QuestionVan,
I'm thinking that from what you said that the solenoid/relay is bad. The first time I had trouble starting the truck, all of the plugs seemed bad. I then replaced all 8 with new military plugs, which lasted about 2 weeks. I haven't pulled them all, but the 3 I pulled all were bad.
So the Borg Warner S55 is a standard part? When you mention wiring it correctly, it's just a matter of reinstalling the wires on the correct side of the relay as they came off right? How can I tell if it is sticking? Does it the feed current continuosly to the plugs? When I put a tester on the plugs, it measured 24v at peak and would drop off as the relay clicked on and off, then would drop dowmn to 3 - 5 v.
The plug set I put in first came from our local parts store and they lasted 1 day (12v), and all were bad when pulled.
I replaced them with the military plugs (24v), they lasted about 2-3 weeks.
One interesting thing is the 1st set (24v) had bigger spade connectors, and I had to file off a bit to get the connector to fit on. The 2nd set had the correct style spade for the connector. I'll replace the relay and plugs and see what happens. Look forward to you answers.
Thansk again John
Thanks John
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Van,
Thanks for your help previously with my truck it was very helpfull! I've encountered another problem. I ordered the 24v military glow plugs which worked for about 2 weeks. I can't start the darn truck again. I pulled out a plug and it is mushroomed/swollen on the end. I contacted the company that I bought them from and they told me that they thought that if the plugs were swollen that the controller or replay is most likely bad. In your experience what would you say might be causing it to ruin the glow plugs? Is there a special controller, solenoid or relay I need to buy since it still runs on the 24v plugs? Or is the controller, solenoid and elay standard ones I can pickup from my local checy dealer? Should I replace all three componets to be safe before I spend another $80 on new glow plugs? One last question, the controller I belive is under the dash, the solenoid is on the firewall and looks like a regular solenoid, but where is the relay and what does it look like? I think that there is something near the solenoid that looks like a oblong metal contact bar. Is that it? Once again thanks for all your advice, and I'll have to send you a case of beer once I'm all done for all of your time.
Thanks John Benson
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I've got a 87 chevy CUCV that was parked for 2 months. When I attempted to start it, it wouldn't fire up. Checked fuel and all of the usual suspects. After pulling out a couple of glow plugs to see if they would glow when I tested them, found out all 8 were not working. I then went to my local auto parts store and bought new ones, installed them, and 2 cranks the beast came to life, drove fine all afternoon. The bad news was I went out the next morning, and it wouldn't start, just some smoke out of the tailpipe. I pulled out one of the new glow plugs to find out it has swelled at the end. That one came out without any breakage, hoping the others will come out without breaking off.
I've read some of your previous replies to some other questions and see that my truck is probably still running a 24 volt system. I checked the voltage at the glow plugs, and when the relay clicks on it shoots up to 24 volts, then drops down to like 5 volts before it clicks back on. Did I get the wrong plugs? I found some on a website that says they have them just for the 24 volt military trucks. Is this what I should order, and will they last? One last question is it worth changing it over to a 12 volt?
Thanks for your help in advance,
John
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On most of my 1008's, I have done away with the 24 volts to the glow plugs only. I still use the 24 volt starters.
At the glow plug solenoid, on the battery side, just cut the wire by the resistor, and connect it to the diamond shaped 12 volt power stud there by the relay, on the firewall. That way, only 12 volts will be available.
it is also possible the relay is sticking shut, weather due to the controller under the dash, or the relay itself sticking, although looks like you measured the downstream side, and it sounds good.
If you have a little plastic oblong relay, I can tell you, they will melt internally, and either not work, or stick shut. Replace it with a Niehoff S55, available at most parts houses.
And yes, the glow plugs could be the wrong ones.
Get the ones for the military trucks if they are reasonable.
Van
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Hi John.
Yes, the controller is near the fuse block under the dash.
The relay and the solenoid on the firewall, are the same thing. That solenoid is a constant use relay.
I have had them stick, but when that happens, ALL the glow plugs will be ruined.
I have had the controllers go bad. You can remove the controller board from that plastic holder. Just pull it. A pair of pliers helps.
The relay can be replaced with the Borg Warner S55. But it must be wired correctly.
The controller, to the best of my knowledge, is strictly military. I have never bought one.
www.memphisequipment.com can probably get one for you.
And the glowplugs are NOT 24 volt. They are available at local parts stores, but I don't remember the number right off, so I won't guess.
I have had people tell me they wired the relay for manual control with a push button, and worked it that way for years, which might be considerably cheaper than finding a controller.
That kinda diamond shaped thing on the firewall near the relay, is just a 12 volt power tap.
Van
AnswerHello John,
The reason for the bigger spade terminals is they are for a different application.
By wiring the solenoid correctly, that does NOT mean necessarily the way the wires come off the old one....it might no be wired correctly.
As for measuring the voltage, there should be ZERO volts at the glow plugs if the solenoid is not energized.
With good plugs, there should be 12 volts when the solenoid is energized, and drop to zero again when it is not energized.
If you have voltage, something must be wrong.
If the relay/solenoid sticks closed for longer than it should, the glowplugs will be ruined.
The relay can stick due to internal relay problems, incorrect wiring, incorrect relay, a bad coolant temperature sensor, or a bad controller.
Wiring on the solenoid.... One of the large studs has two large orange wires, and one small orange wire.
The other large stud is connected to battery power. Orriginally, and as yours is, that comes from that large resistor on the firewall, from a 24 volt source.
I still have one that way, but the rest of mine have eliminated that resistor, which I have a tendance to distrust, and rather than run to it, I cut the wire, and connect it to that black, diamond shaped little power tap, with the two studs, right there by the solenoid. That is just 12 volts, and it will operate the glow plugs just fine.
The small studs on the solenoid.... One has a light blue wire which goes to the glowplug control module, and that is the wire that completes the ground through the solenoid winding, and engages it.
The other small terminal has a pink/black wire. That is the ignition feed wire, and will have 12 volts whenever the key is in run.
In the remote event that you would want to operate the glowplugs manually, I would remove that light blue wire, and replace it with a wire to a pushbutton. The other side of the pushbutton would connect to ground. Then with the key on, you push the button, and it will energize the solenoid as long as you hold it. The wait light probably won't operate, but the plugs will.
I would want to time the glowplugs on an operating system of a different 1008, and start by applying them for just a little less than that time, till I learned how long to heat them. I would only be guessing from memory if I gave a time estimate.
Van
