Glow Plug timer

[tehekho]

In my rocky, the glow plugs on cold start only seem to 'glow' for about 6 seconds.
If I re-cycle them half a dozen times, the truck will start with about a quarter of a crank (Cold, first thing in the morning). Else, I need to crank and pump the throttle for a few seconds.

In my dads truck (2006 Courier T/D) They cycle for about 15 - 20 seconds first thing in the morning and the truck also starts with about half a crank - albeit without the prompting of the glow plugs to run half a dozen times.

I'm assuming mine just aren't running for long enough at fault of the timer. Old mate that I bought the truck off said that the glow plugs were replace not long after purchase, and I have no reason not to believe that given that the truck starts fine after a few cycles.

The book says that the timer on the vehicle can't be adjusted. I'm positive that the timer uses input from the coolant temp or similar as on a hot start, they only glow for half a second or so.

Is this something that has been made in the past as a DIY?

I'm keen to give it a go if I can't figure out how to modify/adjust the factory item. I've an alright understanding of electronics... So...help?

[shorty_f0rty]

on the Toyota diesels you can wire up something called a 'wilson switch' to manual override your glow circuit.

if you search google for 'wilson switch ih8mud' you should find a bit of info. not sure if it will work for your rocky but worth a shot.

On mine, my glow timer goes off in 2-3 secs and isnt really enough time to glow properly.. i just press the momentary button i've got setup, count to 10 and it fires up first time every time.

[Chucky]

Just wire up a momentary switch on the dash that puts power to the glow plug rail via a relay.
I did this to my Hilux when the relay on it died and I also have recently done this to my 60 with the 6.5 Chev.

[chpd80]

I also hooked up a momentary switch to the glow plugs when I converted from petrol to deisel.
I count to ten in the morning when its cold and maybe two seconds if its been warm then left for a while, and nothing if its normal operating temp.

[tehekho]

OK.

I was kind of hoping to make it work 'automagically' with the long term goal of using a remote-starter with it. Why? So I can be a lazy bastard and start it when I jump out of the shower, and it can be warmed up and behaving nicely by the time I'm finished breakfast.

For now will hook up the momentary switch, and if I ever decide to do it the 'proper' way, will post results! Could be useful for you guys with conversions!

[ISUZUROVER]

OK.

I was kind of hoping to make it work 'automagically' with the long term goal of using a remote-starter with it. Why? So I can be a lazy bastard and start it when I jump out of the shower, and it can be warmed up and behaving nicely by the time I'm finished breakfast.

For now will hook up the momentary switch, and if I ever decide to do it the 'proper' way, will post results! Could be useful for you guys with conversions!

Idling is BAD for engines. The best thing you can do for the engine is start it, wait ~30s for oil to get everywhere, then drive easy till up to temp.

CAT and other engine manufacturers agree with the above.

Are the engines you mention direct (DI) or indirect (IDI) injection diesels? DI diesels should start easily (no accelerator) and usually don't need glow plugs at all. IDI engines should be started with foot flat to the floor on the accelerator until they fire - not pumping.

I find with IDI engines that start slowly, the best option I have found is to crank for a second (foot flat to the floor), then glow (now you are heating up fuel in the cylinders not just air, then crank.

[tehekho]

OK.

I was kind of hoping to make it work 'automagically' with the long term goal of using a remote-starter with it. Why? So I can be a lazy bastard and start it when I jump out of the shower, and it can be warmed up and behaving nicely by the time I'm finished breakfast.

For now will hook up the momentary switch, and if I ever decide to do it the 'proper' way, will post results! Could be useful for you guys with conversions!

Idling is BAD for engines. The best thing you can do for the engine is start it, wait ~30s for oil to get everywhere, then drive easy till up to temp.

CAT and other engine manufacturers agree with the above.

Are the engines you mention direct (DI) or indirect (IDI) injection diesels? DI diesels should start easily (no accelerator) and usually don't need glow plugs at all. IDI engines should be started with foot flat to the floor on the accelerator until they fire - not pumping.

