[Vwdiesel] Rabbit droppings # 141 --- ( &

[Val Christian]

Hagar,

Diodes.  Si diodes are cheap, and 20 amp or 50 amp diodes are readily
available at the local electronics junk dealer for $0.25 in single
quantities.  One or two diodes works great for dimming DRL.  Halogen
bulbs shouldn't be run too cool, however.

Fuses.  With all my Rabbits, I've had the glow plug fuse go on 
every single one, as near as I can remember.  The zinc gets soft,
and eventually the necked part erodes.  Again, to my knowledge and 
recall, I've never had a shorted busbar or glow plug.  Not to say
that it couldn't or wouldn't happen.

My Ford tractor has glowplugs, and since it sits outside all the time, 
they get used allot.  Especially when it's cold outside.  I have 
probably 2600 hours on the engine, and never replaced a glow plug.
As near as I can tell, without close exam, they are all working OK.
Differences?  As near as I can tell: 1. They are operated manually
and only work for pre-glow, with a spring loaded momentary contact
ignition switch.  The indicator for them is a loop of nichrome 
wire, which "glows" through a 6 mm apeture.  In the winter, it melts
snow, in the cold rain, the shield around it steams, in daylight, it's
nearly impossible to read.  The result is that frequently I underglow.
The engine is a three banger, so I'd expect that if a plug failed, I 
would know it.  The point of all this is that it's a manual system.

When I had the Rabbit with the fog light switch activating the glow 
plug relay, I never went through glow plugs, until the car started
ingesting crankcase oil pooled in the intake manifold.  My experience
is that manual glow plug systems (at least on VWs) end up being 
more reliable than automatic systems.

Ammeters.  Why not just outfit each VW with two meters.  One to 
monitor charge/discharge of the battery, excepting the starter load.
The other to act as a loadmeter, and show the power output of the 
altenator.  With this change in place, many of our varied current
monitoring problems would be easy.  All the time.

Val

ps: Poor man's blockheater idea...run glowplugs at 6volts or 8 volts,
overnight, for that warm engine start in the morning.  A DPDT 
switch/relay on the GP line, and a higher current, low voltage 
source to the GP curcuit, when "plugged in".  A 4 amp wall wart
14 Vdc supply could keep the car battery all topped off for that 
"rapid start" in the morning.  Who needs a block heater, with all
that messy installation, and fear of coolant leaks, when you
can use _Glow-Plug-Glow_(tm).

pps: I'll stick an old glowplug in a old cylinder head in the garage tonight,
and connect a 6 volt battery charger to it.  It should be good and cold
tonight (0F), so I can run out at midnight, and check the cyl head 
temp with a passsive IR pyrometer.  That will not begin to estimate
the heat transfer to the engine block, but it will give some idea as 
to the possible effectiveness of such an approach.  And if the 
glow plug has burned out in the morning, it will start to hint at
the feasibility of the idea.  (Hopefully I get the driveway clear
early enough in the evening to get this done.)








> 
> If I ever finish my investigations about why the plugs go south.
> According to Val Christian  ---  it will be posted under Glowplugs.
> 
> Bying a Rabbit ?   if it is 10 F or below  now is the time --  Selling a
> Rabbit ?   July  80 F or better    ---perfect.
> 
> I am talking about VW Rabbit Diesels  1977  to 1984    ---1.5L NA    =
> 1.6L NA and 1.6 Turbu.
> 
> If you have no problems starting ?   at  10F    soaked for 24 hours  no =
> blockheat ?
> 
> no need to read on.   .. You got the picture .        In this forum we =
> posted many many
> tricks to get her going.
> 
> # 1.   Make sure all 4 plugs are glowing.   -----Go to Canadian Tire and =
> get a 34-0114-0
> Ammeter    60 -0-  60   6.99 dollars Canadian.      IMHO  it is one fine =
> looking
> instrument   ---with   mounting hardware  and kightbulb.7 or 8 nuts  =
> perfect for plugs.
> 
> Mount two 12  inch     pieces of  # 10   flexible wire.   No need to =
> disconnect
> anything.    .   One end to  glowbuss one to positive on battery  -- and =
> just read
> it like it was a Voltmeter.  In a snowdrift ?   --I would  anytime.
> 
> Equus Products Inc  CA  92708.     Same as my Dashboard  Digital.
> 
> The Fuse is mounted on firewall in a black block   1.6  X  2.0  inch . =
> cover on fuse comes off
> really easy--just pull no tools needed.
> 
> The fuse is  a  flat strip of foil    10 thou  Inch (US garbage) thick   =
> by  235 .35   wide=20
> by  1.7 inch plus 400 Thou long..
> 
> I sit her with 5 brand new fuses    clearly stamped 50 A.       Normal =
> fuses of that type
> is Zinc    melting point  419.50 C.    Aluminium  660.32 C.
> 
> I have dissected all and I mean ALL   the  electrics on a  1980 VW  =
> Rabbits  ----and let me tell you if  you drive with a junper in place of =
> a 50 cents Canadian fuse link ----  Not a good idea .  -----    The =
> jumper like  Bart Wineland made is superb  ----use  say 10 thou
> Aluminium to get home.  (To get a proper fuse).
> 
> The VW fuse will not carry 50 Amps for any lenght of time   ---my guess? =
>   less than an hour.
> 
> IMPORTANT :    Find reason before jumpering,.
> 
> READ my lips  ---after glow on my Turbo is being removed PERIOD .   At =
> 18 dollars Canadian?
>  As soon a alternator kicks in     the voltage on plugs are too high for =
> my liking.
> For Afterglow  ----11 Volts  is not bad..
> 
> If Val Christian is correct that heatters are like Lightbulbs     =
> Westinghouse is my source,
> 
> 
> If plug is %100 volts   Watts are 100%  Life  100%.
>              %108 volts   Watts are  112% Life    50%
> 
>              %  92 volts   Watts are   88   Life   310%.
> 
>  That should tell you that    --- reducing  voltage is a GOOD Idea.      =
> 
> 
> Best way ?      DIODES    silicon. type.   expensive but not for me   (  =
> 20 liter bucket
> of dumpster diodes)   One sitting on my postal scale  ---250 gr. #  =
> 18840100  8031.
> 
> Mark Shepherd   what did the Diodes set you back  ---let us know  =
> numbers.
> 
> Today is sunday  16 jan 2005   and  the  half sassed Viking is up to his =
> ass in white syuff.
> 
> 
> Hagar.
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