93 2.3L NO START below 20deg F!!

[HighMileage93]

My old 93 starts fine at any temp above 20-22deg F. When it gets colder than that it will crank all day but never light. I can smell the unburnt fuel and trying starter fluid does nothing. I have tested the ICM and found 1/4 side of the primary(rear) coil not getting signal. I have a new ICM but have not installed it yet. Who here has experienced the same thing and what was the fix that worked for you?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Do you have a block heater? There are inline [heater core lines] heaters available if you don't have a block heater.

 

[ExploreNW]

If starting fluid won't even make it sputter, go ahead and install that new ICM. If it still won't light off, hook up a timing light and have a buddy turn the key while you check your timing against the crank pulley and cover. Swap the front and rear coils with each other as well. One will have considerably less wear on it than the other and that might light it off.

All engines need to richen up considerably to run in the cold. You might smell fuel but that doesn't mean it's getting enough. Check the IAT sensor in your air box and check the wiring to it. Your EEC defaults to a pre-set temp if it can't see data from the IAT (I read 70 deg.F somewhere...) in order to set a mix & set timing for starting.

Failing those, replace your EEC. I had my F250's EEC-V burn out 3 hours away from home, in the middle of the desert! Thing was having issues running in the cold too. My scan tool naturally didn't show any problems. It was murdering fuel pumps, fuel rail sensors, MAFs with skewed voltage. Took 2 shops to diagnose the issue as the PCM. ****ing expensive!

 

[HighMileage93]

installed the ICM last Sunday and now have spark on all plugs. Hasn't been cold enough again to see if that solved the cold start but hey, one thing at a time, right? New starter and oil change in yesterday and the lowering kit is due in this week. Finally gonna need a drivers side cab corner soon. LOL

 

[RonD]

Gasoline can not be ignited by a spark, yes the movie guys take liberties with that one, lol

Gasoline VAPOR can be ignited by a spark
The "smell" of gasoline is the vapor, so if you can't smell it there is no vapor and when gasoline is cold..........less and less vapor the colder it gets

A gasoline engine needs minimum 30% gasoline vapor in a cylinder for it to fire
This is why you need compression above 100psi to get a good start, compression is HEAT, higher compression = higher heat = more gasoline vapor

Ever wondered why an engine needs to be Choked, even fuel injected engines, its to increase the Vapor level in the COLD cylinders
If cold gasoline is 15% vapor then if you DOUBLE the amount of gasoline you get 30% so engine can start, simple as that

Quick Start(starting fluid) is Ether in a spray can, ether has a lower vapor point and can be ignited by a spark, so in cold temps the ether can get cold engine to fire up.
Once a cylinder fires, it heats up quickly so the liquid gasoline coming in from carb or injectors is vaporized more easily to keep engine running


Block heaters really help for cold starts in low temps, more gasoline vapor as it enters the warmer engine