at or above 0.1 ohms you should be fine. Unless you've had trouble starting in what we call cold, or have been having lots of white smoke after start up, I'd leave the glow plugs alone. I've never replaced mine.

Looks like the connector was just starting to work it's way loose on that side since you plugging it back in got the readings closer together. Now just get the other side off and see what that looks like.

Ron... If you have a digital ohm meter, just pull the 9 pin connectors at the top of valve covers before pull the covers and check as show in the previous posts above.. It will tell which side is affected ... (but pull both if you have the time).. Let us know what you find..

Welcome to FTE. Sounds like you've got the same problem. Try testing it with the ohm meter and let us know what your readings are.

Let us know what the filter looks like, or any fuel pressure results you find.

I will definitely update you. Thank you very much. My truck is out of commission. Running terribly. I have researched other problems here, like vacuum leaks, hubs, etc.. and everything you guys have to say has been right on and great help. This came on suddenly one day. It lasted for a day or two and then ran good again. Then without warning ran terrible again, as described by others. I also felt like it was running on less that all 8. I will be pulling the 9 pins and testing them. I'll get back to you with more questions I'm sure.

Thanks again....Ron.

Well I just got done messing with my truck. I checked the 9 pin connectors and found all the injectors to be with-in spec although I will need to replace a couple glow plugs. I changed the fuel filter, but found that the bowl didn't have much fuel in it. I poured some fresh diesel in it when I put the new one in, but still a no go. I removed the fuel filter again after a couple of starts to find it still kind of low in the bowl. I did not check fuel pressure, however, I got under the truck and checked that there is battery voltage at the pump, which there was with the key on but no sound coming from the pump. Sound like it went bad? Ther was some rust coloration in my fuel filter bowl, which means its been seeing some water, so I guess the fuel pump can start doing the same thing.
Thoughts?
and thanks
Jason

Why don't you start a new thread with your issues Jason, so we don't get too confused, since you've got a different issue. Your possibilities sound like either a bad pump or restriction inside the tank. We'll cover how to check things in your new thread.

Sure wish this thread was up about a month ago.... Here's what they found in mine and what it cost me.... :-banghead Needless to say, it put a pretty good dent in Christmas....

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/7...irordervv1.jpg

Good job on the pictures and help, Chris.
I tried to rep you but I have to spread it around first.

Wow !! That is alot of green.. I wonder if it was just a loose connector under the valve cover .. I guess we will never know..

Supposedly, the failure of the sensor & module was caused by a short in the harness under the valve cover.

Sorry to hear that. You know for $20 a year, you can become a supporter of this site. It's not required, but it helps keep things going. And think of the money you can save by learning how to do these things yourself.

Chris,

I finally got in from working on my truck. Not a great day to work on the truck (34 degrees with a nice wind, who would have thought in Texas right?). Anyways, everything is back together. I used the quarter as you suggested and it holds the connector nice and snug in there. Thanks for that tip. I would strongly recommend this method for anyone else who is having this problem.

When I had the passenger valve cover off (and by the way Chris, I think you're on your own when you say the passenger side is easier, i had a hell of a time :-banghead), I took some video of what the problem looks like and how the quarter is used to fix the problem. I will post this video on YouTube within the next couple of days so that people with similar problems can see how the connector was loose and how the quarter helps keep it snug.

I haven't taken her out for a spin yet because it's 1:30 in the morning, but I will first thing in the morning. All I know is the "Service Engine Soon" light didn't come on as it was idling in my driveway. I hope the test drive turns out well tomorrow.

Here is a picture of my quarter in the connector (a Texas quarter by the way :-X0A6). Hey, what can I say, I love Texas!

Attachment 204367

I will post my driving results tomorrow. Thanks everyone for the great advice!

Darren

Hello, i just finished doing this same fix yesterday. Yes, there are alot of things to get out of the way first and i did the quarter trick and it seemed to work well. I will agree that the passenger side seems to be the easiest but you will need to take the fender well off (its not hard at all). When you take the fender well off, you can get to the valve cover bolts real easy. Before you pull both of the valve covers, take a air hose and blow off all of the dirt that will fall in the heads,i didnt do that and i spent alot of extra time cleaning dirt out of the heads. Hope this helps