Trouble starting when it's cold
 

K, new to the diesel thing and am constantly paranoid of all the sounds and groans the truck makes. Since it's gotten cold it won't start well. I have to turn it over a couple times before it catches then it runs real rough until it warms up. Once it's warm its great. Just when it's been sitting for several hours and the motor gets cold or in the morning is when I have the problem.

Easy fix usually.

Remove batteries, have them load tested. If one is bad, replace BOTH.

Then, test the FICM, this is usually the cause, but until you know your batteries are perfect, you'd be wasting your time. The FICM test procedure is at the top of the page, quite simple to do. Let us know the voltages of your FICM when you get them, we can help.

Are you plugging in your block heater at night? My truck would start fine in mornings during the summer but now that its getting down to freezing temperatures here in Wisconsin, i keep my truck plugged in at night and the difference in starting it in the morning is night and day. if you havnt done that id give it a try! :tu:

You shouldn't "NEED" to plug it in to start it, but it certainly does help. You should have no problem getting your truck to start going even down near 0*F. Good batteries and a properly working FICM are 90% of all poor starting/rough running issues on 6.0's. I'd highly recommend everyone to have the batteries tested and test the FICM before winter rolls around.

Mine has been cranking longer every season. FICM updated and monitored (SG II).
Batteries great. Glow plug harness shows no sign of damage.

I'm thinking Glow plug module.... They did change the part #, wonder if it was an upgrade.

:s:i would find someone with a scanner and see what codes it might have the reason for hard cold start and rough idle until it warms up would mean glow plugs arnt working properly the ficm dont have to be replaced it can be rebuilt and if it is the ficm it will have set some codes the scanner can diagnose glow plugs my solus pro can