I have a 1999 F350 CC DRW and not only am i in a bind but this is my first post so here goes. I purchased this truck about 3-4 months ago from a contractor who bought it from his good friend who as i was told used it for horse trailers and was the original owner. I was told he had done a full lube service and his mechanic had changed a part or two i think it was the CPS and something else. I got it for a really good deal in my opinion, below KBB and about 3-4k below what others in this state are selling the same truck for, The bad: the bed was pushed in by the rear window from a trailer it appears along with a dented tail gate and the passenger side rear wheel well had a good gouge and damaged marker lights. Just for the record, it still looked like a decently taken care of truck and the damage is almost invisible from 15-20'.

Anyway i changed the air filter, fuel filter, topped off the fluids, full rear brake job/tires (which is why i thought the price was low) and considering ive wanted to own this exact truck from the day it came out, i was more concerned with cleaning it up and learning its potential and cost of future plans then doing a through inspection after i got it home.

I got a low boost pressure code and the accelerator position sensor code, i ended up researching it and since it ran fine i didn't freak out as roof leaks and a in-law being dropped on my door step took the budget. Then i noticed it was a quart low and within 1000 miles i had 3 quarts of rotella in it and it stopped "using" the oil, which i can only guess the HPOP was low?. So say a month later and this has been my daily driver since i bought it, and it starts doing a misfire of sorts intermittently and i get a CPS code. Im literally buying the part on this trip and i make it like 25 miles on the freeway and i get check engine light coming on and going off and i figured it was just the accel pedal freaking out until i still had throttle with SES light on. I made it another 6 miles in town and it dies and no start. I get it towed to the auto parts store i had planned to and get the dtc's read with a good scanner to make a even longer story short. We replace the CPS and my buddy with the scanner says we got a P1212 and I say it was a P1280 - Injection Control Pressure Out Of Range Low. But anyway he is mainly a gas mechanic and until now all my experience was with gas engines other then diesels out of fuel and regular maintenance. So we ended up ordering a FPR and i picked up a oil change just incase HPOP was low, and with the rain and truck location we only got FPR finished. He wasn't super into the project and had seemed out of solid ideas and ive always felt it ain't worth paying someone else to learn something i want/need to anyway. So now he is acting separated and i end up pretty much on my own (now no scan tools) and i dive in and realize that somehow in the mix we or the parts person ended up confusing the FPR for the ICP which ive found is aka the Fuel injection timing module or something similar. I end up checking the ICP and oil is in the connector and its boot is gone and i clean it up no good and check it unplugged still no start. So now i will list all the Basic Details i have:

I have checked all fuses/relays that i would think could affect anything and all looks good/rotated relays.

I have fuel in the filter housing, oil was about 1 1/3"-1 3/4" from the very top of HPOP surface.

He did do a battery of tests with his scanner including a basic buzz test and he said all came back good aside from the P1212 or P1280 again as i recall it.

I am not getting smoke from the exhaust as far as i can tell, i would expect a good amount that could be visible from the cab with mirrors dead on?...

Im thinking the next steps will be removing and replacing the oil & filter and checking the IDM along with testing the connections volts/resist and disconnecting bat's to reset dtc codes.

I plan to work on it more this weekend if not sooner, any help is greatly appreciated..Im gonna try to call our local J.Y's and see if any might have a 7.3l and get a IDM, ICP, etc. to test with.

 

Replace the icp sensor and connector pigtail. You can get from parts house or ford. What part are you calling the fpr? The fuel press. regulator on the filter housing? Or are you talking about the IPR?

 

Yes the Fuel Pressure Regulator, it was my understanding they are one in the same. I tried to run it without the ICP sensor and it wouldn't start, so i think im gonna start by testing for the correct voltage and resistances for the ICP, FPR, IDM etc. then dive into splicing wires. Im still hoping someone may have had the same or similar problem that may have not posted about it already, also if anyone knows something i may have missed.

 

Bump:

I have this so far with the AE scanner, it sometimes runs koeo tests but never finds anything.

Fuel Injector pulse width max (52)

Fuel pulse width #1 (1000)
EBP (344.46)

Manifold guage pressure (58)

Manifold Absolute Pressure (75.40)

DTC p1280 and p1212
And i was getting no reading from ICP port with manual guage hooked up.

I think i hear a hissing coming from the IPR sensor and it was recently replaced by my mechanic?.

 

Ok to bring this up to date i have replaced: ICP sensor, ICP Pigtail, IPR, IPR pigtail, CPS, Round fuel filter, Both Batteries...BTW truck is parked 45 minutes away @ the In-laws...

