The way to fry glow plugs. - General - VWDiesel.net The IDI, TDI, and mTDI source.

• The way to fry glow plugs. by rabbitman on 26 Jan, 2011 11:42
• So I tried going home from work one day but forgot to plug in, I think it was around 0F, maybe a bit colder.
  Not a chance, the battery has been dying lately and it only shows when I try cold starting it. So I got out a charger with a 275 apm boost and I would charge on 30 amps and then switch to boost and try cranking and then back to charge etc.
  
  Then I got this bright idea to turn it to 65 amps and run the GP's over and over.........hehe . After a while it was firing a little more but couldn't quite crank fast enough. Then one time I tried cranking and it didn't fire at all. So I figured I'd be nice and plug it in, blow a master heater on it and charge it.
  
  All went good, it got warm enough that it could crank it real fast. But only one cylinder was firing so I tested the GP's which was easy since they're pimped, three were dead. I guess glowing over and over is kinda hard on 'em, oh yeah, the one good one was a month old duraterm.
  
  I ended up getting a ride to where I had my other set of GP's and after changing 'em out and it fired right up.
• #1 by 8v-of-fury on 26 Jan, 2011 18:43
• Are your spares all Duratherms now?
  
  After seeing how quickly an old plug burns out, and then using duratherms and having my manual solenoid stick on for over 30+ minutes... and they still start the car in sub-zero temps.. I won't suggest anything but.
• #2 by rabbitman on 26 Jan, 2011 18:51
• Quote from: 8v-of-fury on 26 Jan, 2011 18:43

  Are your spares all Duratherms now?
  
  After seeing how quickly an old plug burns out, and then using duratherms and having my manual solenoid stick on for over 30+ minutes... and they still start the car in sub-zero temps.. I won't suggest anything but.

  
  Yeah, I've had 'em for a while I was just waiting for the day when I'd need 'em.......I just didn't expect to need 3 at one time haha.
• #3 by R.O.R-2.0 on 27 Jan, 2011 12:04
• are they duraTHERM or duraTERM?
• #4 by 8v-of-fury on 27 Jan, 2011 13:11
• I know I spelt it as therm... But I'm pretty sure its term, lol.
  
  My bad.
  
  Never-the-less good plugs.
• #5 by R.O.R-2.0 on 27 Jan, 2011 17:46
• i just didnt want to sound like an idiot walking up to the parts counter and saying the wrong thing.. im gonna be buying 2 sets of them. one for the Datsun, and one for the Rabbit..
• #6 by rabbitman on 27 Jan, 2011 17:51
• Quote from: R.O.R-2.0 on 27 Jan, 2011 17:46

  i just didnt want to sound like an idiot walking up to the parts counter and saying the wrong thing.. im gonna be buying 2 sets of them. one for the Datsun, and one for the Rabbit..

  
  haha, that's always embarassing.
  
  I got mine off of amazon, I know it's a book store but they do have lots of car parts too . I think I paid just under $10 each and free shipping.
• #7 by 8v-of-fury on 27 Jan, 2011 17:54
• Canadian tire.. Ya I know you guys aint got one wants $22 a plug! B.s when I can get em online for $11 and change..
  
  Its the only way to go Kev!
• #8 by R.O.R-2.0 on 28 Jan, 2011 09:07
• duraterms get hot super fast dont they?
  
  cause the glow plug timer on my Datsun, it lights the plugs for about 30 seconds.. but jeremy left his lit for 30 minutes and they were fine, so i should be ok, right?
• #9 by 8v-of-fury on 28 Jan, 2011 09:15
• Yeah man they are used in aaz's with three minutes afterglow. 30s is fine. My plugs still work, but they are def a tad weaker..
• #10 by R.O.R-2.0 on 28 Jan, 2011 09:17
• holy crap.. 3 minutes of after glow?
  
  must be some way to warm the engine up faster..
  
  think of the load on the alt at idle!!
• #11 by 8v-of-fury on 28 Jan, 2011 11:07
• Yeah, up to 3 minutes.. Not necessarily everytime, but on the coldest of days yes.
  
  I have done some tests, with starting on equally cold days (-15c) one with an afterglow of about a minute and the other with just the 15 second glow and start. The afterglow had the engine cleared up and running as smooth as could be in seconds.. Where the non-afterglow test was stumbling away for a few minutes.
• #12 by R.O.R-2.0 on 28 Jan, 2011 11:18
• Quote from: 8v-of-fury on 28 Jan, 2011 11:07

  Yeah, up to 3 minutes.. Not necessarily everytime, but on the coldest of days yes.
  
  I have done some tests, with starting on equally cold days (-15c) one with an afterglow of about a minute and the other with just the 15 second glow and start. The afterglow had the engine cleared up and running as smooth as could be in seconds.. Where the non-afterglow test was stumbling away for a few minutes.
  

  
  i do the same, i glow, fire, then glow again till it smooths out. usually takes about 2-5 seconds of after glow.. i got fast (8 second) plugs on a semi-pimped glow plug system.. (constant duty relay supplys voltage directly from the battery to the bus bar, like i said, half pimped)