ok. so i've read as much as i can from previous threads but want to run this by yall anyways.

i got my van not too long ago and he had been starting it on ether. the push button manual controller is already installed, and he said his mechanic pushed it way too long and burned them out. something about the guy that seemed to apple pie for me...i don't exactly trust him.

i replaced them (Motorcraft ZD1A) and it fired right up. was fine for a couple dozen trips. now they are burnt again (did a test light). actually, one of them is not burnt, but i think its cause the harness connector is broken, so maybe it was never getting juice.

i'm ordering more plugs, but i want to make sure there is nothing else i am missing so i don't burn them out again. here are my questions:

1. is it just because i glowed too long? i was pushing the button for about 10 seconds or less per glow? seemed like thats what it needed. shorter cycles didn't get it started. once it started having troubles starting i was giving it about 12 seconds.

2. do i need to check my relay? if so, i don't have a 'purple' wire on mine so i don't know which i'm supposed to jump. for what its worth i can hear the relay click when i push the button.

3. what else should i check??

thanks so much! you all rock

i

 

If the relay sticks on, that will do it. 10 seconds is fine, they should stand up to a lot more... I'd probably change the relay just to be sure.

 

i will get a new relay (although I'm pretty sure I always hear it click off and see the light go off) but wouldn't mind checkin anything else as well. is there any sort of current regulator tied in there at all or is it just the relay and the controller? changing the glow plugs in this thing is hardly as easy/fun as changing them in my mercedes 240D and i want to avoid doing it again!!

 

Go read the appropriate glow plug thread at the top of this forum. It'll tell you everything you wanna know about the glow plug system.

 

i did read it but since none of the wires on my controller are purple i haven't been able to figure out how to jump it. i'm trying to figure out how to get a picture of my relay in my post...

and while there is a conversation in there about voltage/current i never saw anything about current regulator so i thought i'd ask to be safe

 

If yours was converted to a manual button system, the wiring will be different. Essentially, there should be 12v to one of the large terminals on the relay, the other large terminal goes to the glow plugs, one of the small terminals gets 12v when the ignition is on, and the other small terminal goes through the push-button to ground...

 

I know 10 seconds will burn out Champs and Autolites in about 3 days, but Ive done it several times with the motorcrafts and been fine for a year and a half. How fast does your motor turn over? 80* With fresh batteries good wires, full floored throttle and about 5 seconds of glow plugs and my truck starts in 3-5 seconds. Plus the engine turns over so fast it seams like it could fly threw the hood. I got 2 810cca batteries.

 

just to close the thread for future generations...
i changed out my relay (to be safe) and when i was changing my glow plugs i realized that the old controller (the original) was still plugged into the wiring harness. as much as i've read the whole push-button conversion sticky threads i was still unclear if it was possible that i had been glowing with the pushbutton AND THEN the old controller was glowing a second time (and possibly sticking) once i turned the key. i decide to see if the car started without the pushbutton (to test if the old controller was still functioning) and when i started it sparks started flying...
looks like the wire from the starter solenoid to the starter is burnt. so maybe one of those two things could have been my problem...?