Do I have to wait on glowplugs to start

 

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No glow plugs, just an intake heater.

There is a light on the dash, looks like a a little squiggle. If that's on, wait, it's your intake grid heater warming up.

No glow plugs on these trucks.

It is a good idea to wait until all the lights go out on the dash, minus the engine light. This makes sure that you have full pressure to the fuel rail and prevents hard starts.

As the truck is warming up, you'll see the lights dim and the voltmeter drop. That' the grid heater cycling. It'll do that until you get some heat in the heads and then they aren't needed.

 

Yeah...what he said

 

wait...no glow plugs????????? so this means no glow plugs or anything with the ignition system that will wear out over time to cause hard starts or cause the truck to run like crap??? ...im figuratively comparing the glow plus to spark plugs where at say 30K they should be replaced??? but since there are none........they dont need to be replaced??? im confused

 

Yup! No glow plugs.

Ford / Chebie still use them, Dodge uses the air intake heater. Does the same thing, just more reliable.

All the glow plugs do is help with a cold start. Once it's running, they aren't needed.

 

so.......how exactly does a diesel fire off? and stay running????????

 

Compression.

No diesels have ignition systems. They run off Compression unless of course you are the jack *** at Ford that accused me of putting gas in my diesel and went on to tell me I'd have to change sparkplugs, my ignition coil and distributor.

If you put air and fuel under enough pressure it will combust, no spark needed.

Skip

 

What happens is this...

Piston compresses the incoming air charge. This compression creates heat, to the point of about 1300 - 1400 degrees.

Then the right before TDC, the injector fires. Pushing the diesel at up to and above 23,000 psi.

This injection combined with the already hot compressed air creates the combustion.

The only way to stop it is to 1 - stop the fuel supply, or 2 - stop the compression.

The older mechanical diesels need absolutely no electrical power one they are running. No battery, no alt, no coil, no nothing. Just fuel, air, and timing and off she goes.

Ever heard of a runaway diesel. If your fuel system were to, for some reason, just let loose and keep dumping fuel, you'd wouldn't be able to stop the motor. Or, if you havd a severe enough oil leak into the cylinders, the same would happen.

 

humm....thats pretty interesting. what i knew about that was pretty close but not 100% clear. that cleared everything right up and i understand it now..thanks