I find with IDI engines that start slowly, the best option I have found is to crank for a second (foot flat to the floor), then glow (now you are heating up fuel in the cylinders not just air, then crank.

Indirect injection.

So I'd be better off to hit the remote starter as I grab my backpack and lunch then?

I've found the engine just runs like a bucket of puss in the first 2 or so minutes. Breakfast is 8 Weetbix and takes about 5 minutes to chow down - I have my coffee before I get into the shower. Idling for that amount of time still a bad idea?

[tehekho]

Also, not being a smartass, serious question...

Wouldn't the fuel in the cylinder you heated be purged as soon as the exhaust valves open? (I guess that one advantage would be that some fuel would settle around the piston rings and very minorly increase their seal??)

[chpd80]

I have also heard that idling for long warm ups is no good for your engine, I used to do a long warm up but now I just watch the oil pressure guage rise and then start driving (like miss daisy) till the water temp rises.
Oh and the glow plugs heat the air not the fuel, once the deisel starts it generates enough heat to help keep it going.

[bru21]

Jesus thats a lot of weetbix.

I have 2

[tehekho]

Jesus thats a lot of weetbix.

I have 2

I hate having a fast metabolism - Its not cheap.

I then proceed to go sit in an office chair and post on ol for 8 hours before knock off time

[ISUZUROVER]

I have also heard that idling for long warm ups is no good for your engine, I used to do a long warm up but now I just watch the oil pressure guage rise and then start driving (like miss daisy) till the water temp rises.
Oh and the glow plugs heat the air not the fuel, once the deisel starts it generates enough heat to help keep it going.

On an IDI engine the glow plug is in the pre-combustion chamber with the injector. They do heat the air, but the injector sprays fuel on the hot glow plug when starting.

The method I described above seems to work on IDI engines I have tried it on. Having some hot fuel vapour already in the pre-combustion chamber/cylinder helps starting.

I've found the engine just runs like a bucket of puss in the first 2 or so minutes. Breakfast is 8 Weetbix and takes about 5 minutes to chow down - I have my coffee before I get into the shower. Idling for that amount of time still a bad idea?

Idling for more than 60s does more harm than good.

[tehekho]

Well there you go.....

So based on that, when I'm out on a day wheeling, and get to a cool spot to stop and look around - I'd be better off stopping the engine than leaving it...

[ISUZUROVER]

Well there you go.....

So based on that, when I'm out on a day wheeling, and get to a cool spot to stop and look around - I'd be better off stopping the engine than leaving it...

Indeed.

Same as truckies would save fuel AND help their engines if they didn't leave them idling when stopped.

[BadMav]

I used to drive a 75 series cruiser ute for BCC (Bris city council)spraying kerb and channel for weeds, so very slow, (low range at times) idling. The other guys would baby their trucks to, you know, "care" for the vehicle. But between me and my partner,(bloke in his 40's and a bigger hoon than I was!), we'd mess around revving it up and doing chirpies, linelockies etc etc, man we really flogged this poor thing and yet out of the entire fleet of spray vehicles ours was the most reliable. Not saying you gotta flog the sh1t out of your diesel but they do like to be revved up and not kept at the same rev all day.

[-Scott-]

My daily driver is an old bomb with retro-fitted EFI. It currently has a dud coolant temp sensor (that I'm too lazy to change) so it can be a pig to start on a cold morning. That might get 30 seconds of warm-up before I try to drive up my driveway, but only on a really cold morning. Otherwise, it's start, wait for oil pressure (i.e. wait for the timing chain to stop rattling) then go.

The Paj gets started, I wait for the engine check light to turn off, and I drive away - gently.

My fun car gets started as soon as I'm in the seat, then I put on my seatbelt, put my phone in it's cradle and back out of the garage. It also has an oil temperature gauge, and doesn't get a hard time until oil temp is above 70 degrees. Then I'll take it to the redline any chance I get which isn't often when I'm driving around town.

[tehekho]

The $700 shitbox gets a limiter check within 5 seconds of the oil light going out