[Vwdiesel] Glow Plug Monitor -hmmm

[Smith, Michael]

LOL, great thread.  Best in ages......well, at least a tie for the "limp my
car home" threads, lol

AFA best car of all time... My choice would be the Mini.  (Of course I am
biased as I own one of the little beasts....it's only a project car yet, but
I love'm just the same.)
============>>>
OK, onto Mark-the-Misers (and others') glowplug monitor; 

I am quite fortunate to work in a shop that has lots of electrical parts and
supplies here at my disposal and I made up a little model
<on a wooden board>of a single glowplug circuit (just one plug)
I used a big 10A schottky diode(½ of a NTE6090), some 14AWG wire, a big big
12v battery, an LED in series with a 1k resistor and instead of a glowplug I
used 
a 12V 100w lightbulb. (yes, there are lots of these in medical
equipment...which is what I am supposed to be working on, LOL)  I tell you
what, it's some freakin' bright.  I put my dark blue coffee cup upsidedown
over it and it shone like a big blue beacon light. hahahaha..anyways. . . .
. / / / / /

I could find no configuration of these parts that would tell me if the
glowplug was either working, or burnt out.  Perhaps I am missing something,
as
I am busy doing my REAL job interspersed with my "tests" and I am 'having a
bad week' in my personal life, so my head is not clear like it should be
when you are designing stuff.  I find I work much better, late .

STILL, I am quite intrigued by the prospect of making this work somehow.
I did play with a 2" long stainless steel bolt as a shunt for a while this
morning, but my readings (in mV across the bolt) were inconsistent &
variable.  I used nuts at each end of the bolt and some spade lugs crimped
onto the hookup wire.  I understand where Hagar is coming from using a SP4T
switch and leave it there to monitor the entire system.  I agree....to a
point.  I always have some kind of meter with me though, as you never know
when you might need it.  I drive cheapie cars,(not by choice) so I need my
meter a few times a year for sure.

I would much prefer to have 4 LED's that would tell me the plugs are
working, or NOT working...>>>>(I'd settle for that if I *had* to.)

Easy to see if voltage is getting to the bank of glowplugs (GP's) but a bit
more involved to see if CURRENT is actually running through each glowplug.

I requested a sample online from a company hawking "Hall Effect Sensors"
yesterday, but no telling how long they'll take to arrive

This should be easy to do, but I would rather not put op amps, project
boxes, a mile (a km?) of wire, power supplies, relays and whatnot under the
hood of my 86 Golf if I don't have to.   It would be more complex than the
original car for PEte's sake.  I subscribe to the KISS method. (Keep it
simple, stupid)
OK, gotta scramble back to work.  I'd like to know if anyone has any further
ideas on this.

My car is still @ my bro-in-laws shop.  No estimate yet, and it's been there
since Monday.  That can't be good news.  Maybe they are calling all the
junkyards
to see if they can find parts.

"73" de VE9AA
Translation:  Best wishes from Mike in NB Canada

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com [SMTP:vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com] On
> Behalf Of H .  Hagar.
> Sent:	Wednesday, December 22, 2004 2:42 PM
> To:	vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> Subject:	[Vwdiesel] Glow Plug Monitor  
> 
> Now close to 500,000km and still drives like a sports car.
> Sandy
> 
> Way to go Sandy  old Pal.    Now I have absolutely no respect for VW
> Electricks 
> garbage  absolutely garbage. If Alois shnikkelgruber  found out he would
> turn in his grave.
> 
> OK  on may 06 1945   I would personally kill the bastard.  And yes I was
> looking for him.
> 
> But lets face it  --- the BEETLE is an automotive marvel ?.
> 
> If the History channel asked Hagar to name the automotive  MARVELS of all
> time ?
> 
> Simple    ----   The "Tin Lizzy"  is number one ---  the BEETLE number
> two.
> 
> For the flyboys ?   the Piper J-2  or J-3    Paper Cup ?     no contest.
> Say I.
> 
> The Harley is right in there.     NO Shit.
> 
> I am an OLD Harley  driver-----and what do I own ?   two 650 cc Yamahas.
> disgusting.
> 
> As a Dane I should own a " NIMBUS"  ---great bike.   4 cylinder inline and
> driveshaft ---not a stupid chain.   Remember Harry ? and his Nimbus 2000 ?
> 
> The Danish   Nimbus was a masterpiece.    Who made it ?   the Vacuum maker
> Nilfisk.
> Want a good really good vacuum ?  ---yep    NILFISK.   --- even better
> than
> Electrolux.
> 
> So you thought   HOOVER was good ?  ---it was   I agree.
> 
> Hagar.
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