7.3 powerstroke won't run
 

I have a 1994 F-350 Powerstroke turbo diesel. It was running but stopped all of a sudden and hasn't been run in years. It will run on starting fluid but thats the only way. I have checked all fuses and relays. Everything is fine as far as I can tell. I think it may be the intertia switch that cuts the fuel off to the motor when in a wreck which can be set off by a speed bump. I have searched all over the truck where the book said the inertia switch is at. I can't find it. Please let me know if you know where it is. The dual tank switch is working and can hear it operate but I cannot hear the fuel pumps. If you take the top off the fuel filter on top of the engine you can watch the fuel rise slowly but not sure if its enough pressure. Something is killing the fuel to the engine and I don't know. I have worked on it for days with no luck. I tried pulling it off and using starting fluid with no avail. I used two cans of starting fluid and it only will run while your squirting it in the intake. Please let me know if anyone has any idea to what I'm doing wrong... Thanks, swampbilly....

Well, you can't find the inertia switch, because this truck doesn't have one. Connect a fuel pressure gauge to the pressure tap on the fuel/water seperator and look for the pressure to be at least about 20 psi when cranking (it will usually be 40-60 psi when runnign). If not good, then the fuel pump (which is under the turbo) is not doing its job. This also explains why the starting fluid will get it running. Once they get to a running state, the vacuum of the engine (not much on a deisel) will pull the fuel into the clyinders, even though there's no pressure (it's actually a 'negative pressure' as Ford calls it.) If this hasn't run in years, and most likely not well when it did, it might be a really good idea to clean the fuel return in the seperator, replace the filter, and possibly injector o-rings, as well as take care of the 5 or so burned out glow plugs that these engines all seemed to suffer from. However, once repaired, they were a really good motor.

One more thing...PLEASE DO NOT USE STARTING FLUID!!!!!! If you repair it properly, it will start easily.

Thanks for that, I would still be looking for the inertia switch that the book said it has. I will check the pressure tomorrow and let you know what I find, thank you again.... Swampbilly