Hard start if glow plugs left on to long

[stanzuray]

What I'm going to mention is not a problem it's more I'm trying to understand what is happening when I accidently leave the key in the on positon beyond the time the glow plugs need to be on to start. What happens is I am rushing around sometimes and have reached in and turned on the ignition (to heat the glow plugs for starting) and I get distracted and leave ignition on for a couple of minutes by mistake (have a new controller card in there). Know it's not good for glow plugs probably but the couple of times I did this it then starts like it's flooded and even smokes like it was. Takes a bit of cranking also. After it's run it's all fine and starts great later as long as I don't screw up again. Basically just wondering what would be happening that would cause the hard starting. Like to understand what else besides the plugs getting to hot would cause that or could real hot plugs cause it. Like I say not a problem just trying to understand. Stan

 

[cucvrus]

I would tend to think that the glow plugs have cycled heated up and they are now cooled or cooling off. The glow plug card does not know if the engine is running or not. To my knowledge they will get hot and then you turn the key and the engine starts. If you have the resistors bypassed they will not cycle after the first time. I have mine hooked up as it was from new and depending on the temperature they will cycle on and off a few times after I start the engine. I may be wrong about this. But I had a few that were wired with the resistors bypassed and they only cycled one time before starting. When I rewired them with the resistors in place they cycled after the engine was running for a minute or 2. Good Luck. Happy Holidays.

 

[Tinstar]

Which glow plugs do you have?
Is your trucks system stock? If not I'm no help.
I also have done the same thing with no ill-effects at all.

My understanding is the Acdelco 60Gs (that's what I use) are self regulating, so no harm to plugs if you don't start it right away. I wouldn't make a habit of it.

I agree with CUCVRUS in that it sounds like the plugs cooled and that's the reason for the hard start.

Turn key off and back on for a new GP cycle and shouldn't be a problem.

Wouldn't hurt to check your Glow plugs to see what they look like.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

Assuming you have the stock setup, I'm with cucvrus. Sounds normal. You're just doing it wrong.

 

[stanzuray]

Thanks to you for comments. I have a resistor bypass but otherwise regular card (from Hillbilly) and AC60g's. Sounds like my plugs were in cooling off mode and truck was starting with warm plugs instead of hot and that is why I saw smoke. All makes sense now which is what I kept trying to figure out. Always like to have a feel for my engines. By the way have an AC60g story. Obtained truck without a controller card so ran with a manual solenoid switch for awhile last fall. Thing is the switch I used from my parts collection was an always on, and off when pushed in, switch which I never considered would be the case (another stupid). So I installed and hooked batteries up. Took about 45 minutes to figure out my solenoid was on all that time and switch was backwards. Short of it is the glow plugs kept working most of winter fine. Finally replaced and may have shortened life some but that all. Like those plugs. Thanks again, Stan