Glow Plugs and Batterys

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Funksolid

Funksolid

Joined
Sep 5, 2006
Threads
38
Messages
112
Location
Calgary, Alberta
O.k. I dont know all the technical electrical mumbo jumbo, but is the CCA/CA in your battery indicitive of the amount of heat your glow plugs produce? OR are the GP's regulated at some sort of amps/volts.

I know that a bigger battery will allow a longer duration of turning over, and glowing, but does it make a difference?

(Right now I have dual 585CCA Yota batteries in a 2H)

Thanks

Andrew
 
the glow plugs will use less power than your starter i believe. look at the size of wire feeding the plugs compared to the one feeding the starter. the battery capability will affect glow plugs to a lesser degree than the starter. if your having troubles starting maybe replace the plugs if it turns over ok. also running a push button relay set up in parralell may help the plugs heat up in cold weather.
 
I put the biggest one I could afford. I think it is up around 800 or 850. My old one was 550 or so, and would only crank my engine once or twice a day. Had it checked and it was charging, but the charge was being used up too fast. Haven't had any problems with teh new one, even on these cold days.
 
Andrew what kind of a rig are you running?

I have an 84 BJ60 3B engine with a superglow system I believe it is called.
It varies the time the glow plugs are fed power and also starts at 8.5 volts then drops to 4.5 volts to the plugs.
 
i run the 1040 CCA in my units, 2 if it is 24V or dual battery situations...

if it fits then run the biggest you can afford...
 
Funksolid said:
O.k. I dont know all the technical electrical mumbo jumbo, but is the CCA/CA in your battery indicitive of the amount of heat your glow plugs produce? OR are the GP's regulated at some sort of amps/volts.

I know that a bigger battery will allow a longer duration of turning over, and glowing, but does it make a difference?

(Right now I have dual 585CCA Yota batteries in a 2H)

Thanks

Andrew
Click to expand...

In a nutshell...

Run the highest CCA batteries you can fit. Make sure they are identical in age, size and type. If you can, check the specific gravity of the electrolyte... it should be the same as well.

A bigger battery is always better for starting a diesel in cold weather. At 585CCA you're using a pretty small battery (the CA number is actually kind of useless... pay attention to CCA and reserve capacity... and battery weight [heavier=better... usually]).

Heat from glow plugs is indicative of amperage reaching the plugs (volts held constant).

If your battery is small, it's ability to put out gobs of amps in cold weather goes down precipitously... and you won't glow strong and start easily. If your battery can't put out amps under load, then your voltage will drop off and low-volting any system causes the amp load to go up considerably (since watts consumed by the starter, for example, will be roughly the same) causing your starter motor to get [comparatively] very hot and decreasing it's efficiency.

So (bring on that nutshell again), use the largest capacity batteries you can fit.
 
The CCA has no effect on the glowplugs. BUT the volts will hold better with the bigger battery. So it will maintain a higher voltage being supplied to the glow plugs. So for manual plug set you can glow longer and hotter.

But generally the voltage isn't going to drop that much with dual 585s in the short time the glows go,

But if you have to replace the batteries go much bigger. At least 775 IMOP. Thats what I have and its plenty.

But if I buy again I might look into the 1000 cca......:)
 
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