I have checked the HPOP reservoir when i had to move the truck again (Empty).
I refilled it and charged old batteries and one day after testing/cranking with AE i found it ALMOST empty (maybe 1 inch from bottom).
I refilled it (3/4-1" from bottom as i noticed it overflowed to pan, im just not sure if it drained back or if it leaked externally during cranking) and my old batteries/recharged ran AE again which was on Monday night.
Today (Wed.) it was 2 3/4-3 1/2" from top of res, which im not sure again if it was from last minute cranking the prior day. I put a manual gauge on the allen? plug, replaced the batteries, and my assist. said it showed nothing and neither did the dash during strong cranking.

Im mentally flipping back and forth between HPOP and LPOP, but im at a loss because i HAD LPO when i first brought it here and after changing the oil.

It has been raining DAILY here and always after i get off work so im still trying to get around to cleaning the valley and thoroughly checking the "hissing" sound @ key on it seems like near hpop res. but im not CERTAIN at this point.

Here is what i am showing with AE, only getting DTC P1280. Im hoping a 7.3 guru will save my @ss here as i can't afford more down time or un need parts (although the cps was probably still good, everything else was not I.M.H.O)...

I did (4) 10-15sec. cranking sessions total (2 then reset and new log file)with the new batteries and after removing the gauge @ the res. it did come up almost to the proper level but no oil touched the gauge from what i see/smell, and as stated showed no LPO.
Round 1/2:
I had weird ICP readings at inital key on starting at 40 then one point going to 1.13 and back to rough 38-40 before cranking.

ICP: 38@key on, Cranking initial 40 highest 61.6.
ICP %:14.84@key on, Cranking Inital 39 highest 54, round 2 initial 35.94 highest 64.84.
ICPV: .29@key on,right before the ICP dipped to 1. Voltage dropped to .23 then .29 when i showed the 1 psi and immediately down to .21v and next second all normal then out out. cranking inital cranking stayed @.31 and round 2's highest was .49 @ 204PSI. Again NO oil registering on dash or plug gauge.
FIPW: .05
RPM: 141-184
BV: Stayed above 10.5 for once...



Round 3/4:
ICP: 50@key on, Cranking initial 70 highest 170.
ICP %:14.84@key on, Cranking Inital 40. highest 64.84
ICPV: .3@key on, cranking inital .34 highest .43
FIPW: .05
RPM: 177-185average-192
BV: Stayed above 10.5 for once...

I plan to reconnect the Manual HPO gauge, refill the HPOP and put the LPO gauge in.
Possibly check the IPR for tightness and do my best to locate the hissing with my good flash light.

 

You could try a cheap ICP sensor I had this issue over the winter and when I have an issue I will stop at nothing to figure it out. So I researched the issue and bought a aftermarket ICP replaced it. Fixed the issue. Not saying that is your problem but sensors do fail as a matter a fact I just had to replace the EBPS and clean the tube due to soot build up and was getting poor mileage. 38bucks on ebay rather than stealership taking you to the cleaners. Good Luck

 

This is going to be a long post, but hopefully it can help everyone get on the same page to help you.

First, these truck use whats call a HEUI injector. This stands for Hydraulic Electric Unit Injector. Here is a break down of how it works:

1) High Pressure Oil Pump -HPOP, this is a rotary piston pump that takes oil from the low pressure oil pump and steps it up to a higher pressure . . . somewhere around 2700 psi on the 7.3 HEUI system.

2) The high pressure oil is fed into a pair of oil rails cast into your cylinder heads. The pressure is monitored by the Injector Control Pressure (ICP) Sensor monitors the pressure in this system. The Injector Pressure Regulator (IPR) is a controlled leak in that system and basically dumps the extra volume of oil back to the oil pan to maintain the computer commanded High Pressure Oil Pressure.

3) The injector sits in the head, the upper portion of the injector is in the High Pressure Oil rail, the lower portion of the injector sits in your fuel rail. The injector is actually a "hydraulic amplifier" or a set of pistons. On the very top of the injector is a solenoid that opens a valve and "turns the injector on". when the injector turns on, it allows high pressure oil into the upper portion of the injector and it begins to push the oil plunger. This plunger is directly connected to a smaller plunger which has fuel in it. These two pistons ahve differen surface areas (7:1 to be precise) so for every 1 psi of high pressure oil, you get 7 psi of fuel pressure.

4) The Injector Driver Module (IDM) is responsible for operating the injectors. This system runs at 120-140 volts DC and is NOT to be messed with, it will lay a hurting on you!

