• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Need some help with Glow Plug components

I've searched the forums, read many posts, and now I'm really confused - :???:

What I'm looking for is the physical location of the following components (assuming I have them right):
Glow Plugs - no brainer; under the injectors in the manifold
Glow Plug solenoid
Glow Plug controller
Glow Plug controller card

So here's what I have:
1984 M1009 CUCV, everything I assume is stock.

Problem I'm having:
Engine won't start; turns over but no fire. I replaced the stock Wellman glow plugs with the AC Delco's G60 (G60 Delco's have a wider connection on the tip BTW, had to modify).
Insert key, turn on ignition, "Wait Light" turns on, after a few seconds I hear a "Klak", about 5-10 seconds later the Wait light turns off, turn key, no fire after several attempts. Wait Light comes on again, same process, as before. It will fire on some occasions with a bunch of gray smoke coming from exhaust and It will fire if its warm enough outside or the engine has some heat. Seems like the Glow Plugs are NOT getting any current.

I'm thinking its the solenoid\controller, or controller card, but I'm not sure where those parts are physically located in the vehicle. Thought about giving the enhanced replacement hillbilly controller card a try, but I'm not 100% sure where its located.

Any help would be appreciated, TIA!
 
Last edited:

Warthog

Moderator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
13,774
232
63
Location
OKC, OK
The glow plugs are in the engine
GP tempature switch. Is on the left rear cylinder head
GP controller card is in a cigarette sized box next to the steering column in the cab
GP relay is on the firewall to the right of the brake cylinder

Have you read all the GP threads in the CUCV Helpful Threads sticky? Watch the GP video?

Many times the GP relay will go bad with burnt contacts inside the relay.
 
Last edited:

Hasdrubal

New member
690
4
0
Location
Vancouver BC
Solenoid..you mean the glow plug relay. Its the silver canister with all the wires going to it, on the drivers side firewall, between the 12 junction block and power steering booster. There's complete testing instructions in the TM's.
 

Attachments

Thanks for the replies. I took some time to take some pictures of the parts. Can anyone help identify them?
01 - I'm calling it the GP control board, pictures are of the housing, and the actual card? It was near the steering column.
02 - GP relay, on firewall?
03 - Temp sensor? Looking in from the driver's side of the vehicle, first plug near the front of the engine, before the first glow plug?
04 - Mystery board? I found a smaller similar board to what I think is the glow plug controller card. This one is bundled in the wire harness that goes to the round jump start connector under the ashtray.

Please let me know if you can verify and/or correct the name of the part. (Let me see if I can figure out how to attach the images).

Bonus points for anyone who can tell me; picture 3 what the yellowed circled item on the right is. i'm assuming this is some kind of 1980's magic connector as it just connects back to itself. My blackout lights work, maybe this is the cloaking device, that would explain why so many people pull out in front of me.
 

Attachments

GunnyM1009

Well-known member
354
529
93
Location
Roanoke/Alabama
I dont know about all of it but #3 is correct that is your glow plug relay. The circled item to the right was part of your windshield wiper power circuit that someone has bypassed to cancel out those three noise reducers the little round grey things. They commonly cause wiper issues and it hurts nothing to bypass them.
 
Last edited:

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,473
10,427
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
04 - Mystery board? I found a smaller similar board to what I think is the glow plug controller card. This one is bundled in the wire harness that goes to the round jump start connector under the ashtray

That harness and connector is not needed at all. That is the trucks diagnostic plug that was designed by the military to plug in to the ICE?? system for diagnostics of the entire vehicle. Not needed. A waste of space. Disconnect it or just let it stay in place.
 

998Junkie

Member
340
0
16
Location
Granada Hills CA
For some reason everything sounds OK to me but the part about the engine turns over. I had a similar issue and I put new batteries in it and realized that yes the motor was turning over, but not as hard as it needed to be. I second going with the manuals as well.
 

Tow4

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,096
646
113
Location
Orlando, FL
When the engine is cold, I let my glow plugs cycle 3 times before I try to start it. I turn the key on and wait for the GP controller to click on and off 3 times. This takes about 30 seconds.

When you turn on the ignition and you hear the GP controller clicking on and off, look at the volt meter. There will be a fairly large voltage drop when the glow plugs are on. If you are not seeing the voltage drop, the glow plugs are not working.
 

Mainsail

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,490
1,662
113
Location
Puget Sound, WA
My blackout lights work, maybe this is the cloaking device, that would explain why so many people pull out in front of me.
As mentioned, those are part of the wiper circuit that the previous owner disconnected because they slow the wipers. You don't need them.

People are pulling out in front of you because they dread getting stuck behind you. It's something you'll need to get used to driving a mil truck. ;-)
 
Mystery solved!

UPDATE:
I replaced the two batteries, they did test bad on an Advance Auto tester, even though they were able to turn the engine over. However, $200 later and after getting them installed it still would not fire. I received my Hillbilly Wizard replacement glow plug controller in the mail today, took about 2 minutes to install. The controller has an option to make the "wait" light flash. I waited for the light to go off completely, gave the key a turn and it fired right up! Mystery solved! It may have been the controller all along, but the batteries were probably on their way out too. Replacing the glow plugs was probably a good idea too. The only component that may need future replacement is the glow plug relay, but I should be good to go for some time now! Thanks for everyone's help!
 

reaper556

Member
282
3
18
Location
HOCKLEY, TX
I'm going to spring for one of those controller cards as well soon. After my resistor bypass I no longer hear the gp solenoid click and my WTS light just flashes once very quickly although I do see my volt gauge drop a bit and the truck fires right up even if I only leave the key in the forward glow position for a few seconds
 
Top