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Cold starting a 200tdi question.


kingdong2

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Hi guys

i have a 200tdi engine in my s11a swb and i don't use the landy during the week but at weekends when i come to use it in this weather it can be hard to start basicly because i don't have a cold start system fitted and wounded could i rig up a good quality switch with a fuse to go from battery to switch and switch to glow plug with a fuse between the battery and switch and just switch it on for a few secs just to start the engine and then switch the switch off once its started i have done this before on a works van as the timer packed up so for a temp fix till the timer was replaced i ran a wire with crocadile clips on it that i cliped on the battery and back glow plug which got me through a week then the timer was replaced.

graham

____________________

1962 2a swb 200 tdi.

1997 disco 1 300 tdi.

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If you are wiring the glow plugs then you will need the relay to do the switching, as running the heavy cable to the dash and using a high current switch to turn em on is possible but not advisable especially considering how cheap the relays are.

Why not just use a time on relay like whats on loads of cold start systems. or just go to the scrappy and get the proper relays for the landy. Probably no more work to fit it properly anyway. I'm sure someone will post you the 200tdi wiring diagram if you need it.

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Can you tell me what the colour the wires are to the glow plugs? My glow plug light is not coming on, but not sure if it is the connection or bulb behind the dash. My LR won't start either in this cold :-(

Cheers, Paul

P.s I also noted on my split charge system that there is one brown cable going to a neg terminal on the battery. Brown is usually a pos feed isn't it?

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black with a yellow trace Paul iirc , the warning light wire is the same colour as the feed to the heater plugs.

Can you hear the relay for the H/P clicking when you turn the ignition on?

The other brown wire sounds like someones choice when installing the split charge

cheers

Steveb

edit to add on topic the relay is a really easy install and the main wiring comes out of a scrap Disco quite easily

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Have to say..it was -6degrees this morning when I went to church at 0730, and although she took an extra 2 or 3 turns on top of the usual 2, she started no problem at all. I never use my glowplugs, although they are wired up - she just doesn't need them.

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Hi, yes I can hear it clicking but it does take some time, maybe 30 seconds. I have never had the glow plugs out so may have failed. My fuel filter also needs changing. Maybe the water trapped inside has blocked the fuel flow? The other component that has been playing up is the fuel stop solenoid, with the engine occasionally continueing to run when the ingition keys are taken out! I have just ordered some new glow plugs, but the batts are flat now and the snow continues to pile up outside :-(

Thanks for the links to wiring looms. My cousin has just reminded me that the brown cable goes to the power inverter. It was the only cable in the drawer at the time, so I have now labelled it for the next time my old brain forgets!

Thanks, Paul

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Thats a question to which nobody ever seems to agree on an answer, I was quoted 42 amps the other day - Ive yet to get a clamp ammeter and try it, but I dont use them anyway.

My glowplugs are wired on the cold start wiring, just hold the key and count to 10, they are not fused in any extra way.

But as I said , I never use them anyway.

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when i was wiring the glowplugs up on my tdi, i checked one with an ammeter, it took 18 amps at first, tailing off slightly

i've used an 80amp relay, with a small push button switch in the cab, without any fuses. i rarely needed them though

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you shouldnt need the glow plugs on a tdi!

Never ever use them on my 300tdi 90 - just get in and turn the key and bingo! Starts 2nd or 3rd crank in winter and 1st or 2nd crank in summer.

Just make sure you have an epic battery to get the engine turning over quick enough in the cold. if the battery is weak and it turns over with a "kerrrrrrr-pause-fuf, kerrrrrr-pause-fuf" then you probably will need all the help you can, eg glowplugs, as you'll be losing some of hte compression as it turns so slowly.

But if it turns nice and quickly, even with gloopy cold oil, then it'll start fine [*]

Mine didnt get used for 4 days over the weekend and beginning of this week - got in yesterday morning and it was -9C. Turned over 4 times i think before it caught and fired. Few seconds of slow idle and away we went! No smoke, no misfire, no bad idle.

[*] this is obviously dependant on everything else being good on the engine - good injector spray pattern, good fuel and good compression with no leaky valve seals/piston rings.

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you shouldnt need the glow plugs on a tdi!

Never ever use them on my 300tdi 90 - just get in and turn the key and bingo! Starts 2nd or 3rd crank in winter and 1st or 2nd crank in summer.

