Manual Glow Plug Starting Method

[bike-maker]

I'll be rigging up a manual glow plug setup here pretty soon and was curious about the start up method. I've read the tech article that states you just hold the button down for 5-10 seconds, then let go and fire the engine.
My question is whether it would be considered good or bad to keep the glow plug button depressed as you crank the engine? The reason I ask is that it effects my positioning of the button.

 

[fury9]

an afterglow while the engine is sputtering to life on those real cold days makes a big difference, mount it on the left

 

[82F100SWB]

Keeping the glows lit while you're cranking will take power away from the starter, and is not necessary. Burn the glows first, then crank. I also NEVER afterglow. That said, now that I finally got around to mounting a pushbutton after 4 years of jumping it under the hood, it's on the left of the column.
I won't recommend glow times as mine are not normal.

 

[argve]

I wouldn't worry about doing an after glow cycle on her - If if were me I would just lite them up let off the button and hit the starter. If she complains on the really cold days I would just give her a little more go pedal and let her cough and complain a little - she'll get the other holes firing on her own.

 

[FordGuy100]

My truck has never needed an afterglow once started. What it does do is get the cylinder temps a little higher so the burn is a little better.

I wouldnt hold them on while cranking. Like said it will draw power from the starter, not good.

 

[timothyr1014]

how cold it is and how your motor has been treated will determine if you need afterglow....Like others have said, I would NOT try to glow and start at the same time...If you did you would be pulling about 450 amps. Personally on my truck running beru zd1a's first start of the morning I give it 8~12 seconds, and start it...if its real cold and she sputters and cough 5 more seconds smooths it out.

 

[Raiden7800]

My truck has the pushbutton wired to the right side under the dash, which is not going to be for much longer....

I fire my glowplugs for 10 seconds @ 35 F to about 80 F. Above 80, you "shouldn't" need more than 5-7.

On colder mornings (< 35 F) I will run the glowplugs for 10, release for 10, then run again for 5, otherwise it takes quite a bit of cranking to get her fired up. I've never seen the need for afterglow, so I don't do that either. Most of the time, I don't even need to give throttle to get her started.

~Rob~

 

[fury9]

after I do a 7-10 second glow, if it is smoking alot and not runnin on all 8,vibrating me outta the seat, a quick afterglow helps me out pretty good, I afterglow until it smooths out, about 2 seconds.maybe I should replace them other two gp's lol. Now I'm not real sure on this, but isn't that clicking we hear after the wait to start light goes out on the trucks that still have the controller, a mini series of afterglows?

 

[dyoung14]

It was 28 degrees this morning, i have 6 glowplugs i wanted to test them normally i burn for around 12seconds this morning i burned them 8 and it fired right up as always within 2 turns of the engine, (well time to go to work)

 

[TWeatherford]

I've got a pushbutton and love it. You'll learn how long to glow as you go along but I've heard 16 seconds is an absolute max. I go 8-12 seconds depending on temp and it fires right up, no afterglow. If you try to glow while cranking you'll crank really slow, at least thats what mine does.

 

[franklin2]

Now I'm not real sure on this, but isn't that clicking we hear after the wait to start light goes out on the trucks that still have the controller, a mini series of afterglows?

That clicking from the controller is an afterglow feature they added from the factory. I read they added that to keep the smoke down after the engine starts. Diesel engines have a few quirks that most of the public is not used to, and I think the OEM's try to cover them up as much as possible so they act more like a gas engine. Most diesels do smoke when they are first started, but it's not harmful to the engine itself.

 

[82F100SWB]

The afterglow is there just to clean up the white smoke, that is all. Same thing with the grids on a 5.9 Cummins, most industrial apps of the older ones don't even have them, let alone run them after start up.