Glowplug Relay

[Roy Dean]

I recently had a Glowplug Relay failure. I
called the local Ford Dealer and got a price shock, about $85 to $90. I decided to look for an alternative because it was not available at local auto parts. I purchased a lawn tractor starter relay. It fits prefectly and works fine, costs only $12 to $13.

[c_monster70]

Hey Roy, WELCOME to the best site on the net [img]images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] You'll soon find this site contains more info about PSD's than you'll ever want to know. One of our nice moderators will be along shortly to move this post to the "engine and drivetrain" forum. This one is for posts about F-D.C itself.
Have fun and happy strokin' [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
BTW sounds like a cool fix, how about a part # [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[Roy Dean]

I don't have part # but will try to get it and reply later, but any good brand relay will work, just be sure it has four connection lugs, two large ones for the battery/glowplug wire connections and two smaller ones for the computor controlled wires. I also wired one side of the small relay control wires through a manual switch I installed under the dash, this way you can control the current to the relay, thus saving a lot of wear and tear on the relay and the glowplugs. You only need the glowplugs on a "cold" start.

[mhardin]

Roy:

Welcome! It sounds like you'll be another asset here. I like the way you beat Ford at their own game.

Take a little time to look around the site, you'll find we have several forums that are dedicated to specific topics about our trucks.

BTW, what model do you have?

Mike

[CyberVet65]

I knew it!!! [img]images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
$90 dollar relay! Sheesh! This is too funny! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
I await the electronic experts to discuss amperage and all the other stuff. But I figure that I can buy about 8 of these tractor relays that don't have the "blue oval" stamped on the side!

p.s. Just had the truck in for warranty service for what I thought was a glow plug relay problem. Turned out to be a bad fuse panel and wiring harness. Also two turbo bolts were "re-installed". Awaiting further developments on this one. [img]images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] Like warpage to the housing, bearing failure,etc.
Chet
p.p.s. Welcome to the greatest most informative site on the Internet! May you live long and post a lot!
Chet

[H ED S]

I also want to welcome yout to the forum and appreciate the cheap fix. Gonna store that in my gray matter Roy.
I think you will enjoy the forum as the rest of us addicted members do. Jump around and check out some of the other sections of the forum and jump in and get your feet wet [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] .

Take care [img]images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[David C]

***** QUOTE
. I also wired one side of the small relay control wires through a manual switch I installed under the dash, this way you can control the current to the relay, thus saving a lot of wear and tear on the relay and the glowplugs.
***** ENDQUOTE
Why do you feel it needed a separate control (on/off? adjustable?) ? I would think the system would accomplish this since you use the original wiring.

[Roy Dean]

On this model (1996) the glow plug relay will stay on in many cases up to 2 minutes. The computor controls the relay and it depends on the atmospheric pressure and outside air temp, and cylinder temp as to how long it stays on. Later models are more sophisticated in that the computor won't even activate the relay when the cylinder temp is high enough.
So, to give me more control of the relay, I wired it so I can "disconnect" it from the computor and when the engine is warm, like when you were running down the hiway and stopped to fuel up...there is no need for glowplugs, so I leave my switch turned off. This accomplished by "rewiring" one side of wiring to the relay to a switch under the dash. Just for added info to see when current is going to the glow plugs, I wired a lite next to my switch under the dash to the "load" side of the relay lugs so I can tell when the glow plus are being heated up.