glow plugs

[docweld]

I have a 2000 F-350 4X4 Dually W/ about 65,000 miles. I have many questions. One is how long should the glow plugs last and how do you know when they are bad. When it is cold below 20deg it will not start if I don't plug it in. Even when I plug it in it starts hard.

[Brian]

glow plugs last quite a while. i cant say exactly how long for sure, but i know more than 65 k.
how old are the batts?

[docweld]

The Batteries have never been changed. I think I have to get new one very soon, I am having problems with them.

[Brian]

on a 2000! wow.
i would drive the wifes car down and get new ones.
my batts were shot last winter and it took out my alternator. the alt has to work very hard to try to charge a batt. that wont take a charge.
the guy where i got my rebuilt alt (he rebuilds them) from said to change out the batts every couple years, and the alt will last a long long time.
he has a 96 f350 wrecker and still has his orig. alt.
of course he gets his interstate batts. for free, so he can afford to change them out quiet regularly

[docweld]

Your right, I figured I should get some. I will have to do that. Big $

[gbear]

Glow plugs last a good while. My 95 still has the original glow plugs now I only have 125,000 on it. But they would be related to number of starts more than miles. Which I have plenty. I have had to change the Glow Plug relay. So you should check that out first.

Jim

[guzzle]

gbear is right-on. Normally the GP system fails due to a poorly or non-working GPR. >HERE< is a link to a heavy duty GPR replacement if yours checks out to be bad or weak.

[Colt53]

Great article, thanks for the information... I am brand new to the whole diesel thing so forgive the proverbial "stupid questions"... I will have a bunch of them. I just bought a 1989 E350 moving van, 7.3L with a C-6 Tranny.... I know, I know... The obvious question is [B]why buy one of those old things... PRICE! I'll let you know if the price was low or not, depending on what it takes to get this thing working correctly. I have a fair automobile working knowledge so with a little direction I figure I can tackle just about anything...We'll SEE??? The glow plugs don't seem to be.... glowing? How do I check them out? If I remove one is there a volt meter test or something I can do to verify that they need to be replaced. I haven't done anything at all yet. But the engine just cranks and won't start. I got it going with starting fluid.... But that is not something I want to do again, if I can avoid it. It felt really.....UGLY!!! I read the article about the GPR and I will try to check it t. What I read says that there is a 12V reading on the one side of the GPR... What reading should the other terminals read? Ground??? Does this Glow Plug system operate on 12V or does the relay step it up or down? Should there be a 12V reading at the glow plug itself? How do I check out the GPR to see that it is good or bad? Where is the best place to buy either one or both? Can a glow plug be cleaned, re-gapped, HAHA or something to make it be functional if it presently is not? Also, I read about many computer attachments and re-programmers... I am guessing that with this engine being so old, none of that applies to me.
I warned you I might have a question or two...
Any help will be appreciated.

[SCUFFY828]

you cant have the glow plug relay repaired ,just replace it if it isnt working you should have battery voltage on black and orange wire coming into relayand battery voltage on the other side when switch is on usually brown wires ,spliced right at relay, pcm turns glow plug relay on when key is turned on and sends power to the the small wire and also ground signal also to relay ,to check simply see when key is on ,you actually should have power on all four terminals of glow plug relay , if you dont have power on brown wire side of relay ,it is bad , you can hear it click sometimes and still not send out any power to glow plugs

[guzzle]

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