Smoking glow plug controller
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Freshman User
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 39
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From: Memphis TN
Smoking glow plug controller
I just bought an 88 F250 with ATS turbo. I am new to diesels and American automobiles.
It wouldn't start yesterday and the wait to start light doesn't seem to be coming on ever. I turned the key to on and noticed that the glow plug controller started to smoke after a few seconds. I heard it clicking, so I assume that it works, and I ended up having to give it a spray of ether to crank. After it ran for a few more seconds the smoking stopped. All the glow plug wires looked OK. I will check the plugs tomorrow.
Will a bad glow plug cause the voltage to feed back on the controller and smoke? Bad controller? It did start on its own afterwards. The ignition switch is also not giving the signal to crank, so I wonder if these two problems are related. I have been jumping the starter solenoid to get it going. I hear a click in the silver relay mounted on the firewall at the back top right of the engine bay, but no voltage is going from it to the starter solenoid.
After reading past posts about glow plugs breaking off, and getting under that turbo to even try to change them all, I am not excited about changing them. I'll get in there tomorrow and check for bad plugs and check voltage going into the relay from the ignition switch. Any advice is more than welcome.
It wouldn't start yesterday and the wait to start light doesn't seem to be coming on ever. I turned the key to on and noticed that the glow plug controller started to smoke after a few seconds. I heard it clicking, so I assume that it works, and I ended up having to give it a spray of ether to crank. After it ran for a few more seconds the smoking stopped. All the glow plug wires looked OK. I will check the plugs tomorrow.
Will a bad glow plug cause the voltage to feed back on the controller and smoke? Bad controller? It did start on its own afterwards. The ignition switch is also not giving the signal to crank, so I wonder if these two problems are related. I have been jumping the starter solenoid to get it going. I hear a click in the silver relay mounted on the firewall at the back top right of the engine bay, but no voltage is going from it to the starter solenoid.
After reading past posts about glow plugs breaking off, and getting under that turbo to even try to change them all, I am not excited about changing them. I'll get in there tomorrow and check for bad plugs and check voltage going into the relay from the ignition switch. Any advice is more than welcome.
Last edited by IB Tim; Nov 25, 2005 at 06:29 AM.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,782
Likes: 221
From: Huntington Indiana
First thing DO NOT USE ETHER If the glow plugs was working at all you could have had major problems. I would say the controler/glow plugs are not working at all. Once the engine gets a little warm it will start without glow plugs working. I would go ahead and change the ignition switch first especiall y since you had to jump at solenoid. Yes it could be a combo problem all starting at the switch.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
Likes: 16
From: Nutter Fort, WV
The power lead to the controller sounds like you may have either shorted glow plugs or shorted wires to the glow plugs.
Changing the glow plugs with the turbo is not that bad, except for the one under the turbo.
Remove the airbox and you can get to the rest fairly well.
The one under the turbo, I use a pair of bent nose neddle nose pliers, a 10" piece of fuel line and a wrench to change.
Changing the glow plugs with the turbo is not that bad, except for the one under the turbo.
Remove the airbox and you can get to the rest fairly well.
The one under the turbo, I use a pair of bent nose neddle nose pliers, a 10" piece of fuel line and a wrench to change.
