HJ60 Glow-plug woes ?

Hi Andrew

I owned a HJ60 diesel for years and had the odd trouble with glow plugs. If just one glow plug failed it just would not start and that was living in Darwin. Easy to test them. Just take them out one at a time - a visual will tell if they are totally stuffed but to make sure just use some jumper leads to make them glow. Positive on top and negative to the body and they will glow red in a few seconds.

Not much else will stop a HJ60 except the fuel switch. There is an electronic servo unit (forget what it is called) behind the fuel pump that has an arm that will open the fuel pump when the key is turn with the dash lights. These can play up and it basically cuts the fuel supply.Well that is how the engine is turned off normally. Just check that it is activating.

David

the 60s have a sort of computer modulewhich controls the glow plugs they crap out often and are replaced by a glow button to control glow times manually

Whitehj

Change the engine oil and filter
they have a oil pressure fuel cut off in them so if involved in a rollover shuts off fuel but if oil is to thick wont allow to start when cold they need max oil visco of 15w40 had problems with one in workshop years ago work ok in warmer zones but in colder weather in melbourne no start

Regards

Oldpop

Andrew,
There were a few different glowplugs for the 2H diesels. The 1980/81 models had the old system that took 20 seconds and used a higher voltage glow plug than the later models. From about 1983 onwards, they replaced them with the "superglow" system. This used glowplugs that operated at about 7 volts - the voltage being dropped by a preheat element before the current got to the plugs.

I'm guessing that some of your plugs may have been replaced with the wrong type. It would be nice to know whether all your plugs are the correct ones for your model 60series.

Cheers
phil

G'Day Andrew,

It seems you have the superglow system. You need to systematically check the system for voltage when the system should be glowing - you need to keep turning it on for the 20 or so second glow so it helps if you have someone to help.

You have continuity at the individual plugs, so theoretically they should work. It is worth testing continuity from the bar to the block also (with it all back together) in case for some reason there is a problem between the bar and the plugs (unlikely).

There are two round plug type objects in the manifold. I think the one on the right is the resister/pre-heat and the other is the current sensor. I believe you should have continuity from the bar to the other side of the resistor. There are measurements for the resistance too, I think they are in the factory manual - but can't quite remember.

On the RHS of the engine bay there should be two relays (next to the air cleaner) on the inner guard - one is the start relay and the other is the low voltage glow relay. There is also a relay on the inner wheel arch area on the same side - this is the relay for the high voltage glow. You will need to check that there is power to both of the relays, and also that the relays are operating and sending power when the ignition is switched on. The one on the inner wheel arch will only operate for a few seconds, the one on the guard will stay on for about 30 or so seconds. If the relays are not operating it may well be the timer or the current sensor.

The timer is located inside the front passenger kick panel and is a rectangular unit. The instructions for testing this are in the factory manual and it is fairly easy to do. In fact the factory manual has a full trouble shooting section which is fantastic for this and easy to find the problem area. You can get these on line for nothing, but I'm not sure where, maybe someone else will know?

The basic operation is that the timer operates both relays together pushing through a higher voltage, the big relay drops out after a few seconds and theoretically it should start - the second relay stays on to help get things going supplying a lower voltage to the resistor and plugs. I have been told by a sparky that the resistor acts also as a manifold heater warming the air as it passes, but I haven't seen this documented anywhere in the manual.

The timers do fail eventually and they can be set up manually. My timer will not operate the big relay any more but mine starts on the low voltage (in Canberra's cold) but I have to wait until it has completely cycled (about 30 seconds) and it is a bit chunky on a cold morning. It is easy to wire a manual switch to either the high or low voltage relay via the timer, however if using a switch to operate the big relay (on the inner wheel arch) it can only operate for about 5 seconds and then it starts to get hot. It then starts smoking - not good, I have tried this.

If you are stuck you can use a jumper lead to go from the positive terminal to the resistor (assuming it is working) and it should start within about 10-15 seconds. If the resistor is buggered you can go straight to the bar with 12 volts, but the plugs will not last long as the are 9v or something - certainly not 12v.

Hope this helps, this is the system as far as I know from my experience, but the factory manual gives really good info on it (but doesn't describe how it functions).

As for the engine/pump control, mine is an auto so it has the mechanically governed pump which is the same in operation as the 12H-T pump - different to the EDIC controlled system in yours. You should be able to disconnect the control rod and put it into the overfuel setting manually for starting. Otherwise I don't know much about them other than the fact that the controllers do fail.

Good luck!

Dave