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NickH



Member Since: 02 Nov 2014
Location: Halifax
Posts: 204

England 2003 Defender 90 Td5 PU Rimini Red
Glow plug light fun and games
Hi everyone, I am posting this as there is a bit of a moral to the story. I bought the 90 a few months ago and I noticed the glow plug (wait to start) light never worked. It always starts perfectly but with the colder weather not too far away I thought I better check it out before I get caught out ! Must be a glow plug or two down me thinks. Checked power to glow plugs....perfect. Removed all glow plugs and tested them , 3 out of 4 were ok but hey blow the expense . I fitted 4 new ones.
Still no glow plug light on the dash Crying or Very sad I have now spent a week looking for posts about Td5 glow plugs but I couldnt find anything similar to my problem, meanwhile back in the garage I took the instruments out thinking it might be the bulb, then I remembered they are leds. Next thing my mind is working overtime thinking ECU fault as this provides the earth path to make the light come on.....naaahh cant be Ecu. I thought I will check the connections/pins on it anyway. Now a couple of months ago I had noticed someone had replaced part of the loom going to the black plug on the ecu but it looked a proper job. I found the pin number on the black ecu connector for the black/yellow wire which is the earth from the dash light. Whoever replaced the loom thought that all black/yellow wires can be soldered together......yeah thanks for that ! now I have a working glow plug light Thumbs Up Now listen carefully people, when I was an apprentice I was always taught "check the simplest things first" and if someone else has been messing definetly check that before anything else.....so why the hell didnt I do that ??? I dont know about anyone else but when somethings wrong with the defender I cant concentrate properly on anything (work,home etc) until I know how to fix it so please dont fall in to the same trap as me Embarassed
Post #368916 2nd Nov 2014 1:02am
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Buz



Member Since: 24 Jan 2014
Location: Forest of Dean
Posts: 238

United Kingdom 1987 Defender 90 200 Tdi HT Barolo Black
If yours is anything like the 2 Landrovers i've owned, the light is an indication that isn't accurate. If you switch the radio off (you need it quiet) Switch ignition on, wait for the glow plug light to go out......then wait a further may be 10 seconds you'll here the glow plug heater relay 'click' out.......you'll find the current goes to the plugs a lot longer than the time the light stays on......This happened on both my 300Tdi Disco engine in a 97 Disco and also the 200Tdi I have in my LR90.

Of course I could be talking utter bollix if you have one of these new fangled engines with all the electrickery black boxes attached!
Post #368936 2nd Nov 2014 10:19am
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diesel_jim



Member Since: 13 Oct 2008
Location: hiding
Posts: 6046

United Kingdom 2006 Defender 110 Td5 SW Epsom Green
IIRC the glowplugs stay "on" until the engine has started for 10 seconds or so.

Some other makes (and maybe the 2.2?) stay on longer, 30 seconds or so. Check the durite catalogue for replacement glowplug timers and the timing specs are there for them... it's quite interesting.
Post #368939 2nd Nov 2014 10:54am
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NickH



Member Since: 02 Nov 2014
Location: Halifax
Posts: 204

England 2003 Defender 90 Td5 PU Rimini Red
Your absolutely right about the light not being directly connected to the glowplugs. Just as you say I could hear the relay working but no light which is what stirred my curiosity. Both 300tdi and Td5 plugs stay on for ages after the dash light has gone out. Things were much simpler when you held the key and waited for the element to glow orange behind its little grill in the dash.....but hey good or bad I suppose they call it progress. Rolling Eyes
Post #369026 2nd Nov 2014 4:42pm
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