1KZ --Glowplugs. No Tell-Tale Light?

[stuzbot]

As we hurtle towards winter, my vacant mind turns to a subject which has puzzled me since I got my Collie. Though, not having owned it through a harsh winter yet, not mattered enough to have me ask... until now:

What's the score with the glowplugs on these things? Unless I'm very blind, there isn't the usual glowplug tell-tale light on the dash, which there has been on pretty much every other diesel I've ever owned.

What I do is usually turn the ignition on and leave it a few seconds while the annoying arial motor whirrs its ineffectual greeting [see previous posts on that subject!] and then start the engine. But it seems odd that there's no built-in visual indicatior to tell you when the glowplugs have finished doing their thing [or even, through remaining constantly lit] let you know one of your glowplugs has burnt out.

So, what, if anything, am I missing?

 

[Mick W]

I listen for the glow plug relay to click then start, bout 5 seconds from turning the ignition on. It's easy to hear from the drivers position.

 

[Aeroelastic]

The glow plug light only comes on for maybe one second then went off, if yours still works. But the relay should carry on for another 10seconds or so depends on how cold the engine is.

Like this morning it was minus 1 when I turned on the ignition of my Prado, waited until my 12v cigarette lighter charger display jumped from 11ish volt to 12.1 or so volt then one click and she fired up. (the battery uses current to heat to the glow plugs). Note: My cigarette lighter charger also displays battery voltage. The wait is normally 10second. But after the first start in the morning, she fires up without having to wait for the rest of the day.

 

[stuzbot]

I listen for the glow plug relay to click then start...

I can't listen for anything as my bloody radio aerial motor whirrs for about 5 seconds, as soon as I turn the ignition on. That's what I've been using as my audible glowplug timer.

The glow plug light only comes on for maybe one second then went off...

I've never even spotted it coming on. Even though the Collie dashboard has more lights than a Christmas Tree, I doubt I could have missed even noticing the existence of a glowplug light, every single time. Where abouts is it?.... and I'll keep my eyes focussed on that part of the dash, next time I switch on. I'm presuming my glowplugs are actually working as it's never failed to start after a couple of revolutions of the engine --even on our first frosty morning [-2˚C] earlier this week.

[Oh dear. I bet I've tempted fate there. Just in time for our promised snowstorm on Friday afternoon]

 

[AdventureWagon]

Maybe the dash lamp has failed? My D (gear selector position) light went dead and was restored with a slap on the dash!!

 

[Aeroelastic]

I can't listen for anything as my bloody radio aerial motor whirrs for about 5 seconds, as soon as I turn the ignition on. That's what I've been using as my audible glowplug timer.
.


I've never even spotted it coming on. Even though the Collie dashboard has more lights than a Christmas Tree, I doubt I could have missed even noticing the existence of a glowplug light, every single time. Where abouts is it?.... and I'll keep my eyes focussed on that part of the dash, next time I switch on. I'm presuming my glowplugs are actually working as it's never failed to start after a couple of revolutions of the engine --even on our first frosty morning [-2˚C] earlier this week.

[Oh dear. I bet I've tempted fate there. Just in time for our promised snowstorm on Friday afternoon]

Stuz, bottom right, next to the engine oil light.

 

[Higgy]

Never noticed it on my Colorado...... On the 80 series if you Blink you would miss it

 

[Lancashire Cruiser]

Yes mine goes out in the blink of an eye so if you are not looking directly where it is you would probably not see it.

 

[tim falce]

On mine the light goes out after a second or two but the glowplugs stay on for around two minutes, I start the car after about 10 to 20 seconds. You can check the plugs have power by putting a multi meter on the plugs or the metal bar feeding them.

 

[stuzbot]

Stuz, bottom right, next to the engine oil light.

OK. Now I know where to focus my attention, next time I turn on the ignition. Mind you, my dashboard layout isn't the same as yours. I'll have to get a snap in daylight.

EDIT: Here's a crappy still of my dashboard, taken from when I was filming my rev counter one time...

 

[AdventureWagon]

@stuzbot you have the 90 series mkII dash. Exactly the same as mine though mine is just in km without the MPH inner scale. Don't want to hijack but whilst we're on dash lights do you have a dash light for headlights? (Not main beam but just normal/dipped beam).

 

[stuzbot]

do you have a dash light for headlights? (Not main beam but just normal/dipped beam).

Yes. Pretty sure I do. Kind of yellow orange colour, if I remember correctly... unless I'm thinking of my van, which I've been driving recently, on the odd days I'm not in the Collie

 

[AdventureWagon]

Thank you! Must have a bulb out on my dash then!

 

[Beastrider]

There’s no dash light for the normal beam on mine (only for main beams and fogs). The manual doesn’t show one either so I don’t think you have a bulb gone. There’s a reminder buzzer, though, in case you leave your lights on after switching off and opening the door.

 

[AdventureWagon]

Interesting. Mine has no buzzer but, left in the headlights position, the lights go off when the ignition has been turned off and the drivers door opened. They come back on when you turn on the ignition.

They can be turned on permanently if you turn them on (or power cycle them) with the ignition off.

 

[Beastrider]

Mine is a UK spec, so maybe yours is just configured differently for the Australian market? I suppose, either way, the lights don’t get left on accidentally.

 

[Shayne]

Every time i look at this thread i think "who cares" because it will start anyway . Cruisers were built with the expectation of crossing the Sahara and Siberia . We are blessed in the UK with every kind of weather other than extremes .

 

[Beastrider]

Shayne - will a 1KZ start without operational glow plugs? I don’t know enough to know one way or the other. There should be an indicator light for a couple of seconds to show the circuit is working.
Mine is ~160k miles and glow plugs have not been changed ever but it always starts quickly. I am thinking to change them as a precaution because the tips can get fragile apparently and break off. Any advice about that? Thanks

 

[Shayne]

Yeah i know what you mean , glow plugs are obsolete in this day and age in favour of intake heaters i think , but in all my years on this forum i don't recall anyone mentioning them at all .

So make of that what you will . Preventative maintenance never hurt anything but i'm inclined to let sleeping dogs sleep unless theres a known issue regarding age .

 

[stuzbot]

Well I never. By dint of actually filming my dashboard when I turned the ignition on and then stepping through the frames on the video, I was finally able to confirm I do have a glowplug light. It deffo is a "blink and you'll miss it" feature. I was only on the video for about a dozen frames [if that!] so must have been on for about half a second:

And apologies to @AdventureWagon --I was talking bollox before. I don't have a telltale light for normal [as opposed to full-beam] headlights. My befuddled memory was obviously mixing up my Collie with my van, which is the one which has an orange telltale for headlights.

Every time i look at this thread i think "who cares" because it will start anyway...

Mine's definitely been a bit more reluctant to start on the couple of icy mornings we've had so far this winter. I'm not saying it ever felt like it wasn't going to start. But definitely span up slower than usual, off the starter.

I'm not overly bothered [touch wood!] about the state of my glowplugs. I was just curious as to why there wasn't [or so I thought!] a telltale on the dashboard for them. I now know there is. It just goes out so quickly, I've never noticed it. A bit odd, given that every diesel I've ever owned has had a glowplug light on the dash which stays on for some seconds [Less in summer. More in winter]. I know the plugs themselves stay 'energised' after the light has gone out. But the light usually serves to give you an indication as to how long to give it before you hit the starter.