M-1008 Wait Light

[scooterbill]

Wait light stays on for about three seconds. Truck starts immediately in warm weather. In colder weather, it will start but it takes a few tries. Seems like the glow plugs aren't heating long enough. Turning the key off and on seems to help. Do I need new glow plugs? Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[jterry211]

Most likely not the glow plugs. Probably a weak card. You can always put in a momentary switch that sends a ground to the baby blue wire on the glow plug controller. Hold it for a few seconds to warm them up. I don't have a controller board just a button works great.

 

[dougco1]

Start with checking your glow plugs first, you may have a bad one. If they check out ok than move on to the card like jterry suggest.

 

[cucvrus]

Do what you want but I would pull all 8 of the glow plugs and visually look and check them. I had swelled ones that worked and failed at the most in opportune time. That is my option and experiences. It is a 5 minute job to pull all 8. If they are not swelled. Well worth the time exchange.

 

[scooterbill]

I appreciate the advice. I replaced the card with one from another truck and got the same results. I think I will replace all eight glow plugs and if that doesn't work, I'll put in a momentary switch. Thanks again.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

Thre's testing.....

Start with checking your glow plugs first, you may have a bad one. If they check out ok than move on to the card like jterry suggest.

Do what you want but I would pull all 8 of the glow plugs and visually look and check them. I had swelled ones that worked and failed at the most in opportune time. That is my option and experiences. It is a 5 minute job to pull all 8. If they are not swelled. Well worth the time exchange.

And there is guessing..... and part swapping..... and jury-rigging....

Most likely not the glow plugs. Probably a weak card. You can always put in a momentary switch that sends a ground to the baby blue wire on the glow plug controller. Hold it for a few seconds to warm them up. I don't have a controller board just a button works great.

I appreciate the advice. I replaced the card with one from another truck and got the same results. I think I will replace all eight glow plugs and if that doesn't work, I'll put in a momentary switch. Thanks again.

One of these ways is better than the other way.

 

[dougco1]

Thre's testing.....






And there is guessing..... and part swapping..... and jury-rigging....







One of these ways is better than the other way.

I assume I had the better way.

 

[gottaluvit]

I just recently changed my glow plugs for the same reason. Started nicely with warm weather and only one cycle of the GP light, or the occasional two. As fall crept in the cycle count needed to get it to start went up. I put new GPs in and messed them up with my inexperience, but once I was instructed of the proper starting procedure by fellow SS members (and buying another set of GPs and digging out the ones I swelled) it starts now on the first try. I am betting on bad GPs.

 

[seansilverado]

It Gould be a bad glow plug temp sensor

 

[scooterbill]

Thanks Gottaluvit. I will replace the gp's. A new set isn't going to hurt anything for sure, these don't exactly look new.

 

[scooterbill]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have really learned a lot since being a member here. These old diesels take a little getting used to. I'm sure I'll be needing more advice as time goes on. I have two of these 1008's. Lots of helpful members here.

 

[gottaluvit]

If you put your actual location you might find out there's someone in your neck of the woods that just might physically come to help. Or at least try my hardest to talk you into selling me one of those two trucks!

 

[jterry211]

I wouldn't consider my way jerry rigging and guessing. First off it is not uncommon to have to cycle the key more than once on a cold day. Even with a fully functional card, wiring and plugs if it dipped below 50i had to turn the key on and off a couple times. Second three seconds is short cycling anyway.

 

[jterry211]

Also in the original post he didn't say he had already changed the card.

 

[cucvrus]

I always glow once and it starts. if it don't start I may try again. Maybe not. But it starts on the first 5 seconds of cranking or I move on to another vehicle. If you must cycle several times at 50 degrees you have some issues that need corrected. Because at 30-0 it will never start. Oh yea magic spray.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

Buying new parts to put in is guessing, not testing. Manual GP switch as an emergency backup is one thing, doing it instead of fixing the real problem is jury-rigging.

It should start. Period. If it doesn't, something is wrong. Find out what's wrong by testing, following the procedure in the manual. It was written so that 18 year old kids with no training could follow it and get reliable results.

The GP theory of operation is explained here. Very helpful.

Spray and pray might get you there, eventually, but it's not the best way.

 

[scooterbill]

The truck starts every time. If it's 40 degrees I do have to cycle it about three times. I'm in central Louisiana and we haven't had much cool weather so far. I do intend to find the problem and fix it the way it was designed to work. The momentary switch would be temporary if it came to that. It won't get any "magic spray".

 

[gottaluvit]

The truck starts every time. If it's 40 degrees I do have to cycle it about three times. I'm in central Louisiana and we haven't had much cool weather so far. I do intend to find the problem and fix it the way it was designed to work. The momentary switch would be temporary if it came to that. It won't get any "magic spray".

Mine wasn't starting first attempt at 50 degrees before I tore into my truck. Only two of them were bad when I took the glow plugs out of mine. It needs all 8 in working order and it will start first attempt at 15 degrees! (I will know lower temps as they come but it's only been as low as 15 degrees since I changed my GPs) It might have to turn over for 6-8 seconds (no doubt more as it gets colder) but it will fire up on the first cycle of the GPs. On another note, being there is no actual computer tying your starter and GP card together, I would think that GP card has no idea what you are doing with that starter and the GPs are still in afterstart glow mode, so if it didn't start on first attempt, couldn't we just NOT shut the key off but go ahead and hit the starter again while the GPs are still on cycle #1?

 

[cucvrus]

OK scooter bill you have an issue with that CUC/V. It sounds like you have a few glow plugs that are not operating. At 40 degrees that thing should start at the 3-5 second crank time. Provided you have good batteries , starter and the glow plugs are operating. if I had to cycle 3 times in 40 degree weather and that was the norm. I would sell it and get something I can rely on. that needs attention if you expect it to start in colder weather. It is your truck do as you wish. Get the batteries load tested, get the volt meter out and start checking the glow plug system. All the way down to pulling the glow plugs and visually checking them. Never hurts a thing. The look see is the best why on anything. Assumption with the test light is just that. I agree it will work but you getting an eyeball view of the glow plugs and the current condition of the tips is better then just assuming. I have seen glow plugs that heat up back at the base of the threads not the tip. That is scarp change it. That would show a light test light if you don't pull them out and look at them. OK have a great day and crank away if you must. in mine the less I hear the starter the more i like it. i am willing to bet that I have some of the healthiest starters on all my CUC/V's. I keep them fresh and if they make 1 sound I don't like they are gone to the re-builder. I don't change them all that often. But that always helps avoid the other issues associated with the starting system. Same as batteries. If it needs jumped it needs batteries. Unless you left the lights or something else on and can get it going by jumping the front battery only. Healthy batteries , glow plugs and good starter and alternators makes all CUC/V's less troublesome.

 

[Assel]

the coldest start I ever had was about ~15 F, it cycled for about 30 seconds before the wait-light went out, then it fired right up (I kept the pedal floored while the starter was turning, when it ran by itself I released it) and I had some smoke for a minute. If its that cold it can idle a few minutes before I start to drive (Also I dont really push it until I get warm air out the heater-blower..)

I have a new GP-controller and a new GP relay installed, all stock except the doghead mod. I never had to try a few times until it ran (despite the times with the dead batterie, burnt controllercard and bad gp relay..it didnt start then)

I still run the old glowplugs...when one of those will fail I´m replacing them all, have a set of 60g´s ready to put in.