Here is generally the process for determining issues with the system:

1) The IPRs have a small stamped nut on them that are notorious for working loose over time. When it comes loose, the truck can't control the oil pressure and the truck will die.

2) Verify you have fuel pressure, there is a plug on the fuel filter that you can tap into, you should have somewhere around 45-55 psi (if i remember correctly, i can't recall the exact factory set fuel pressure on those trucks . . .its been too long).

3) Verify that you have low pressure oil. There is a plug in the filter head that will allow you to put an oil pressure gauge.

If you have both fuel and LPO, then you need to look at the injectors or high pressure oil system for troubles. You can remove the valve covers and have a friend crank the truck. As they crank, there should be oil spurting out of the injectors (the little silver/gray spout on the side of them). No oil flow means you don't have sufficient high pressure oil, one or 2 flowing excessively more than the others means you have a bad injector that is "eating" all of your high pressure oil.

While under the valve covers, double check all the connections are tight at the injectors and at the valve cover gasket. The connection at the valve cover tends to burn out occasionally.

Something else that may be beneficial is to pull the HPOP resevoir off and make sure the screens in there aren't plugged with crud, some trucks had screens in there, some didn't, all the gaskets there are reusable so you won't hurt anything.

Oh, BTW, these trucks have a FPR that is in the fuel filter base, its mechanical and does not have a connection on it. The IPR is a completely different animal, although it is responsible of mainting the oil pressure to the injectors.

The High Pressure Oil system is connected to the Low Pressure Oil System and the lpo system is responsible for keeping the HPOP reservoir full . . .as the hpop system draws oil and feeds the injectors, the used oil is returned to the oil pan. If you have a small leak in this resevoir the LPOP will refill it . . .if it gets low enough it may take some time to refil and reprime the high pressure system which will show itself in extended cranking being required before the truck starts. In this situation, topping it off would be benefical to start the truck easily (but would need fixed, as topping it off everytime you want to start isn't ideal and would eventually result in an overfull crank case. The resevoir only holds maybe 8 oz, its not really that big.

Check this stuff out and get back with us . . . we'd love to see you get that truck back on the road!

 

I have replaced the ICP already...I had often wondered while searching through hundreds of articles if the EBPS and also the tube rusting through could cause my problems as it had been having boost issues then began "consuming" oil as i would call it (like 3-4 quarts in maybe 1k miles) just prior to developing this huge headache.

I had my backup vehicle (1999 5.4l f250 SPORT utility body) fry the battery from a overcharging alternator, which i didn't realize it was toast until i changed the alternator and had to borrow a battery from the f350 to leave the shop in the rain @ night.

So once i swap the batteries out again im going to thoroughly search for leaks and attempt to locate the hissing at key on. Im just confused how i could build almost 200 icp before fairly easily and my last run was best of 171 but average 100-120psi. I feel the HPOP must be working as lpo is around 50 psi max correct? thus wouldn't build anything over 50. Does the HPOP build pressure based on the pressure it receives AND cranking or is lpop just to move the oil and hpop builds all the pressure from cranking?. I think i will be ordering a melling 205? shortly as insurance before i jump to a new hpop or pulling the valve covers.

I have a decent array of tools but have never done motor work like that before, pulled a manual transmission and replaced various parts (alt/starter/carbs/brake booster/etc.) and ive always gone by if it aint broke don't fix it, my biggest concern is there any O.S.! things to watch out for when removing the covers besides the UVCH.


One last question, i checked my log files and im showing up to 50psi ICP before cranking, does this mean the lpop is working?

 

Before we start, I'm going to take a big step back in diagnosing a 7.3 no start issue. Voltage! These trucks will not start if the cranking speed is not high enough and if there isn't enough voltage to run the IDM. Pull and clean ALL battery terminals, make sure you have good connections. Pull and clean the connection at the starter. Make sure all your grounds have a good solid connection. Hook the battery charger up for a few hours to make sure you have a good charge and consider hooking up another truck w/jumper cables to help make sure you have enough juice. I've had a number of trucks do the no start or slow crank because the terminals got corroded . . .used to be a yearly venture . . .and i'd always put it off and be cleaning them the coldest day of the winter .

Now, lets separate some issues.

1) EBP Sensor will not cause a no start condition. It can give you other issues, but not start is not one of them. (But could be related to your boosting issues)

2) Oil consumption is generally not related to the turbo UNLESS the turbo is leaking . . . if you were burning a gallon of oil every 1k miles, the truck would be smoking from burning that much oil in the exhaust . . .so the oil consumption is probably not related to the turbo or your boosting issue.

