Glow Plug Controller Questions

[bike-maker]

Since I converted my truck from a 460 over to a IDI, I've been running a manual push button for the glow plugs. I rigged up a push button in combination with a LED indicator that is hooked to a 12 second timer. It works pretty slick, but I would like to get the controller working again to make it easier for other people to drive my truck.
My question is, could I send the 12v from the push button, and wire that into the correct wire in the glow plug controller, then wire my LED indicator in to the WTS light off of the controller? I'm thinking that the stock setup sends voltage to the controller the entire time the ignition switch is on, the setup I'm proposing would only send voltage to the controller when the button was pushed, then cut power after the LED indicator (WTS) light went out.
Would the controller function properly wired up like this?

 

[greasemonky]

Yes the key on hot (small red wire) is power on all the time if key is on.

If I understand you correctly, wired the way you described with your 12sec timer it would send power to kick on the relay for 12 then off only after pushing your button.

I see that working fine IF: You have the timer wires connected in the original manner except for the one small red wire than originally runs to key on hot. Replacing it with your 12sec hot wire.

I can see advantages to doing this because some people don't like the fact that the timer activates every time the key is turned on.

 

[bike-maker]

Right now, I just have push button glow plugs, and when the button is pushed, it also sends voltage to a timer and then back to an LED indicator next to the button. So the timer controls the indicator light, which comes on after 12 seconds, telling the operator to let go of the button and start the truck.
To clarify, I would like to just send 12v to the stock glow plug controller, but instead of it happening automatically when the ignition is turned on, have it controlled by a push button. And part of my thinking for wiring the stock glow plug controller like this, is that you could turn your ignition switch to on without your glow plugs cycling.

 

[Compu Doc]

The 7.3 controller compensates for the time the glow plugs are on automatically. That being said on a truck that has been run and is still warm the GP's will only be on a few seconds. Also if the truck is cold they will stay on longer but if it is warm outside they will not stay on as long as they would on a winter day. you can use your LED as the wait to start light since you probably do not have an actual wait to start light on your dash. The led would come on from when the key is turned on and when it goes off that is the time to start the truck.

 

[bike-maker]

That's precisely what I was shooting for Compu Doc.
I would be ditching the timer entirely. The 12 second timer on the glow plugs works great for the most part, but during the winter, it isn't quite long enough of a glow to light the engine, and during the summer, the gp's require quite a bit less time than the 12 second timer allows. Just trying to make it a bit more user freindly for my wife to drive.
BTW, for someone that does want to retain the manual push button setup, putting a timer on the system with a indicator light has been a pretty slick setup. The timer I used can be adjusted by using different resistors. It's surprising how the LED "seems" to stay on for different time periods, even though I know it is accurate. Much easier than trying to count it in your head.