Glow Plug Module Wiring Request

[xsaras4ever]

Hello to all again.

Our Peugeot Boxer (same as Citroen Jumper) has a short in the glowplug system.

It was there when we bought the van and a previous owner has created a homebuilt system by putting a switch on the dash and using a relay.
Pull the switch for 10 seconds, the relay fires current to the glowplugs and hopefully it starts.

We don't like this system. Too dangerous - forget to turn off the switch and wait until you see smoke and then you know the components have melted.

We got a glowplug control unit from a xsara (NAGARES) and another from a xantia(BOSCH), The
ay are both 5 pin items and fit the electrical block for the boxer.

We tried both and the 5 amp fuse in the boxer blows instantly.

Rather than hack about the wiring trying to trace the fault, we want to create a new layout.

So our question is, what is the minimum we need to wire to the control box, + or - , and we will happily manage without the little glowplug symbol on the dashboard.

We have looked at the SEDRE diagram for the XANTIA, we might as well be looking into a pit of snakes.

An answer like --- pin 1 to plus and pin 5 to minus is the type of thing we are looking for.
We already know which of the large terminals to feed direct to battery and glowplugs.

Thanks in advance.

[Zelandeth]

Going back a few years to when I used to help out a Land Rover enthusiast, but you used to be able to buy "standard" glow plug control boxes off the shelf. Just had a +, -, glowplug out and warning light out connection. Some of the fancier ones also had a temperature sensor. Basically just a beefy relay and a timer in a box. Been years since I last saw one, but imagine they might still turn up on ebay etc

Another solution that removes the worry about leaving the current setup might be to simply replace the switch with a momentary push button? So you have to manually hold it down, no way to leave it on then.

[RichardW]

My Grandad had a Series 1 Diesel LandRover - glowplug controller on that was a push switch on the 'dash' with a resistor next to it of similar resistance to the glow plugs. You held down the switch until the resistor was glowing nicely, then went for a start

[RichardW]

So.... looking at the wiring diagram, pin Nos show as:

Non turbo models:
1 Earth
2 not used
3 Live from the ignition switch.
4. Live from solenoid on the starter (presumably cuts the glow plugs during actual cranking)
5. LIve to the plug warning light on the dash.

Turbo models
1 Earth
2 Switched lIve from post start heating relay.
3 Live from the ignition switch.
4. Live from solenoid on the starter (presumably cuts the glow plugs during actual cranking)
5. LIve to the plug warning light on the dash.

[xsaras4ever]

Thanks RichardW, great answer, just what we wanted

Ours is a 1.9TD.

Excuse our ignorance, but would you say that Pin-1 is on the left or the right ?

Thanks again

[RichardW]

Don't know... it may even be that the numbers are not continuous....! You may well find the numbers on the plug if you look carefully at it.

[xsaras4ever]

Idiot reporting for duty here.

Couldn't see any numbers but when we took the item out of the garage into full daylight, they appeared like magic.

Thanks Again.

[Wookey]

I've just thrown away the rather annoying electronics inside this box (apart from the relay) and replaced it with a simple pushbutton that lights the glowplugs. And now the lamp actually shows when the glowplugs are on too. This requires stringing one wire from the glowplug controller plug to the dash which does of course take hours and hours if you thread it into the engine loom and use spare ways on the bulkhead connector (I had fortunately wired 3 spare ways some years ago, so could use those - still took about a day-and-half). I put a snubber diode on the relay so it doesn't destroy my switch (hopefully). The relay draws 500mA which is quite a lot - I'm not sure what the spec of the pushbutton I found is - We'll see how long it lasts.

[white exec]

I remember a Ford Transit diesel minibus from the '70s, with just that - a GP push-button on the dash.
An 80A cube relay would also do your job, should the old unit give up.
Presumably you don't bother with post-heating?

[Wookey]

Well, you just keep your finger on the button for a some post heating. You need it to start the engine when it's cold.