What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Truck Wont start, glowplug controler?

Is it the glowplug controler?

  • Yes its the glowplug controler

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • No its not the glowplug controler

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I have no idea what a glowplug is

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Its sunday... why arent you nekked drinking beer?

    Votes: 2 100.0%
  • Total voters
    2
K

K5dreamer

1/2 ton status
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Posts
3,081
Reaction score
2
Location
Alexandria, Va
Hey guys and gals, Went out to make a gasoline run for the lawnmower, and the truck wouldnt start.

Symptoms - yellow "wait" light does not turn off. truck cranks with plenty of speed and force, after cranking for a little while, white smoke starts coming out of the tailpipes, not really thick, just enough to blow smoke rings and linger for a bit. it did this a few days ago, but it did start up. Ive had some issues with the "wait" light in the past, but nothing that effected the way the truck ran.

Weather - it is a bit cooler out, and kinda rainy, so without glowplugs it may not want to start. but its hardley cold outside.

Thoughts?

Ive already replaced the glowplugs a couple of years ago (maybe 2), and the wiring harness is in good shape, could it be the glowplug controler? its on the firewall behind the vacuum pump right? how do i test this to make sure its ok, or verify that its failed?
 
the glow plugs can go out if it has been couple years.id pull em and check them out.see if they are good and if they are then i would suspect the controller.if the wait light isnt going off that means the glow plugs are not heating up.one or the other is the problem.at least this was the case on hummvees in the military.may be different in your truck.
 
fair enough, not like its that hard to put a voltmeter on the glowplugs. if i remember the resistance is supposed to be like 1.6 or 1.8 ohms right?

EDIT - did some forum searching and got 0.8 ohms, so ill go check em and see what im workin with.
 
well THARS your problem!!!!

Ill post a pic later tonight, although im sure ill be embarrased afterwords. It seems that the entire time ive owned the truck, the firewall mounted glowplug controller has been disconnected. its mounted on the firewall but what look like the power and ground cables were unbolted and tucked in behind the controler where i couldnt see them. havent put a meter on the glowplugs yet either.

Confusing thing is the glowplugs should still be getting power somehow, because ive been able to start it easily in winter, when its covered with snow.

Can someone post a picture of their glowplug controler and how the power cables are mounted??
 
Must be nice! My '84 absolutely will not start (won't even sputter) without a few seconds of glow...even with this 90* weather we've been having.

Ditch the controller, put in a manual switch and be done with it.:deal:
 
might do the manual switch at some point, but right now i just wanna get it running properly. im trying to stay on track with the mods i already have planned for the time being without adding more as i go.



for the record... this => :chainsaw:, is a really angry smiley... trying to think where one might use it.


:eek1::eek1::eek1: :chainsaw:
 
glad you found the problem.i knew it was either or.its a closed system so it can only be one or the other.im also surprised that it started withoutit hooked up.with humvees it would take a couple minutes of crankin to get it started weven with only a couple bad plugs.make sure the po didnt put anether controller somewhere else and it still powers the plugs.just folow the plug wires to see where they lead.
 
not sayin its solved just yet, I was planning on working on it tonight... but i got to work at 6:45 this morning... clocked out at 9:10 this evening, and drove 45 minutes home... ate dinner, and now all i want is my bed lol. maybe tomorrow.
 
cdoggwsu said:
Must be nice! My '84 absolutely will not start (won't even sputter) without a few seconds of glow...even with this 90* weather we've been having.

Ditch the controller, put in a manual switch and be done with it.:deal:
Click to expand...
x2

I went to a manual momentary push button and a ford starter relay and I haven't looked back.
 
um... crap, now im really curious. i didnt know that silver thing was the glowplug relay. i thought it was the thing in the middle of the firewall directly behind the air cleaner. in the pic below you can see my glowplug relay (silver cylinder) is wired to the power distribution block right next to it. which is how i just wired it to repair the obviously failed wire i took off. The failed wire looks non oem, and in the pic sixb posted, it looks like the thing behind the air cleaner is wired to the top post on the glowplug controller.

what is the thing behind the air cleaner in the center of the firewall? and should it be wired to the glowplug relay, or am i ok using that power distribution block?

picture.php


picture.php


picture.php


pretty obvious what the problem was once i started looking in the right place though. made a quick repair this evening using wire stolen from my camaro that just burned to the ground. truck fired on the first crank after i replaced that toasted wire.
 
Looks like the wire that goes from the resistor pack to the glo plug relay. Am I right?

The CUCV's 12/24 system is a bit different from the civilian model straight 12, IIRC the resistor pack drops the 24v starting voltage to 12v for the plugs.

Anyway, sounds like your fixed, good news!
 
ahhhhh gotcha. so the resistor pack should connect to the 24v power distribution block, and then to the glowplug relay.

seems that the PO just connected to the 12v power block and bypassed the resistor pack. now i should probably figure out why. wonder if the resistor pack failed in some way.
 
Dreamer, you need to head over to the Steel Soldiers forum and ask about it there IMHO, those military vehicle geeks can give you way more accurate information and details than I can!

The gloplug system is 12v, the starter system is 24v. I think the batteries are wired in series to give it 24v. I think the resister pack drops the 24v to 12v for the vehicle and gloplugs?

Get on over to SS and see what they say bud..

GL,
Andrew
 
Maybe I missed it but is your truck still 24v?

Also be warned but some of the guys on SS can get rather testy on this subject. They're very much of the mindset to "leave it alone". I've seen more than one thread about this system degenerate into them yelling at people who mess with the starting system.

I say rip it all off and start anew with 12v civy parts. I'm biased though.
 
yup, still got the 24v system in there. i think its pretty cool, even if the starter is god auwful expensive.

Ive got a SS membership, im just hardley over there. and to be honest, i have the service manual for the truck on CD, so i suppose i could load it up and start going through the wiring diagrams if i wasnt lazy :rolleyes:
 
Hard to tell from the picture, but that burnt up wire isn't a fuse link is it?
Just thinking about your history with fires.......
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom