Glow Plug System Mystery
 

V50 D5
Cold weather. Starting more or less on compression.
Glow plug/s must be shot! VIDA says ECM-6661...
So it's either Glow Plug no.1 or the Glow Plug Control Unit/Relay, OK.
**Buys 5 new (correct specced - 7v) glow plugs**
Problem still remains, fair enough.
**Buys Glow Plug Control Unit**
Problem has been resolved, no faults in VIDA. Hooray!
3 days later, problem is back. Oh nooooo...
I know! Check the 70amp fuse in the engine bay. Fuse has continuity.
WTF

At this point I'm concerned that the replacement Glow Control Unit has been somehow fried...
Yet to test the wiring but couldn't see any corrosion, on the glow plug connectors.

Anyone got any advice or experience?

Just resistance test them to confirm or rule out.
Don't assume anything.

Funnily enough I followed your video! :D
In testing, I found two of them to be no good.

I'd voltage test each plug connector now then.
If the ambient or coolant temperature is too high, you may need to unplug the coolant temperature sensor to make the relay send power to the plugs.

had similar issues, wrong glow plugs were fitted by a reputable indy, dependant on engine code/number depends on glow plugs, the wrong ones didnt last long. worth double/triple checking correct plugs were obtained.

I genuinely thought this too, sourced and fitted myself.
The manufacturer's part no. seems to correspond with the 7v plugs required for my car. VIN > 396XXX.

Going to test my plug contacts next, but the Mrs doesn't want to sit in the car and turn the key... :sad_smile:

So had a go at testing the plug contacts sans the Mrs (please correct me if this look wrong!) and received no voltage to no.1 and no.2, didn't bother testing the rest.
The 70 amp midi strip fuse had continuity the last time I tested it and I believe that the Glow relay is probably okay as it the old one.
Hmmmmmm.........:thinking:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_QC...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_QC...ew?usp=sharing

Have you got both multimeter leads in the glow plug socket?

Yes, set to voltage...
I'm just going off intuition here but please instruct otherwise.
I've fiddled with glow plugs in the past on other vehicles, one namely used a busbar so I could place both multimeter contacts on it when turning the key and see what was being delivered.

I'm now guessing that this wouldn't be the way with this setup?

Multimeter set to DC Volts. 20V if it's a manual ranging meter.
Red multimeter lead into the glow plug connector, black multimeter lead on the bare metal of the engine then cycle the ignition but bear in mind the coolant temperature as mentioned previously.

It's worth saying that Dice and Vida makes this job very simple as it can activate the glow plug relay at the touch of a button and of course offer detailed diagnostic information.