I bought a 93 6.5 turbo diesel, first diesel I have owned so I'm new to them. When it has sat out for overnight and in the morning or afternoon when I go out to start it, I put the key turn it on and wait til the glow plugs warm up, then I start to crank over, I have to crank it for probably 4-6 secs til it gets started then it will idle a little rough and die. I'll repeat the process and after about 3 or 4 tries it will finally start and idle fine, after its warmed up a little I can turn it off and turn the key back on and an start it no problem. Is it something older diesels do or is something wrong?

 

Sounds like a glow plug problem,burnt out glow plugs or a few blown fusible links?

Replace the glow plugs with bosch duratherm glows and check for power to each and every terminal while they are out by jumping the relay heavy terminals.

Once power is confirrmed and everything put back as it should be,check to see if the glow ciontroller/relay is operating and sending power out.

Thre is also a special activation swith on the rear of the passenger side cylinder head that sences temperature and decides when to activate the glows.

Google "manual glow override" and consider adding that mod if when luke warm the engine needs some glow but is past the temp the controller activtes.

 

The 6.5L is an IDI diesel so it will require glow plugs even on a sunny afternoon if it hasn't been started and warmed up. It seems like my truck needs the glow plugs if it sits longer than 5-10 mins after I have been driving it and had it up to operating temperature. I would suggest a push button for manual control of the glow plugs, half the time when its cold out in the morning my truck won't cycle the glow plugs automatically.