Wilson switch

[Eric Winkworth]

Okay, I just did the wilson switch on my truck, because my timer started deciding to only glow for 4 seconds in the middle of winter... needless to say turning the key off and on 3 or 4 times a start, started getting old...

So I wired up the switch just like Greg B wrote, except my pre heater timer was above the glove box, that took me a couple minutes to find...

Anyway I have the swtich wired so the primary relay clicks which I'm hoping in the round type on located on the LH battery box, not the box like one inside the LH fender, power goes through the relay to the resistor, and gets to the buss bar, it is all over 12 v's though so my voltmeter keeps tripping out. I was under the understanding the resistor brought the voltage down to 6v?

Anyway my truck is only starting on either, I forgot about trying the wire from the battery too the buss bar, I will give that a try when it cools down....

any suggestions would be great
thanks for any help
Eric

 

[brownbear]

If you have to you can scrap the wiring and just run a fused wired from the switch to the round relay. The round relay has four wires on it. Two main wires, one coming from the fusible link(battery) to the relay and then to the busbar.

The two small wires are for turning the relay on and off. So one would be from your switch, to the relay and the other wire needs to go to ground.

The busbar resistor can be checked by taking all the busbar and connections off of it. Put your meter on ohms and see what you got.

Maybe it is pooched and doesn't knock down the voltage.

Oh by the way it was greg_b that wrote the information.. Which he got from Ciriran Wilson(might have spelled his name wrong, sorry)

 

[brownbear]

Oh the resistor brings it down to 6volts in a 12 volt truck. Not a 24 volt one. They have different plugs and different voltage drop thru the resistor. SO maybe 12 plus is ok for the glowplugs in a 24 v truck.

 

[MadmanCruiser]

The busbar resistor can be checked by taking all the busbar and connections off of it. Put your meter on ohms and see what you got.

Maybe it is pooched and doesn't knock down the voltage.

Where is the busbar resistor located? I didn't even know that there was a busbar resistor...so much to learn....I wonder if this is why I keep blowing fuses on my manual switch connected to the busbar.

Adam

 

[brownbear]

If you keep blowing fuses there must be a short to ground.

I would take the wire off at the fuse and connect a meter to the wire(set for ohms) and take the black probe to ground. Such as a bare bolt or no paint spot on the body. If you have a low resistance you have a problem. There should be over a few ohms, or more with the system cold, or there should be infinite resistance, then when you press the switch you should get resistance thru the coil on the relay to ground.

 

[brownbear]

Oh the resistor is at the start of the busbar mounted on the intake plenum. I think....but my memory is getting foggy.

 

[Eric Winkworth]

yep that's where it is, I just tried putting 12v's directly on the buss bar and no go, I'm going to check my glowies tomorrow.... Although they worked before this switch, I don't see how the bussbar can be getting power and it is something else, it just doesn't make sense... it has to be the glowies.... Or at least that what I'm telling myself...

does anyone know what kind of volt reading they get at the bussbar with a normal 24v superglow system?

 

[brownbear]

Should be 12 volts I think... in a 12 volt super glow the glowplugs are for 6 volts.


You do get voltage?

 

[Eric Winkworth]

yes I get voltage right on the bussbar when the button is pushed

but it's over 12v, which makes me think maybe it recked the glow plugs....

I guess I'll pull them out and test them today...

I actually just bought some extra's, but if getting to much voltage is what recked them, I need to get a new resistor....

Just on a side note, it says not to put more then 7 volts on the glow plugs or you could cause an open circuit, mine are definitely getting more then 7....

how do I test them for continuity, do I have to take the bussbar off?

 

[Eric Winkworth]

here is a picture of my old glowies, is it normal to have the little pieces stuck to them, they are hard like metal. They have no continuity, I hadn't checked them before I installed the wilson switch, but my truck was working great on -15 mornings....

now with my new glow plugs installed I'm a little scared to hit the button...

anything I should try/do

thanks for any help

also there is continuity between the resistor terminals, which as far as the manual says is the only issue....

just brainstorming the problem I'm having, now in Greg B's post the truck he was using is 12v, which I failed to realize at the time.... when I tapped into power which is normally for the preheat light, it uses a 24v bulb, with 24v power... but then again the power the truck is using to glow draws off the LH positive battery terminal.... I'm kind of an idiot when it comes to electrical...

 

[Eric Winkworth]

any idea's?

 

[Greg_B]

any idea's?

Eric, no the resistor does not bring down the voltage on the busbar on a 24V truck to 6V.

iirc the superglow system hits the plugs with full voltage for a short duration, heats up the plugs quick, then the primary relay cuts out, the second relay cuts in and tails off the voltage over 15-20 seconds or so.

So, putting in the Wilson switch (or even going straight wire) simply takes away the afterglow feature, and puts you in total control.

Check your standing battery voltage. Check your voltage at the busbar when you activate the switch. The busbar should be the same or slightly lower then the battery standing voltage. If it all looks okay then run it. When the plugs burn out go to the Toyota=19850-68040 24V-20.3V (or match in another brand). You will have to glow longer as these will be colder plugs then the superglow 24v-14v variety that you truck had stock.

Look at post 26 for specs on the plugs. https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=42417

Of course, this advice is worth exactly what you paid for it. Just don't happen to leave the plugs in the glow position, heat them cherry and drop the tips into the precups...

hth's

gb

 

[Eric Winkworth]

Eric, no the resistor does not bring down the voltage on the busbar on a 24V truck to 6V.

iirc the superglow system hits the plugs with full voltage for a short duration, heats up the plugs quick, then the primary relay cuts out, the second relay cuts in and tails off the voltage over 15-20 seconds or so.

So, putting in the Wilson switch (or even going straight wire) simply takes away the afterglow feature, and puts you in total control.

Check your standing battery voltage. Check your voltage at the busbar when you activate the switch. The busbar should be the same or slightly lower then the battery standing voltage. If it all looks okay then run it. When the plugs burn out go to the Toyota=19850-68040 24V-20.3V (or match in another brand). You will have to glow longer as these will be colder plugs then the superglow 24v-14v variety that you truck had stock.

Look at post 26 for specs on the plugs. https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=42417

Of course, this advice is worth exactly what you paid for it. Just don't happen to leave the plugs in the glow position, heat them cherry and drop the tips into the precups...

hth's

gb

I actually got a hole bunch of beautiful engine start buttons I'm going to sell, and I of course will give all you guys first dibs, before they go up on ebay.

I guess it was just a fluke my plugs failed when I installed this switch, I'm thinking maybe a couple were working for a while as starting began to get rough...

so 10 sec's on a - C day is good then? I guess I'll just play with it

thanks Greg, I just really wanted to know about voltage so I didn't wreck my new glowies

cheers
Eric

Ohh a few pictures of the button itself
10 CDN is what I'm selling them for, plus shipping, PM me, I may do deals if you want quantity...

The switch has some brass connectors that use a special plug that I don't supply, I just soldered them on and shrink wraped, it is a nice strong connection.

 

[brownbear]

feel free to post your switch up in the diesel classified section, list it as for possible manual glowplug switch.

 

[Eric Winkworth]

done and done, thanks brown bear

cheers