Weird elecrical problem

[JK]

I have had this weird electrical problem with the GQ.

Sometimes when I go to start it, the glow plugs wont warm up and all I get is a click when I try to kick it over. I have found that if I disconnect the +ve lead and reconnect it something resets and I can start no probs.

Any ideas?

[Juzza]

Start at the beginning. If you have removed the positive terminal i'm assuming that its connection is clean and in good electrical condition.
Check its connection to the starter and have alook at the other feeds that go to the ignition system, etc.
Then check the earth side of things. The earth strap on to the intake manifold can be left loose if someone has done maintenance work, etc
Also check the wire to the glow plug hot rail is tight. Something else may be loose or corroded so get some one to hold the ignition on crank while you shake all the wiring looms in the engine bay(wiggle test, good for finding intermittent problems).
Try some of this stuff and see what you find!

[DAZZ]

Yeah have to agree, sounds like a main battery connection problem.
I have found some neg. connection probs on RB30 (Patrol and Skyline) with the bolt holding the neg cable bottoming out in the block before tightening up on the cable lug....

[roadrunner]

I had a similar sort of problem.....

Turned out to be the glow plug relay. To much clay and water got into it, so a second hand one from the wreckers and away we went.......

Borrow someones and plug it in, see if has any effect before you go and buy one though !

[JK]

Thanks for the tips guys, I'll let you know how I go.

Cheers,

[JK]

Well I chased leads, checked connections, cleaned terminals and the problem persisted.

I took the truck in for a routine service at the Nissan service centre and they pulled the glow plugs and cleaned them, checked the glow plug relay (no probs) and basically checked all the connections that I had already checked and they couldn't find any fault. (They also did a free compression test Typical, it worked perfectly for the mechanic and played up for me

Anyway, the good news is that I haven't suffered the problem since and it seems to be starting more easily than before. I'll see how it goes but it appears that the problem is sorted.

[JK]

Yeah, it was sorted until last night. After a week or so of faultless operation, the bloody thing did it again... Looks like a case of Gremlins

[JK]

Finally found someone who has run into this problem before... and he says that it can be easly fixed by installing a relay between the ignition and starter motor solenoid... I dunno much about electrics but it sounds good to me.

Apparently the problem is caused by low voltage across the solenoid resulting in an improper charge that needs to be reset by disconnecting the +ve circuit.

Also happens to Hiluxes apparently.

[nissang60]

just a thought..check the positive pole on the battery...make sure its not broken internaly

[JK]

Thanks but both me and the Nissan dealership have checked this. It is the voltage drop over the starter solenoid or something... (I'm no auto leccy) but a mechanic mate has seen it before and knows how to fix it.

Cheers,

[cplux]

Just drop round to Marks workshop james and he'll sort it for ya, sounds to me like the problem he talked about. or we can bootei fab and go wiring like my headlights

[JK]

Cool, I will do that...

Let's save the bootie for installing the Lightforces...

[Damo]

In that case check out 4x4 Monthly for their wiring...

scotchlocks

[JK]

Och aye... yeh cannie beat a scotch lock, Jimmy :wink:

[DAZZ]

Easyiest way to chech this is to hold the key in the crank position when the fault occurs then supply a +ve feed from the battery to the energise wire on the starter solinoid. If the starter engages then there is voltage drop to the solinoid. If it dosn't crank then it may be a starter problem....

Might help....

[Bush65]

Could this be similar to a problem that I had on my rangie?

While replacing the windscreen washer pump, I must have knocked the connector on the starter solenoid.

Went wheeling next day and had no problem starting until the end of the day, then had intermittent starting problems. Turned out to be poor contact where the connector was just hanging onto the terminal by the insulation.

[JK]

Thanks guys, I will check it out.