Discussion:
Glow Plugs

Is the water temp sensor, what tells the glow plug controller how long to turn glow plugs on?
  • Posted 15 Dec 2013 01:04
  • By altagarage
  • joined 25 Aug'13 - 4 messages
  • California, United States
Showing items 1 - 7 of 7 results.
That be the one or very similar to what i have seen in days gone by.
  • Posted 4 Feb 2014 08:58
  • By RCAV8TOR
  • joined 12 Nov'11 - 366 messages
  • Alabama, United States
What i used to do all day now takes me all day to do.
"Brings back memories swoop and the first lift that comes to mind is the old Hyster Challengers with flaming manifolds. Kinda like those myself."

I remember working on some Cummins engines in 1970 (highway trucks) that had a cold start option package.
In addition to a fully functional, manually operated compression release, there was an intake manifold preheater feature.
The preheater had a glow plug to initiate the "burn" with a small Diesel fuel spray nozzle fed by a hand operated plunger type pump that was mounted on the dashboard (or on the shift tower panel if a cab over truck). When the hand pump was operated fuel sprayed out of the nozzle and across the hot glow plug. Some of the fuel would actually burst into flame, but most of it just got vaporized. The combination of heated air and heated fuel vapor made it easier for the compression ignition process to begin.
I remember being a kid (just out of high school) being instructed by my new boss about how to use the cold starting aid.
1, turn on the glow plug switch. Count to twenty.
2, after twenty, begin operating the hand pump plunger.
3, after about 4 or 5 strokes of the pump, pull hard on the compression release control lever/**** and crank the engine with the key switch.
4, after the engine spins up in its decompressed state, let go of the compression release. If the engine begins to run, resume operating the hand pump slowly until the engine idles smoothly. If engine fails to run, repeat all the first 4 steps.
Turn off the glow plug when the engine begins to idle smoothly.

So, RCAV8OR...........did the "flaming manifold" Hyster set up work something like that? or am I missing the mark?
  • Posted 4 Feb 2014 02:37
  • By L1ftmech
  • joined 25 Apr'12 - 394 messages
  • Tennessee, United States
The glow plugs usually either work correctly or not at all. We recently had an issue on a low hour truck and the relay was bad.

Just a fyi..
On the newer equipment, the glow (QGS) controller for the glow system is built into the VCM. Also, the newer trucks with the QD32 engine only use's one relay where as the older models used two.
  • Posted 4 Feb 2014 01:07
  • By james_c
  • joined 23 Dec'04 - 2 messages
  • Wisconsin, United States
Brings back memories swoop and the first lift that comes to mind is the old Hyster Challengers with flaming manifolds. Kinda like those myself.
  • Posted 28 Jan 2014 10:06
  • By RCAV8TOR
  • joined 12 Nov'11 - 366 messages
  • Alabama, United States
What i used to do all day now takes me all day to do.
just about all glow plug circuits i've ever dealt with use a relay and a timer...
turn on the ignition and wait 5 to 10 secs approximatly and also should be some kind of indicator light on the dash...
when the glow plugs are in heatup mode the light will be on....
when the light goes out then the engine is ready to start

now if this is an older glow start system it may have a glow plug in the intake and a fuel line running to it
it actually pumps fuel into the intake and ignites it to heat up the intake chamber.
would have to be a really old truck though... havn't seen those in years.
  • Posted 16 Dec 2013 15:01
  • Modified 16 Dec 2013 15:03 by poster
  • By swoop223
  • joined 23 Mar'12 - 3,691 messages
  • North Carolina, United States
You've been swooped!
swoop223@gmail.com
I replaced that to the tune of 1,100.00 bucks, but was warm when I installed it. It had been short cycling for some time and I wired in a push button switch for manual use with careful instruction on how to use. I haven't heard back. Thanks
  • Posted 16 Dec 2013 02:02
  • By altagarage
  • joined 25 Aug'13 - 4 messages
  • California, United States
without serial number it is just a wag, but more often than not, it is a time delay relay.
  • Posted 15 Dec 2013 02:29
  • By edward_t
  • joined 5 Mar'08 - 2,334 messages
  • South Carolina, United States
"it's not rocket surgery"

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