Author Topic: glow plug relay repair (Read 12794 times)

Otis2 · « **Reply #15 on:** September 27, 2007, 02:13:58 pm »

I just got off the phone with Bow Wow in Lyndon, WA, and they have new 443 911 261 glow plug relays for $30 (supposedly 6 second glow).

What is the difference in the way the various relays work?

Can you interchange 171 911 261A, with 443 911 261, with 357 911 253A? They all have 7 terminals, look like they all fit the same slots.

rob76 · « **Reply #16 on:** September 27, 2007, 02:24:02 pm »

As far as I know there's only 2 relays, the fast and the slow.
321 911 261 is the slow
171 911 261 is the fast.

Mine was "171 911 261 E" which corresponds to a Beck/Arnley relay # 203-0023 I replaced it with a Meyle relay from Lordco but it seems to range between 23 seconds and 30 seconds now... I'm still in the process of double checking that glowplug temperature sender. Something's screwy. I read everywhere too that the turbo's are supposed to have the slow system.

Information sources:
http://www.4crawler.com/Diesel/CheapTricks/GlowPlugs.shtml

http://home.comcast.net/~vwgtd/glowplugguide.htm

http://www.olyonline.com/techtips/index.asp

http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/jag/vw/engine/glowplugs/glowplugs.html

http://www.vwdieselparts.com/wintert.htm

rob76 · « **Reply #17 on:** September 27, 2007, 02:27:19 pm »

Here's a page with some cross reference numbers on it.
http://www.partsquick.com/ProductDetail.asp?i=93004

The relay at lordco was $41 here in Victoria. It was found using the Beck # 203-0023.

rob76 · « **Reply #18 on:** September 27, 2007, 07:19:08 pm »

So on my water flange I have two sensors. One faces straight up and is for the gauge and it's at around 100 ohms when hot, it has a red wire. The other one sticks out to the side and has a blue wire running from it. The one sticking out the side (the glow plug sensor) never deviates from around 6 to 4 million ohms. So I assume it must be shot.

Are both sensors the same on a 91? It is a turbo diesel and most of these online parts stores only list things for the regular diesel. Unfortunately I don't think this thing has a part number on it that I can see. It is however made in Luxemburg. I almost broke my neck trying to read that!

rob76 · « **Reply #19 on:** September 27, 2007, 08:05:08 pm »

Oh incase you missed this link which is linked to in one of the above articles
http://www.4crawler.com/Diesel/GlowPlug.shtml

That has a good description of the 2 glow plug types.

jimfoo · « **Reply #20 on:** September 27, 2007, 08:09:22 pm »

All I saw in the VW page, which is the only one I would care about, said that the early ones used the slow relay and the later the fast. It said nothing about if it had a turbo. Just match your plugs to the type of relay you have and stop worrying about it. I have fast plugs in my AAZ and it hardly smokes at startup, and then not for long. Well it smokes now, but i only have 2 good glowplugs at the moment.

Quote from: "rob76"

As far as I know there's only 2 relays, the fast and the slow.
321 911 261 is the slow
171 911 261 is the fast.

Mine was "171 911 261 E" which corresponds to a Beck/Arnley relay # 203-0023 I replaced it with a Meyle relay from Lordco but it seems to range between 23 seconds and 30 seconds now... I'm still in the process of double checking that glowplug temperature sender. Something's screwy. I read everywhere too that the turbo's are supposed to have the slow system.

Information sources:
http://www.4crawler.com/Diesel/CheapTricks/GlowPlugs.shtml

http://home.comcast.net/~vwgtd/glowplugguide.htm

http://www.olyonline.com/techtips/index.asp

http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/jag/vw/engine/glowplugs/glowplugs.html

http://www.vwdieselparts.com/wintert.htm

rob76 · « **Reply #21 on:** September 27, 2007, 08:19:52 pm »

My relay is supposed to be for the fast system. Currently it waits 30 seconds though before the light goes out and that's with a new relay. I think the temp sensor is bad though. I'm pretty sure it has the fast system because the glow plugs have the copper terminals on them.

Is the fast system supposed to only glow for 7 seconds when cold? What about if the engine is already warm?

jimfoo · « **Reply #22 on:** September 27, 2007, 09:45:42 pm »

I thought I remembered reading on here somewhere that the fast system can be on for up to 2 minutes to reduce emissions. They should be on longer the colder it is.

rob76 · « **Reply #23 on:** September 27, 2007, 10:09:46 pm »

Why is it a "7 second" relay?
Apparently when testing the glowplugs the fast one's are supposed to get to full heat within 7 seconds. The slow one's within 30 seconds.

nokivasara · « **Reply #24 on:** September 29, 2007, 07:56:28 am »

If you suspect your temp sensor is faulty, take off the wire and run it to good ground. It shouldn´t power the glow plugs.
If you just disconnect it from the sensor you will get maximum glow time (45sec or so).

Or you can run the wire to the other temp sensor and see if that works, they have the same resistance.

rob76 · « **Reply #25 on:** September 29, 2007, 09:23:54 am »

I tried that actually. It went on for 4 seconds when cold. I found out there are two temp sensors in the water flange and they are different but not by much.
The gauge has the one with the red wire and is black in color vw part# "251 919 501 AD" while the glow plug temp sensor takes a blue wire and is blue in color vw part# "025 906 041 A".

They are both about $15 at NAPA. For some reason both my sensors are black in color. Maybe somebody put the wrong one in at some point. Anyhow Once I get the right one next week I'll post my final result.

rob76 · « **Reply #26 on:** October 04, 2007, 11:55:01 pm »

Yup bought the blue temp sensor for the glow plug circuit. Now my light stays on for a max of about 10 seonds when totally cold and only a second or two once warmed up.

My old relay still works too but it stays on about 2 or 3 seconds longer. Anybody want a working relay for $20? lol