chattering glow plug relay

[fjbj40]

my glow plug relay likes to chatter ...any ideas why ? There is a diode in the system as the fsm wiring diagram shows . I have not checked the diode as I don't have a diode checker...is there a way to check it with a regular muti meter ?

Thanks , Daryl

 

[Diescipel]

I got this when my batteries were discharged. Has the truck been sitting a while? Sure the batteries have a full charge?

B

 

[fjbj40]

yes truck is DD , batteries are fully charged

Daryl

 

[cruiser_guy]

Battery terminals clean?

 

[Diescipel]

And grounds all good?

 

[brownbear]

my glow plug relay likes to chatter ...any ideas why ? There is a diode in the system as the fsm wiring diagram shows . I have not checked the diode as I don't have a diode checker...is there a way to check it with a regular muti meter ?

Thanks , Daryl

an aircraft mech asking how to check a diode?

I guess finding it is the big thing. A lot of relays, or all of them on my Twin Otter all have diodes across them to prevent chatter.

You must have diodes in your tool box..?... But yes diodes can be checked with a normal multimeter, it should have continuity in one direction and be INF in the other. Just like a check valve.

If it looks like our diodes, it should have a strip on one end(silver) notating the neg side. so if your positive probe(red) is at that end you get no continuity, and if you put the red to the other end, it should flow...

I may have miss read what your asking, so ignore if I am. I thought I would explain anyhoo...

cheers, Darryl

 

[brownbear]

after reading again, I think it may be a power or a ground issue. Most likely the latter. Not fully charging the coil. acting like a voltage drop.


A diode also prevents the contacts from wearing prematurely, as when the power is killed to the relay and the field coil collaspes it reverses current, and the diode will then flow current to ground.

the negative end of the diode always faces power on the x1 field terminal. and x2 being the ground side, has the pos side. if the diode was reversed it would act as a jumper.

try running a jumper wire from your coil ground connection to a good ground. see if it still chatters. also put a direct wire to the battery and listen for it to turn on. when it is on, with the main wires disconnected, check for contiunity across the relay on the a1-a2 terminals.

my terminolgy is aircraft, for our relays. The yota ones are different

are you talking about the glow relay, or the afterglow relay? my fsm doesn't show any diodes.....????? across the coils,


anyhow I am rambling, time for bed, best of luck out there on the other coast......

 

[fjbj40]

yes Brownbear I have frigged with the Twin Otter diodes in the ceiling...had one giving a problem for weeks causing intermittant genny problems .
Anyways it was my understanding that just continuity through a diode one way and not the other way does not mean it is working properly , maybe it was a misunderstanding on my behalf as it was quite a long winded explanation from a sparky ! You know how confusing those guys can be sometimes .
Thanks for the tips and I will try them today ....maybe it is something that simple as a bad ground .. They battery wires are all 1/1 aircraft wires....big mudder @&@&@&@&ers .All grounds and connections are clean and treated with ACF 50
I am talking about the #1 glow relay out on the inner fender drivers side.
Now here is the weird part I forgot to mention....It only does it when it is hot as in the engine being hot . It was -5 here this am and it did not chatter at all and it has always been a hot issue .she started beautifully with her new glow plugs .

I have been out of the industry for a year and a half and taking care of the kids so no diodes in my tool box and I am getting a bit rusty!!!! Jazz is looking for 13 M's so I may check them out !

Daryl

 

[brownbear]

yes Brownbear I have frigged with the Twin Otter diodes in the ceiling...had one giving a problem for weeks causing intermittant genny problems .

I have been out of the industry for a year and a half and taking care of the kids so no diodes in my tool box and I am getting a bit rusty!!!! Jazz is looking for 13 M's so I may check them out !

Daryl

ahh so you know my grief, I am no sparky too. but working on twatters does require knowledge of some of it...................

There very well may be a superior way to checking diodes, but as far as I know the back and forth way on a meter is the simplist and the only way I know.

I have heard out at your end times are tough for work in the field. Out west it is total opposite. I have no idea why that is...... Alberta is nuts,massive growth.

Isn't the main maintenance base for the dash 8's in Moncton?

That would be cool. I have no interest on working with stuff bigger than a dash. I don't mind the twatter, but it I have been on them for so long it is getting stale. I have only worked on them soley for 6 yrs with a another 5 yrs of mixed fleet, which also included a twatter. So 11 yrs of twinning it can be a little dull. Specializing does have merits for gaining confidence on a machince, but after a while how much more can you gain????

Next I would like to dabble with the dash 8's or find a dash 7 in the bush somewhere. Gotta go thru the deHavilland's.

On your relay, there is only two wires for field and two heavier wires for glow plugs, go to napa and pick a generic relay up or maybe a diode from radio shack(the source now???). I think a 30 amp relay, should be about 30 bucks, diodes are about a dollar each or less.

If you were here I would give you a handful of them.......maybe even a relay. nice MS one. Although you are probably 12 v....

Good luck, Darryl

 

[Diescipel]

...she started beautifully with her new glow plugs...

Did this happen before the new plugs? Something maybe in their connections causing it?

Happens while hot=an open circuit somewhere from expanding from the heat.

Sorry for all the shots in the dark--just thinking out loud to see if it jostles your brain a bit.

B

 

[fjbj40]

no ...it did it with the old glow plugs also...I wil have a look at it tomorrow.

Brownbear....I left the industry on my own accord...got tired of working nights ....they just @&@&@&@& you up plus I was getting tired of the BULLCRAP the industry fosters....15 years and lots of headaches .
But if you are looking for DHC7 time then try Air Tindi , the best company I have ever worked for. I would go back to Yellowknife in a heartbeat but the wife says no..I am a kept man so I listen to her and take care of the kids while she does her thing

Daryl

 

[brownbear]

no ...it did it with the old glow plugs also...I wil have a look at it tomorrow.

Brownbear....I left the industry on my own accord...got tired of working nights ....they just @&@&@&@& you up plus I was getting tired of the BULLCRAP the industry fosters....15 years and lots of headaches .
But if you are looking for DHC7 time then try Air Tindi , the best company I have ever worked for. I would go back to Yellowknife in a heartbeat but the wife says no..I am a kept man so I listen to her and take care of the kids while she does her thing

Daryl

nope, for now I am sticking with my job. Its corporate avaition. total different ball game with out the stuff you are referring to.

I am the only engineer and have no maintenance manager, it is private registered.

I would like to stay with them for a while..........

Glad to hear you like Tindi, I heard they pay well. But ya yellowknife isn't the best climate the world can offer. I did Inuvik for a month for Borek, it got old fast looking after clapped out King airs and wrenching outside on the twatter. I had a one night, or many, with -50 to contend with, coupled to fuel leaks and blown hyd lines on the skiis. I wonder why I drink so much.

My thing while at Borek was floats, I spent almost 4 yrs in the Maldives.
Now I feel abused(like a beaten pet) everytime I think about corrosion. Nothing ever compares to the corrosion they get. Indian ocean is the worst.

Anyhow not to hijack a tech thread.

Darryl