3) You will need at least 500PSI of High Pressure Oil to fire the injectors at start up

4) 50psi of Low pressure oil seems fair for start up, the pressure valve in the low pressure oil system will pop around 80psi

5) the low pressure system doesn't force feed the high pressure system, it fills the high pressure reservoir and the HPOP just draws oil out of there . . . like a water pump drawing water from a lake.

I believe you are seeing 2 different issues here. Oil consumption is one thing, low high pressure oil is another. Aside from a few oil lines, the high pressure oil system is fully contained within the motor, so a leak will not "consume" engine oil. A leak in the system would have to be significant in order to not allow it to start . . . if one of the high pressure oil lines were leaking that bad, you would pump your engine oil pan dry very quickly.

So, for the sake of getting your truck running, we will ignore the oil consumption issue and look into the things that can cause you to have a lack of High Pressure Oil knowing you have good low pressure oil.

1) Bad HPOP (i know, duh . . .but had to say it)
2) Bad or loose IPR
3) Bad or loose ICP (I know its been replaced, but just stating for the sake of completeness)
3) Plugged screen or plugged IPR
4) Bad orings on the injectors causing them to leak HPO

I would start by pulling the IPR. This is located by the HPOP, its not the friendliest thing to get to, but you can manage. You will need to unplug it, remove the stamped nut, remove the solenoid body, and then use a deep well socket to remove it from the engine. Make sure there isn't anything caught in the bit that was in the motor. Reinstall it, make sure the stamped nut is snug but don't over tighten it and strip it.

Retry starting the truck.

Remove the valve covers, this will mean you have to remove the intake to get to the valve cover bolts. Removing the crank case vent seperator from the drivers side can make life a little easier too . . .and creates a good opportunity to do the "ccv mod". The rear bolts on teh passengers side is tough to get to, shorty socket will help out . . .be patient, we've all fought these. Pulling the VC's is just like working on a gasser, no big deal at all. If you have an issue with leaking injector o-rings, you will see oil oozing from between the injector and where it goes into the head. The only place you should see oil when you are cranking the truck is from teh gray deflector spouts. If you see oil coming out of the injector where it goes into the head, thats youre issue . . we can hook you up with a new set of o-rings and you'll be on your way.

If you don't see a leak there, now we are at the point that we are thinking about a bad HPOP. The next thing to try will be to start the truck. This process is safe if done wisely! You can use starter fluid, but you must follow these steps.
1) disconnect the power from the glow plug relay, the glow plugs will ignite the starter fluid and could blow the heads clean off your truck.
2) you only need a small shot of starter fluid to pop the truck off . . . and remember, when you spray it in the intake, it has to go through the turbo, through all the piping and the intercooler . . .it will take some time to reach the motor.
3) try to find a diesel specific starting fluid, standard oreilley/autozone starter fluid will work if you can't find diesel specific.

have a buddy crank the truck (with glow plug relay disconnected) and give it a 2 second shot of starter fluid truck should start and run for a second. If the truck stays running, this will give us some info to help diagnose things. Check your IPR duty cycle while running. Shut it off and try to restart it.

I would be more suspect of an IPR issue than the HPOP itself, generally an HPOP on its way out will give codes for low injection pressure when you have it loaded up, the don't typically all of the sudden fail in a "no start" condition . . . the IPR on the other hand can.

Check back and let us know.

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I've been doing more thining about what you have going on:

1) The hissing sound on the engine w/the key on engine off. There is nothing on the engine doing anything at that point except maybe the glow plugs and the fuel pump. Then i realized that you could be hearing fuel running through the fuel filter and returning back to the tank . . . which is normal. UNLESS, you are hearing air in the fuel and that's making it lounder than normal. Double check that you have fuel pressure . . . and fuel in the tank. I've heard of fuel pick ups in the tank cracking and causing basically an "out of fuel" situation . . .also, some of the early tanks had a lining in them that would break down and plug the pick up screen.

2) There is a fuse for the fuel heater in the fuel filter. These heaters will short out when they get old and it pops that fuse . . .ironically, that is the fuse that powers the computer. I don't remember what fuse it is, but find it and make sure it's no blown. If it is, disconnect the fuel heater on the fuel bowl and change the fuse . . .the fuel heater isn't needed so just leave it disconnected and forget all about it.

 

Found to be passenger side Injector O-Rings & replaced glow plugs too which the mechanic i had change them said were type AB and it was the rear two that had aftermarket injectors. If i had bought the test plugs and parts, the labor cost me $50-100. I have developed a much deeper understanding of the HPO system through this headache.