Forum:
I have recently brought a 1988 fourtak 2.8TD. I starts fine when warm but not from cold. There is a solenoid in the engine bay that seems to be for the heater plugs this keeps clicking on and off. Are they suppost to or could it be faulty. I noticed it also does this everytime when starting even when warm.
I have worked out that when it clicks on power goes to the heater plugs but this is only for a split second then comes off. Could someone please help me undrstand how the heater plug supply should work. Thankyou.
The heater relay is supposed
The heater relay is supposed to click in and out a few times after starting. This is to help bring the engine up to running temp more quickly, especially on cold mornings.
Is the power from the relay getting to the heater plugs?
Are the plugs themselves working? Does the engine start up on 3 cylinders when cold? If so you may have one heater plug out.
Any veiws expresed in this thread by me are purely from my own experience, and (sometimes) falible memory. Hope my comments help, but please don't take them as gospel.
Cold start
Helllo. I am not sure about the relay, I will try and locate it. Good point about the heater plugs ok or not (I forgot that one). I will test them tonight. Thankyou.
One of the front 3 heater plugs is burnt out.
Do a search for 'heater plugs' for more info.
Do another search for 'glow plugs' ... cos I sometimes call 'em that.
Briefly, the heater plug relay is under a plastic cover, behind the power steering reservoir, next to the battery. When switching on at cold, it should go clunk, stay pulled in for around 10 seconds, and then clunk back out of circuit. Further periods of heater plug power are provided by the relay pulling in for progressively shorter periods, over the next 25 seconds or so.
heater plugs relay
Thankyou for that. It seems to me that the relay does not stay on the first time for long enough. I have just tested the glow plugs. Number one has failed. Thanks to seing somebodys remarks on how the resistance is measured I found the failed plug. Will get one and try it. I will let you know if it works in case others have the same problems.
Ok all sorted, it was no1 heater plug failed. Thanks to all who replied. I now understand how it works.