| Author |
Message |
    
George Liskey
Member
Username: Jdjake49
GA
Registered: 10-2005
Post Number: 475
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 - 5:35 pm: | 
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After spending many hours and lots of $$, I believe I have discovered the reason for 330, 332, and 430 diesel engine cold weather starting difficulties. Mr. Fluke and I did a little testing on my 332.
Of course, the first thing I did was to check the glow plugs. They tested OK per the TM with a minimum of 1.00 ohms resistance 
I changed the engine oil from 15W-40 TorqGard to the new 0W-40 synthetic. This did show some starting improvement.
I bought a new battery.
I decided to check the voltage to the glow plugs and found it to be less that 10 volts. 
Whoa there!! I expected about 12 volts not less than 10 volts?? 
The glow plugs are designed for a 12 volt supply voltage. A lower voltage would not provide enough current for them to reach the proper operating temperature to heat the cylinder.
SO... where did the 2 volts disappear? Answer: The fuse link, wire connections, the glow plug controller module and the wire have a small amount of resistance. Over time, the resistance of this series circuit will increase due to corrosion of the connectors and relay contacts.
JD recommends replacing the fuse link and cleaning terminals for the battery over charging problem. Well the starting problem is caused by the same components. Since the 3 glow plugs (1 ohm each) are in parallel, the actual resistance will be about 1/3 ohm. A small increase in the wiring resistance can have a significant effect on the operation of the glow plugs.
MY SOLUTION : 
Well I designed a circuit to use the glow plug controller lead to operate a relay that provides a direct connection from the battery to the glow plugs. The voltage went up to about 11.5 volts and it starts much better. I need to wait for some really cold weather to be sure. I live near Atlanta GA so we don't get below freezing very often. Last week it was up to 78 here.  That's for a friend of mine in MN.
I will post the results when I am able to test it at a lower temperature.
Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas to all the diesels,
George of Buford  |
Tom Shively
Member
Username: Shivelyt
In
Registered: 11-2004
Post Number: 399
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 - 4:27 pm: |
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Thanks for all the testing, George. I've never checked mine, but I've never really had a starting problem. I am going to check mine to see where it's at, though. I did buy a new battery about a month ago and couldn't believe the difference in how fast it cranks over. The old battery was weaker than I realized. I guess it pays to keep on top of things a little better than I was. |
George Liskey
Member
Username: Jdjake49
GA
Registered: 10-2005
Post Number: 479
| | Posted on Friday, January 04, 2008 - 8:09 am: |
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Well it was down to 22 degrees here last night. I left my 332 diesel outside to test my starting kit.
The tractor started with absolutely no problem!!!
The starting problem was low voltage to the glow plugs. They each draw 9-10 amps or about 30 total amps. A small amount of resistance on the wire and connections will greatly reduce voltage to the glow plugs. Cleaning the existing connections may help a small amount, but the problem will just come back. There is a relay in the glow plug controller that may also be causing part of the problem. A new controller is about $55.
The kit bypasses the existing wire and glow plug controller. All of the connections are soldered to eliminate any future problems.
Another point is that the glow plug controller sends power to the plugs when the temperature is below 70 in the engine compartment. As soon as you turn the ignition key on, power is sent both the plugs and the glow plug light on the dash. There are two timers in the controller. The first turns off the light after about 5 seconds. The second turns the glow plugs off after about 30 seconds. So when the light goes out the plugs are still heating the cylinders. I do not immediately attempt to start when the light goes out. When it is really cold, I wait another 5 seconds to let the cylinders warm more.
But that is just my opinion.
I B Happy,
George of Buford |
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