power at buss bar but no go/glow

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

J

JohnnyBoy

Joined
Nov 2, 2006
Threads
11
Messages
154
Location
Calgary AB
hey hope you can help me out here, i have power to my buss bar but there is no drop on my interior gauge when i power it up. i have a wilson switch and it used to be a big draw when i turned it on. few days ago i tried starting cold and no go, tried every thing booster cables to the bar and no help. eventualy had to give her a little shot of vitaman e. did i cook my plugs the day before?

johnny
 
Sounds like you need to remove the buss and check your glow plugs. A continuity test works okay, but I have seen it many times where the plugs make a circuit but the tips are burned off and the plug is basically shorting.

The best test is to remove each plug and use a source of power and time each plugs lighting time and degree of glow. If they are not almost identical - replace them all at the same time with correct plugs from one manufacturer (ie: do not mix and match brands and do not mix and match new with old).


hth.

john
 
yup was just out doing that when you replied, no circut on any of them. is this weird? it seemed like they were working before, i had a voltage drop in the gauge. what plugs should i buy? i have a 12volt with a wilson switch. is posible me or the shop that just did some work on my truck burned them out by holding thwm on too long? also they were covered in black suit, is this normal? they were totaly dry thats good.
 
JohnnyBoy said:
yup was just out doing that when you replied, no circut on any of them. is this weird? it seemed like they were working before, i had a voltage drop in the gauge. what plugs should i buy? i have a 12volt with a wilson switch. is posible me or the shop that just did some work on my truck burned them out by holding thwm on too long? also they were covered in black suit, is this normal? they were totaly dry thats good.
Click to expand...

Voltage depends on what truck you're running and if you have any of the super glow crap still in use.

Generally, if you have a 12V truck you'll want plugs that are about 10.5V when using a manual glow system.

A very light coat of black, dry soot is expected.

You need to determine your glow time by having all the plugs hooked up and seeing how long they take to get to full brightness... then add a couple of seconds - and that would be a good indication of your glow time with the plugs installed.

In Canada, expect to pay about $15 to $20 (jobber) per plug depending on brand and source (though counter prices may be higher).

~John
 
thanks i will source some new plugs tomorow, any recomenations?
 
i had a similar experience. toyota sold me 6 volt plugs, worked good for a couple days then i burnt them out. In this situation i was getting 4 times the wattage, thus a 1 week lifespan. I took there word that this was the right part and didnt check. Here's the lucky number for you: Y147T. Call napa and ask if they have 4 in stock. these are a 10.5 volt plug but i use them in my 12volt 83bj60 and they work great. also they cost about $15 a piece when i bought them (i think it was that much bought them a couple years ago). Way cheaper than the yota dealer.
Cheers.
 
thanks a bunch guys, i will hopfuly get the plugs today and let you know how it works out.
 
all is well i was wondering how long i should glow them now. 10.5v in a 12v truck.
 
JohnnyBoy said:
all is well i was wondering how long i should glow them now. 10.5v in a 12v truck.
Click to expand...

It could be as much as 20seconds but please to back and re-read my previous post... you really have to determine this by an actual test... battery condition and other factors will vary.

~john
 
JohnnyBoy said:
all is well i was wondering how long i should glow them now. 10.5v in a 12v truck.
Click to expand...

supposedly they can glow for a long time. They will not overheat and burn out as easily, which also means they need more glow time too.

In real cold I do 20 seconds max. I have the 10.5v plugs, wilson switch and the resistor still in place at the bus bar.

If the plug "shorted" you would have power to ground and a giant amp drap(voltage drop). So they did not short. They burnt out to an open circuit.

ngk plugs is what I used.
 
i just have a push button+relay set up, i dont really know how long i push it. kind of play it by ear. but the stock timer set up should work fine too. just a little bit more wattage, nothing too silly, i also give it a little throttle when i turn it over- i think it's a (3B) thing.
 
cody c said:
i just have a push button+relay set up, i dont really know how long i push it. kind of play it by ear. but the stock timer set up should work fine too. just a little bit more wattage, nothing too silly, i also give it a little throttle when i turn it over- i think it's a (3B) thing.
Click to expand...

The EDIC motor takes care of increasing injection volume, adding more throttle too early only makes it run more roughly by chilling the glow plugs prematurely.
 
ya, i probally wouldnt need to in a (vancouver winter). i usually just lightly tap it a couple times as it turns over.not pinned off the start. sometimes if its real cold ill let it turn over a bit to get the oil moving around first.

Did you find some plugs?
 
what should the ohm reading be on these glow plugs for a 3B? Where can I get these plugs in the lower mainland bc? My truck refused to start this morning after two tries at 18 sconds each. I wonder if Im on the last of the plugs thats working. Poored hot water over the engine to heat the head up and had to use the starter to back the truck out of the way of the wifes vehicle and for some reason it started!

Just got off the phone with lordco and thay dont sell 3B glow plugs. See that napa sells them. BTW who makes these plugs ?
 
Last edited:
ngk are what i used. just got them from napa cheap like 60 bucks
 
Check the insulater under the bus bar (round plastic) after a while they fail and earth out the system.The bar may be coroded around the insulater which is a good clue.Without looking I think there are 2/3 to renew,I would check them before renewing glowplugs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom