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Hot take: I tried bypassing a glow plug controller on a 7.3 Powerstroke last weekend and my truck actually started faster cold than it ever did with the factory system
Some guys swear the computer knows best for preheat timing but I got sick of waiting on a slow controller so I wired in a manual push button with a 6-second hold and now I'm wondering if all those years of relying on the PCM was just holding back the old IDI learning the hard way that a direct power feed might be simpler and more reliable than a module that costs $400 to replace, what's your take on factory versus manual glow plug control?
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dakotal165mo ago
Wait, you've got a 7.3 Powerstroke? That's a direct injection engine, not an IDI. The old 6.9 and 7.3 IDIs from the 80s and early 90s used glow plugs and a manual controller setup, but your Powerstroke has a totally different system. The factory PCM on a Powerstroke actually pulses the glow plugs after the initial preheat to clean up smoke and help with cold running, not just a simple on/off deal. Bypassing it with a manual button might get you a faster crank on the first start, but in my experience you're losing the post-start control that keeps things smooth on those sub-30 degree mornings. Your mileage may vary, but I'd be careful messing with the Powerstroke's glow plug strategy because it's a lot more advanced than the old IDI setup you're comparing it to.
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white.grant5mo ago
So Dakotah, you're telling me I should trust a computer over my trusty pushbutton that I've had for 30 years? That's cute. My manual button has never once given me a "check engine light" for forgetting to plug in the block heater.
You know what I love about the old IDI system? It's simple. You push a button, the plugs glow, you start your truck. No weird pulsing, no computer babysitting the glow cycle.
But hey, maybe I'm just old school. I'd rather have a truck that starts when I say start, not when some computer decides the planets are aligned properly. Your mileage may vary, but I'll stick with my manual setup and a warm cup of coffee on those cold mornings.
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