Installing my glowplug button - few ?'s

[Mtrdrms]

So I have done alot of reading on the subject of the glowplug switch here and I think I know what I'm doing (always a dangerous proposition) but I like to make sure. So for those of you that have wired in a button or switch - I cut the blue wire going from the relay (is this the same blue wire that goes to the card?) with enough slack to get it to a switch I installed on the dash. The other terminal on the switch goes to a solid ground. Sound right?

Andy

 

[doghead]

yes

 

[Mtrdrms]

Easy enough.

 

[mangus580]

I wouldnt even cut the wire!!! Just attach a new wire to the same terminal on the Realy.

BUT... If your glow plug card is working properly.... why bother???

 

[Westech]

Take it from a guy who knows.... Removing the card and installing a switch = ****ty starting. I have had 3 sweet CUCV's and two of them the card was not working and I installed the "switch". Yeah they start but they start so much better with the stock system. I have done some looking and I found a controller for glow plugs for 40 bucks. If your stock system goes to hell just get a new controller or use this thing.... Trust me a controller works 100 times better.



http://shortlinks.net/jag119

 

[Mtrdrms]

I wouldnt even cut the wire!!! Just attach a new wire to the same terminal on the Realy.

BUT... If your glow plug card is working properly.... why bother???

I think my card is bad...
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?t=30592

 

[mangus580]

Do a temporary bypass first. Turn the key on, and touch a wire to the blue terminal, and to ground. See if the relay energizes.

 

[Mtrdrms]

I hear ya Westech and thanks for the heads up. Where is that kit from? Quick question on the switch tho, when i grounded the blue wire the relay clicked and I got 24v to a glow plug wire. Is that normal? I thought it should be 12?

 

[mangus580]

Your glow plugs are shot... and it probably took out your controller because of it.

 

[Mtrdrms]

They are less than a week old. How does that happen so I can prevent it in the future?

 

[mangus580]

What plugs did you put in?

 

[Mtrdrms]

Wellmans. I just tested them all and they all came back between 2 and 5 megaohms. I guess thats not good. So any ideas how I keep this from happening to my next set?

 

[Mtrdrms]

I also have a brand new one that is testing at 1.5 ohms. I thought it should be in the 5 range?

 

[mangus580]

I never trust the ohm reading... I always power them up to be sure.

I think (reading from some other threads) that Wellman may have had a bad batch. Might be worth checking them all, and calling about them.

They shouldnt have fried that easy.

 

[ida34]

Is the resistor still in place? It might have failed. When the full load of 8 glow plugs is applied the resister should drop the voltage to the glow plugs to 12 volts or pretty close. The resistor must have the load of all the glow plugs to drop the voltage down. If some are burned out the voltage the others see goes up and burns the others out. It is important to have the load of the glow plugs. If the other side of the GP relay was not connected when you jumped the relay then you would see 24 volts. With the glow plugs connected you should see a moment of 24 volts then it should drop rapidly to around 12 volts.

 

[Mtrdrms]

What resistor?

 

[mangus580]

The BIG resistor on the firewall that feeds the glow plug system.

 

[Mtrdrms]

Its still there. How do I check it?

 

[appalacious]

thats a good question.
you could check it with an ohm meter, but I don't know if you'd get a good reading.

Its probably supposed to be around 1 ohm.

You could put 12 volts across it and check the current going thruogh the circuit.
ohms = volts/current. if you get 12 amps, thats 1ohm. But your meter might not like that measurement. It'd have to be a big meter.

The normal way to check it is to simply check the voltage at the gp relay (to ground) with gp's installed good. Then, like they said, you look for an initial 24V, and then when the relay clicks it'll go down to 12V. If you don't have gp's, though, I don't know the best way to test it.

I really doubt it could go bad though. Do these resistors fail alot?
J

 

[Mtrdrms]

Well Ill let you know how it goes but I found a good switch at Napa for any of you thinking about this mod. Its part number STB6301 and costs about 10 bucks.
http://www.napaonline.com/NOLPPSE/(...art Number&N=0&Nty=1&D=stb6301&Dn=0&Dk=1&Dp=3