Glow Plug Clicking
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4wd Low
Joined: May 2022
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Glow Plug Clicking
Hello Everyone, I’m hoping someone could point me in the right direction so yesterday I was turning the fuel up on my 1990 7.3 idi and I was doing it by my self and was jumping the starter relay to turn the engine over in order for the Allen key to lineup. After I was done, I went to start the truck and noticed that I now had a nonstop clicking from the glow plug relay. The wait to start light would come on literally less than a second and the clicking would start and it’s nonstop. Does that mean that the whole glow plug controller is shorted out or could it be something else? I did try swap the relay out on the controller and it still clicks non stop, the fuse in the cab is also still good. And like I said it was not doing this until I messed with the fuel and I don’t know if I shorted it out by jumping the starter relay, but I’m hoping somebody could point me in the right direction thank you in advance.
Tuned
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 441
Likes: 61
From: Craigmont, Id
Quick easy test, clamp an inductive ampmeter around both of the wires on the solenoid on the controller the wires that feed out to the glow plugs. Pull the white wire off the solenoid and with key on ground the terminal for a few seconds. Get your reading. You should see close to 200 amp draw maybe a little more if all is working well. If you do not see that then test one wire and then the other to determind which bank has the issue. Maybe they both do, would not be all that unusual.
You did not by chance pinch a wire while work on the pump.
You did not by chance pinch a wire while work on the pump.
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4wd Low
Joined: May 2022
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Thanks for replying, I just ended up bypassing the relay and putting it on a push button and the clicking stopped, it only clicks on when engaging the button and truck starts fine. But now the battery light is on and will not turn off, I did swap the alternator out for a 3g a couple of years ago and I did check that, it’s getting 14.7v while running and 12.7v while engine is off and the battery’s are at 12.5v while off and up to 14.5v while running. I don’t know if bypassing it made the light come on someway but it won’t turn off, I did also pull both positive cables off the battery’s while running and the truck did not turn off, I let it run like that for a few minutes before hooking them back up. Any thoughts on why the lights on now?
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,585
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From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
pull the glow plug relay bypass and see if the battery light goes off.
disconnecting batteries on running engine with alternator is not healthy for the alternator.
that was a trick from 60+ years ago to see if a generator was charging.
but doing it to an alternator can cause it to go full voltage and damage the alternator because it need to see a load for the voltage regulator to work.
disconnecting batteries on running engine with alternator is not healthy for the alternator.
that was a trick from 60+ years ago to see if a generator was charging.
but doing it to an alternator can cause it to go full voltage and damage the alternator because it need to see a load for the voltage regulator to work.
Thread Starter
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4wd Low
Joined: May 2022
Posts: 12
Likes: 1
pull the glow plug relay bypass and see if the battery light goes off.
disconnecting batteries on running engine with alternator is not healthy for the alternator.
that was a trick from 60+ years ago to see if a generator was charging.
but doing it to an alternator can cause it to go full voltage and damage the alternator because it need to see a load for the voltage regulator to work.
disconnecting batteries on running engine with alternator is not healthy for the alternator.
that was a trick from 60+ years ago to see if a generator was charging.
but doing it to an alternator can cause it to go full voltage and damage the alternator because it need to see a load for the voltage regulator to work.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,585
Likes: 5,615
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
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4wd Low
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So I pulled the bypass off while running and battery light proceeded to stay on. Any more thoughts?
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4wd Low
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so after pulling and no change I decided to check the glow plug connectors. I put one plug of the multimeter on the stud that goes to the glow plug harness and the other and in each one of the connectors check and checking them, I was getting .5 ohms on the driver side and .0 OHMS on the passenger side does that mean the harness is fried or there’s a break in it somewhere and would that make the battery light come on?
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,585
Likes: 5,615
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
no. the battery light is on because either the alternator is not charging, or the voltage regulator is bad.
with engine running check voltage at batteries. then check voltage at large terminal on back of alternator.
battery voltage engine running should be somewhere between 3 and 13.5 volt. voltage out of alternator should be 14 or so.
with engine running check voltage at batteries. then check voltage at large terminal on back of alternator.
battery voltage engine running should be somewhere between 3 and 13.5 volt. voltage out of alternator should be 14 or so.
Thread Starter
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4wd Low
Joined: May 2022
Posts: 12
Likes: 1
no. the battery light is on because either the alternator is not charging, or the voltage regulator is bad.
with engine running check voltage at batteries. then check voltage at large terminal on back of alternator.
battery voltage engine running should be somewhere between 3 and 13.5 volt. voltage out of alternator should be 14 or so.
with engine running check voltage at batteries. then check voltage at large terminal on back of alternator.
battery voltage engine running should be somewhere between 3 and 13.5 volt. voltage out of alternator should be 14 or so.
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