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#15
by
jimfoo
on 28 Feb, 2008 06:50
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Actually that isn't true as that table is for AC. DC needs thicker wire as it has greater losses. Still 12 ga would probably work fine, but 20 would be asking for a fire.
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#16
by
mtnbob
on 14 Apr, 2008 16:32
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Ok, I bought all the stuff for this mod. Assembled the fuse block and solenoid with the proper wires. I need to get one more copper lug for where i'm going to attach the main power supply to the starter. I can figure out where the wires from the fuse block to the glow plugs goes. I can figure out where the wire from the main power to the solenoid and solenoid to the fuse block goes. But what about the other two connections to the solenoid? In the box the solenoid came in it said I might only be using one of the two smaller connections. I'm including pics of what I've done so far. I also purchased a led rocker switch for inside the car. So how do i disconnect the original glow plug wiring? Any help for a rookie mechanic would be greatly appreciated
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11904434@N05/2414156979/in/photostreamhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/11904434@N05/2414157245/in/photostreamP.S. could anyone tell me how to put the pictures in the post
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#17
by
Vincent Waldon
on 14 Apr, 2008 17:56
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You're doing just fine so far.
What you've assembled is the heavy current section... the big black wire is going to go to your starter stud (as a source of high current from the battery), and obviously the long uniquely-coloured wires go to the glow plugs.
Now you just need to actuate the solenoid, and that's what the remaining small terminals on the solenoid are for.
One goes to ground... I usually just use one of the solenoid mounting bolts for that. The wiring for the other depends on how you want to activate the glowplugs.
If you want to let the old glow plug circuit run the plugs (temp controlled etc) then you'd use the heavy red wire that used to go to the glow plugs and run it to the other (ie non-grounded) small terminal on the solenoid.
If you want complete manual control then you'd use your dash-mounted switch... one side of the switch to a source of power that's on when the key is "on" or "start", and the other side of the switch to the other (ie non-grounded) small terminal on the solenoid.
Clear as mud ?
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#18
by
mtnbob
on 15 Apr, 2008 00:59
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Ty I'll get back to work on it tomorrow
, after I find a 12mm wrench that will fit the glowplugs. If I decide to use my rocker switch inside the car for manual glow plug control, what would you recommend doing with the wire that formally went to the glowplugs? Also does it matter which of the small terminals goes to ground?
Thanks Again!!
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#19
by
Vincent Waldon
on 15 Apr, 2008 21:45
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Ty I'll get back to work on it tomorrow , after I find a 12mm wrench that will fit the glowplugs. If I decide to use my rocker switch inside the car for manual glow plug control, what would you recommend doing with the wire that formally went to the glowplugs? Also does it matter which of the small terminals goes to ground?
Thanks Again!!
Probably the simplest way to disable the glow plug wire is to remove the glowplug fuse on the firewall. This makes the wire dead... obviously you want to secure it mechanically to something, but you don't have to worry about insulating it.
In terms of the terminals... nah... either one can go to ground.
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#20
by
mtnbob
on 05 Sep, 2008 11:39
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TY Vince!!! Got it working!! Car starts like a champ
Now if I could just figure out how to wire the solenoid to a switch inside the car, instead of relying on the glow plug relay. I bought a switch, but not sure how to set it up exactly.
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#21
by
Vincent Waldon
on 05 Sep, 2008 18:31
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No worries... you're almost there.
One wire from the switch should go to a source of power that's switched with the ignition key.... the other wire goes to the starter relay you mounted in the engine compartment and replaces the wire that came from the old glow plug relay (the one that energizes your new relay).
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#22
by
mtnbob
on 06 Sep, 2008 04:19
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Sooo the solenoid doesn't need that much juice to activate it?
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#23
by
Vincent Waldon
on 06 Sep, 2008 10:32
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Nope... very little in fact.... yet it is capable of switching large currents. Relay magic !!
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#24
by
53 willys
on 19 Sep, 2008 08:16
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#25
by
Smokey Eddy
on 19 Sep, 2008 16:05
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"However, unlike the stock system where a blown fuse takes out all your glowplugs,"
On vince's page there it says that.
I replaced the stock relay with one of my own and a switch so its just an on off buisness with a switch in the dash. One of the GP's is out and my car stopped starting. I had no idea that if 1 GP burns out the rest don't get power.
from my limited knowledge of electronics wouldn't the other three still get power with the stock set up? because they're all on a big bus bar...
someone please pm me about this
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#26
by
FoXBoXRaCiNG
on 20 Sep, 2008 00:57
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Dunno if I skimmed over the detail of fuse amperage on each of the GP's... Cats ass idea, super simple.
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#27
by
rabbitman
on 02 Oct, 2008 00:37
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I just pimped mine using the original relay to power the solenoid and it works good except when the GPs are supposed to switch off the stock solenoid clicks real fast on,off,on,off,on,off and the GP light flickers, when it finally goes off I can hear the add on solenoid go "pop". Sometime I have to turn the key off then on to make it quit clicking. This is a new problem so I don't know if I messed up or if my relay happened to die right then. thanks
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#28
by
Vincent Waldon
on 02 Oct, 2008 08:10
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Assuming your wiring is correct it certainly sounds like your GP relay decided to go south... to check you could temporarily disconnect the connection from the old GP feed that now drives your new solenoid and use a multimeter / testlight to isolate the issue. The fact that the dash light flickers suggests that it's the relay, but in the world of automotive wiring strange things happen all the time. :wink:
Another thought: did the solenoid you used have small 1 terminal or 2 or 3 ?? Starter solenoids that have 2 or 3 are often designed to use one of the terminals as a bypass to the ballast resistor on the (original) ignition coil... if you were using the bypass terminal to drive the solenoid I suppose something strange might happen.
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#29
by
zukgod1
on 02 Oct, 2008 13:10
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I've don't that as well. Using the OE relay to run a Ford starter relay under the hood with huge wire going to the GP's.
I've not pimped them like Vince but still a major improvement over OE for sure.
Went from 10v at the bus bar to 13..