[Vwdiesel] Glow plug intermitancy

[James Hansen]

mikitka wrote:
> I didn't have much time yesterday. So as time permits I will start cleaning
> up all the grounds on the engine, body and battery and see where that leads
> me.  I couldn't tell if the metal connectors were pushed in on the fuse
> block where the relay goes. What would be a good way to check that?
> Nick
> 


I wouldn't sweat that Nick- you have power to the plugs.
10ish volts is correct when the plugs are in the circuit- each plug 
causes a small voltage drop of nearly a half volt in the circuit, so 10 
is right.  I understand what you are chasing- a connection with high 
resistance, but remember, with this amount of current, any resistance on 
any connection would quickly make a resistive connection VERY apparent- 
it would be smoking, melting plastic on the relay holder for instance. 
You just can't block that kind of current and not have A LOT of heat 
generated VERY quickly.


If you want a definitive test, pull an injector out and observe the plug 
tip.

I have ran across an intermittent fuse on the firewall in the past, that 
was a fun deal to find, and the half dead fuse lasted forever until I 
touched it.

Otherwise it sounds like your car is functioning normally re: the cold 
start lever etc.

I really like a permanent indicator light wired to the glow plug bus 
bar.  takes away a lot of guessing if it decides to not start right.

-james