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Sparky advice needed - live feed for glow plugs...

Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 11:18 pm
by rustyp
Sparky advice needed - live feed for glow plugs...

Before anyone says, the glow plug relay is fine, it switches on and off when starting etc., the contacts are clean but the live feed to the relay and through to the glow plugs is very feeble and intermittent.

Where does this live feed come from? Is this live feed controlled by another relay perhaps? Something isn't quite right.

Sometimes there is no current and the bongo runs rough and is a pain to start (I have removed the feed to the glow plugs and it is the same) othertimes it starts and runs well. Annoyingly it is intermittent.

Using my electrical testing tool (shorting it with a screwdriver to see if it sparks) and cranking it over very occassionaly there is lots of current, sometimes a little but usually none.

Please help

Thanks

Russ

Re: Sparky advice needed - live feed for glow plugs...

Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 11:22 pm
by munroman
Have you checked the battery to body earth and the engine to body earth cables, as you need both to be in good condition to get a circuit, I have had issues on previous vehicles with this.

(And of course check that the feed from the battery via the fuse to the glowplug relay is sound too!)

Re: Sparky advice needed - live feed for glow plugs...

Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 7:30 am
by haydn callow
Look at your Battery positive terminal......from there, there is a slow blow fuse link wire (fuseable link)....it runs directly from the pos terminal downwards.... this may have gone....you can do a short term fix by replacing it with a 30 amp inline fuse

Re: Sparky advice needed - live feed for glow plugs...

Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 11:59 am
by rustyp
Hello there, thank you all who have replied so far. From the +ve terminal on battery there is a wire that runs downwards (red and blue - same a live on relay) with a small connector a few inches along then the wire simply dissapears into the wiring loom as far as I can see. I couldn't see any "fusible wire" although not too sure what to look for. Where is the fuse for the glow plugs located?

I have just had the journey from hell, I am writing this inside the bongo on my mobile and it is raining hard but I have managed to get to my next location only just. Had to keep revs up and go into neutral when stopping then shove it into L1 or S2 otherwise it would crawl at tickover and or cut out. Not sure if this problem is related to glow plugs not doing their thing or exaperating another problem. I changed the diesel pump o-rings (genuine ones) but I have heard that the seal on the nose (the driven bit) can leak as well causing air tio be sucked in but would be a swine of a job to change!

It was driving ok earlier if being a pain to start and rough tickover (glow plugs - lack of)

Any suggestions in the next hour as I am cooking lunch for someone then off to see someone else for some social interaction. Thankfully I have all my tools in the back and a waterproof!

thanks, Russ

Re: Sparky advice needed - live feed for glow plugs...

Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 1:13 pm
by g8dhe
Its in the "small connector a few inches long" click the link below and hover your mouse over the Glowplug fuse and a picture will appear;

Re: Sparky advice needed - live feed for glow plugs...

Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 9:04 pm
by rustyp
Hello there, the plot thickens.....

Looking at the pic - I HAVE NO FUSIBLE LINK! I just have a plain standard factory looking connector.

Gonna have to play around with multimeter tomorrow see if I can find out what is happening.

Also the o-ring that faces away from the block on the diesel pump is weeping :evil: that pressed steel top hat thing doesn't seem the most substantial thing. I ground it flat when putting the o-ring in place last time but it seems to have deformed :cry:

All the best

Russ

Re: Sparky advice needed - live feed for glow plugs...

Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 2:20 am
by rustyp
Hello all, I checked everything with a multimeter and the wire from the glow plug relay to the glow plugs has a lot of resistance/really bad connection somewhere which will be fun to dig through the wrapped loom to find!

Polished the mating surface on the top hat cover on the diesel pump and used a smeer of gasket stuff to help cure the leaks (works well now)

Thanks all, Russ

Re: Sparky advice needed - live feed for glow plugs...

Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 2:21 am
by rustyp
Hello all, I checked everything with a multimeter and the wire from the glow plug relay to the glow plugs has a lot of resistance/really bad connection somewhere which will be fun to dig through the wrapped loom to find!

Polished the mating surface on the top hat cover on the diesel pump and used a smeer of gasket stuff to help cure the leaks (works well now)

Thanks all, Russ