an air leak in the fuel system, timing out computer fault, lift pump faulty or failing,expensive. injectors dirty or warn, injector pump fault- expensive
You eating the engine.
Timing needs adjustment is the most likely cause.
Most diesel engines are hard to start when it is cold. Plugging the diesel engine block heater in will help the engine start.
The year and engine size would help us help you.
Most of the time a diesel has a hard time starting when its cool. When they have a hard time starting when hot, it is usually caused by the fuel running back into the tank. Check for a cracked fuel filter housing or a cracked low pressure fuel line. It is possible you have the wrong fuel filter. Install a top quality name brand filter like Wiks or Baldwin that has an anti bleed back valve in the filter.
Try replacing glow plugs.
Hard starting can be the effect of many different things such as: clogged gas line, air filter, or oil line, bad wire connections, or simply a bad engine. Back-firing is from unused gas in the muffler that is ignited by a spark or flame form the engine and is itself harmless.
The #1 cause of hard starting a 1991 ford explorer is having lost your keys
Could be bad glow plugs.
Maybe a head gasket leak they're hard to see and can cause coolant leakge and you might smell the coolant in the car
Hard starting on a diesel is from a lack of fuel or a lack of heat/compression. Air in the fuel lines, plugged fuel filters, and broken electric fuel pumps are the more common hard start issues. Cummins engines use a grid type air preheater. If the hard starting is ONLY in cold weather this is a good place to start.
thw weather is cold?