Just make sure you have an epic battery to get the engine turning over quick enough in the cold. if the battery is weak and it turns over with a "kerrrrrrr-pause-fuf, kerrrrrr-pause-fuf" then you probably will need all the help you can, eg glowplugs, as you'll be losing some of hte compression as it turns so slowly.

But if it turns nice and quickly, even with gloopy cold oil, then it'll start fine [*]

Mine didnt get used for 4 days over the weekend and beginning of this week - got in yesterday morning and it was -9C. Turned over 4 times i think before it caught and fired. Few seconds of slow idle and away we went! No smoke, no misfire, no bad idle.

[*] this is obviously dependant on everything else being good on the engine - good injector spray pattern, good fuel and good compression with no leaky valve seals/piston rings.

Thanks. I decided to try an experiment and put the starter cable on the second battery that is used for winch and power inverter. -12oC last night and she fired up with no problems this morning. Without engine on there was 12.3V in main battery and 12.8V in support battery. My understanding about the split charge system is that once one battery is charged it passes over current to the second battery? Could it be that because one battery is not getting enough charge that the other one never gets topped up?

Cheers, Paul

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Thats a question to which nobody ever seems to agree on an answer,

The glow plugs on a TD (19j) pull 70-80 amps when cold, initially dropping rapidly and setlling down to about 50 amps at the point where the engine will start (to the nearest 10 amps - cheap ammeter)

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The glow plugs on a TD (19j) pull 70-80 amps when cold, initially dropping rapidly and setlling down to about 50 amps at the point where the engine will start (to the nearest 10 amps - cheap ammeter)

So my suggestions of a 100A relay were good then - thanks

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you shouldnt need the glow plugs on a tdi!

Never ever use them on my 300tdi 90 - just get in and turn the key and bingo! Starts 2nd or 3rd crank in winter and 1st or 2nd crank in summer.

Just make sure you have an epic battery to get the engine turning over quick enough in the cold. if the battery is weak and it turns over with a "kerrrrrrr-pause-fuf, kerrrrrr-pause-fuf" then you probably will need all the help you can, eg glowplugs, as you'll be losing some of hte compression as it turns so slowly.

But if it turns nice and quickly, even with gloopy cold oil, then it'll start fine [*]

Mine didnt get used for 4 days over the weekend and beginning of this week - got in yesterday morning and it was -9C. Turned over 4 times i think before it caught and fired. Few seconds of slow idle and away we went! No smoke, no misfire, no bad idle.

[*] this is obviously dependant on everything else being good on the engine - good injector spray pattern, good fuel and good compression with no leaky valve seals/piston rings.

Hi nicks90

i have only had the bad starting problem the last couple of weeks as i don't use the landy during the week so when i come to it at the weekend it tends to be hard to start the landy is normally kept in a garage but has been parked in my girlfriends drive for the past two weeks once it has been started it will start with no probs for the rest of the weekend till it is left again and i am woundering what damage it is doing to the starter.

graham

_____________________

1962 2a swb 200 tdi.

1997 disco 1 300 tdi.

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Hi nicks90

i have only had the bad starting problem the last couple of weeks as i don't use the landy during the week so when i come to it at the weekend it tends to be hard to start the landy is normally kept in a garage but has been parked in my girlfriends drive for the past two weeks once it has been started it will start with no probs for the rest of the weekend till it is left again and i am woundering what damage it is doing to the starter.

graham

_____________________

1962 2a swb 200 tdi.

1997 disco 1 300 tdi.

Hi graham, When i converted my 11a i used a starter soleniod from the petrol engine as it takes plenty of power and you can hear it click on so you know its working. It also gave me a good place to join up battery cables / other wiring neatly. they cost next to nothing new too, ;) Angus

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  • 3 weeks later...

right i have wired up the glow plugs came off the starter relay to a push button then to the back glow plug i have fitted a 40A fuse is this ok i did try a 20A fuse but it blew and i had nothing between 20A and 40A but it all works fine with the 40A.

graham

_____________________

1962 2a swb 200 tdi.

1997 disco 1 300 tdi.

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I`ve got a few spare 70A relays off vauxhalls and renaults etc , if anyone needs one give me a message and I`ll post one out ,,, as for current , 15A per glow plug is the specified current for 12v glow plugs , I`ve usually measure this which then gradually drops to about 40A when they are red hot. this is with a clamp on ammeter. Also Land Rover actually advise in the manual somewhere that tdis only need glow plugs when temp gets to 0, remember reading it about 7 years ago when I found my disco ones were all open circuit !! and had been proabably since I bought it !!

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