2.25 diesel glow plug problems

I have just taken my brand new parallel glow plugs out to find they are not working!
first of all I wired them with the existing ballast resistor in (as the diagram said that they came with) and they barely heated up. This is straight from the battery so no dodgy earths/connections either. I read on here a few posts saying parallels should not have the resistor in so I took it out the circuit.

After many attempts of trying to start the landy I have realised I have burnt the plugs out.
How have you got yours wired? Resistor in or out? what do you guys think about going back to series type glow plugs?

Chris...

ballast out for parallel plugs.
stay with parallel plugs.
edit.
how did you burn them out?

I stay with series wired plugs. Ok they are like old christmas tree lights one out all out.
But when they fail you do something about it and fix the problem.
Parallel wired plugs one out motor still starts, two out still starts three out you may start
four out and your in the mire no warning and it will be ****ing down or middle of winter.

divie said:

I stay with series wired plugs. Ok they are like old christmas tree lights one out all out.
But when they fail you do something about it and fix the problem.
Parallel wired plugs one out motor still starts, two out still starts three out you may start
four out and your in the mire no warning and it will be ****ing down or middle of winter.

Click to expand...

ya can generally tell when a plugs down with a lumpy start up. then wait till yer under cover or a sunny days pops up.
edit.
just realised you described the pre warnings.
oops.

im not sure about these parallels because as soon as i took the resistor out so they would glow.... i burnt them out not long after!
I supppose its not a hard job to test them very now and again and replace one if its gone!

If you are using parallel plugs, always fit a timer relay so that they go off after 10-15 secs. otherwise they could be on permanently ... which will burn them out!

Failing that, have an ignition switch with a pre-heat setting, but once again do it through a relay so that you don't burn out your switch.

Hope this helps.

Oldseadog said:

If you are using parallel plugs, always fit a timer relay so that they go off after 10-15 secs. otherwise they could be on permanently ... which will burn them out!

Failing that, have an ignition switch with a pre-heat setting, but once again do it through a relay so that you don't burn out your switch.

Hope this helps.

Click to expand...

or a push button works well

trax said:

or a push button works well

Click to expand...

... And a relay

A lot of modern glow plugs are twin element and self regulating to prevent burn out.
Some interesting reading here.
File above forum limit so link to where I downloaded it
20 Questions & Answers | NGK Spark Plugs UK

I fitted parallel glow plugs, no resistor, have the glow plugs on ignition barrel with a pre-heat setting, turn the key for 10 seconds, release, then use a starter button to start.

I've got glow plugs on my 2.5 wired in series through the ballast resistor, turned on through the ignition barrel just holding on the glow plug setting for a few seconds

samc88 said:

I've got glow plugs on my 2.5 wired in series through the ballast resistor, turned on through the ignition barrel just holding on the glow plug setting for a few seconds

Click to expand...

pretty sure you've wired them in wrong then

trax said:

pretty sure you've wired them in wrong then

Click to expand...

No, wired in series means going through the resistor (we wired it going by the diagram, I think its the same setup as a series circuit and thats how weve done it) Thats how it was before and it works really well

samc88 said:

No, wired in series means going through the resistor (we wired it going by the diagram, I think its the same setup as a series circuit and thats how weve done it) Thats how it was before and it works really well

Click to expand...

new type plugs or old type plugs?

nrgserv said:

new type plugs or old type plugs?

Click to expand...

Old type

samc88 said:

No, wired in series means going through the resistor (we wired it going by the diagram, I think its the same setup as a series circuit and thats how weve done it) Thats how it was before and it works really well

Click to expand...

samc88 said:

Old type

Click to expand...

I'm a bit confused. i thought you said you had a 2.5n/a stuck in it.

afaik they use the 'new' type and that needs 12v which wiring in series doesn't provide.

are you saying you have stuck pigtails in the 2.5na lump? cos that seems a bit nutty.

you can chuck the ballast and rewire it so the dash glow still works if you really need it

samc88 said:

Old type

Click to expand...

will work but not as good as new type

So i bought some series wired glowplugs and after fitting them they would not work. i was extremely baffled as i had them wired up right and the ballast resistor was glowing.

I ended up wiring them up out of the engine to see if they would glow. They worked perfectly, all glowing pretty evenly. As soon as i put the first one in the engine they all stopped working??? completely confused by now.

So as soon as the body of the glow plug touches the engine it was earthing out the first glowplug. Not letting the feed go through the others. I Tested continuity and each glow plug has continuity from the terminals to the body of the glow plug.

How can series wired glow plugs work when they are earthed before the end of the circuit?

They are britpart glowplugs. has anyone had troubles with these?

Thanks, Chris.

And this should be a picture of how i have wired them. As they are, they will work but as soon as a glow plug is screwed in, it earths the circuit

Series glow plugs should not go to earth through the plug body, as one side of the element is connected in series to the next plug along.

The only one that goes to earth is the lead from the last plug.

See the pic in the previous post for the wiring.