• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

 

Cucv back to stock glow plug controls

TNMOUNTAINMAN

New member
10
0
0
Location
TN
I've lurked around looking for the answers but this site has so much information. My 85 m1009 has had a pushbutton installed for glow plugs. Before i bought it. Plagued with starting problems since i owned it. I think they all stem from the hack job on the pushbutton and what looks like maybe a ford solenoid tied to the glow plugs. I'd like to put it back to factory but not sure what that would take. If anybody knows specific threads can you shoot me a link or info?
 

acthomp781

Member
79
30
18
Location
Massillon, OH
I had the same issue with my 86 M1009 it had a push button and hard starting problems. Do you have a GP contoller card? If so you can look at getting the wiring back to stock, then you can use the TM's to diagnose your issue. I suggest printing out the wiring diagrams and see what has been done to your wiring. There are many threads on installing a pushbutton to bypass the GP card, you could look at those and "reverse engineer" your system back to stock. What I think works best is to get the wiring/GP system back to stock, then diagnosing is much easier. The "solenoid" you mentioned should actually be a relay, I am not trying to be a jerk by correcting you, details matter in diagnosing 33 year old vehicles that spent many years being worked on by probably 18-22 year old's in the military, or older civilians that did not have a good idea of what they were doing. There is A LOT of info on this site, MANY people with experience. Let us know what you find.
 

MarcusOReallyus

Well-known member
4,524
808
113
Location
Virginia
I The "solenoid" you mentioned should actually be a relay,
It probably is, since a solenoid IS a relay. "Solenoid" is simply any switching device that is controlled by an electromagnet. There are mechanical solenoids, hydraulic solenoids, air solenoids, and there are electrical solenoids. We also call electrical solenoids by another name: "relays". There are big ones, small ones, and everything in between.

Don't get hung up on the two terms. What matters is what it does functionally.


TNMOUNTAINMAN, how to get you back to stock depends on what you have now. There is more than one way to put in a pushbutton, and some of them are pretty simple and can co-exist with the stock system. Others are a hack job that makes a huge mess out of the stock system. If yours was done the simple way, restoring stock could be as simple as buying a new controller card and plugging it in. OR, it could be nasty.

Can you take some pictures and post them? Especially the Ford solenoid? If we can see what you have, we can point you in the right direction.
 

TNMOUNTAINMAN

New member
10
0
0
Location
TN
Thanks guys. I'll get some pictures up today if i get home before its too dark. I believe the solenoid or the button has failed and stuck in the on position. Had it running a while back. Noticed some diesel dripping near a glow plug wire. Reached down to see where it was dripping from. Touched the wire and it was almost hot enough to melt the insulation. At that point the truck had been running long enough to be at operating temp I feel like i have the hack job version since the wires on the pushbutton were suspect at best. Not really even crimped into the cheap little connectors fastening them to the button. Sorry i got long winded. Finally got the great state of TN to give me a title after 3yrs. I'm a little itchy to get her going.
 

TNMOUNTAINMAN

New member
10
0
0
Location
TN
Im not opposed to the pushbutton if the stock setup is plagued with problems but i know 2 guys with the pick up trucks and they always seem to work fine. I just thought it would be easier to troubleshoot and i could get all the lights back working instead of guessing at the glow plugs.
 

MarcusOReallyus

Well-known member
4,524
808
113
Location
Virginia
Some of us have the stock setup with a button as a fail-safe in case the GP controller dies. There are a few that have only the button, and have been fine for years. I'm in the first group.

Whichever you choose, we need to see what you have to see where we need to go.

While you're getting the pictures, check voltages on your solenoid to see what's there, and let us know along with the pictures. :beer:
 

dependable

Well-known member
1,720
187
63
Location
Tisbury, Massachusetts
If the relay is bad, glow plugs will not work even with the button type actuation. One thing I have seen is the relay(or solenoid) actuates with button or stock system, and the contacts sometimes connect all the way, sometimes not. This kind of intermittent situation can be harder to troubleshoot. One clue is to see where needle on voltmeter is when relay is thrown. If you pay attention, you can notice if it is drawing enough or not. Most of my trucks have had original relay replaced already, and some are on their third one.

The most common failure in original system seems to be the glow plug card. Seems like a lot of times the push button is installed at this point with no attempt to repair. While it is possible to repair the card, there is a member here, antennaclimber, who makes an improved glow plug card that works well. In two occasions I have plugged his cards into trucks and the automatic glow function was working again with no other effort.
 

TNMOUNTAINMAN

New member
10
0
0
Location
TN
This is similar to what frustrated me for quite some time. I would check voltage at the glow plugs. Yep getting power. Unlucky i guess. I had a friend over helping and he suggested checking for volts at glow plugs. Nah I've checked a dozen times. They have power. Well low a behold. He's checking and I'm pushing the button. Nothing. No volts at all. Turns out the wires at the button were loose.
 

TNMOUNTAINMAN

New member
10
0
0
Location
TN
One thing i forgot to mention. I got frustrated enough by knowing next to nothing about diesel engines. I kept chasing the problem as a fuel problem. I couldn't figure it out so i took it to a diesel shop in Ewing VA. Mistake!!! They got it running but not fixed. When i got it home the alternators were not charging. Popped hood and the rear battery + post and cable end were melted. Like liquid lead melted. They shorted something. Said they didn't but they did. I had both alts rebuilt. And it fired up, ran fine but the hard start situation showed back up. All this before the pushbutton wiring was found to be loose. Also, i have a couple pics but can you upload from a phone? Does it have to be on a computer?
 

dependable

Well-known member
1,720
187
63
Location
Tisbury, Massachusetts
This is similar to what frustrated me for quite some time. I would check voltage at the glow plugs. Yep getting power. Unlucky i guess. I had a friend over helping and he suggested checking for volts at glow plugs. Nah I've checked a dozen times. They have power. Well low a behold. He's checking and I'm pushing the button. Nothing. No volts at all. Turns out the wires at the button were loose.
Another thing to check; If the relay is bad or intermittent, you could also get a good voltage reading on voltmeter even if relay is not making full contact. Does not take much amps to register on no load test device, takes a lot more to run the glow plugs.
 

dependable

Well-known member
1,720
187
63
Location
Tisbury, Massachusetts
Not even sure a test light would show the problem, if contacts on relay partially engaging light might go on, but it is a good start.

To OP; you did check or replace the glow plugs? You should check them again at some point. Have seen cases where people with problems with system and manual buttons have burnt their plugs in course of trying to solve problem.
 

TNMOUNTAINMAN

New member
10
0
0
Location
TN
I was finally able to get back out and put a meter on the relay and its showing a bad relay. I'm picking one up today and will let you know.
 

TNMOUNTAINMAN

New member
10
0
0
Location
TN
Put a good hot battery on the truck today and fully charged the rear battery. Took 2 tries about 5 sec each and the truck fired up. It hasnt been cranked in about a year. The push button relay that was added was bad. I replaced it and the button inside. I found a fusible link that was burned out ( thanks to tech manuals posted on this site). Its been idling well for 30 mins. My rear battery shows 14.40-14.41v fluctuating. Front batt show 12.09v. Passenger alternator shows 14.47-14.51v fluctuating. Driver side alternator reads 12.90-13.04v. So i guess i gotta investigate that a little more. Maybe pull it and have it tested unless they are some common problems for this that one of you may know about. I do appreciate the information y'all passed on to me. Not a mechanic. Parts changer at best.
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks