Glow Plugs

[z250kid]

I have a 1996 f350 and i was wondering if a couple of my glow plugs are bad
because when its 30 degrees out you have to turn the key 3 times for the glow plugs to warm up proprerly.

[kx592]

Check the relay connections first.

[ridiculously_necessary]

is there any easy way to check glow plugs too? or would you have to pull them out and test manually? what is the average life expectancy for these glows?

[z250kid]

this morning it would crank and crank but woundlt turn over
and it was putting out white smoke

if theres a way to test them with out yanking them out

i plan on replacing all if theres one or two bad ones

[metallitera]

there are 2 plugs on each head, they go through the valve cover. get a multimeter and check resistance between the OUTSIDE pins on each plug and a good ground (block or alternator), should be between like 0.1-2.0 ohms. anything more and they are bad.

check relay first. theres detailed instructions in tech files.

i just did this yesterday and replaced 2 and gonna gotta order 2 new plugs.

[badazzstroker]

if you have a test light put your clip on the pos side of the battery and then were the wire harness goes into the valve cover pull the clip loose there will be 4 of the same color wire on each side of the engine.put your test light on each of those wires one at a time if the light lights then that glow plug works at least some if they dont light then that is a bad glowplug.hope this helps.but first make sure you are getting power to your 2nd large prong on the relay when the key is on.

[donald lorbeske]

the glow plug relays go bad look at the relay if it look burt or take a wrench to the terminal turn them very gently if the stud is loose replace it they get very brittle from the heat they stay on allmost 1/2 min in the cold and draw almost 100 amps

[ridiculously_necessary]

out of curiosity, where is the relay?

[badazzstroker]

right behind your fuel bowl on top of the engine it has 4 prongs 2 small and 2 big the one large stud has 12v all the time the other large stud only has 12v when the key is on if not the relay is bad

[z250kid]

i think its the relay because its it says 12.75 on one side and like less then a volt on the other side