glow plug light comes back on after start up!

[adrel]

Recently after starting the engine the orange glow plug light comes back on for a few seconds. Can anyone offer an explanation? I've tried replacing the glow plugs, I leave it 5 seconds or so after the light has gone out before starting up but then it comes back on. Engine starts fine at the moment but I'm worried I might have problems during winter, it seems to do it more now the mornings are colder!
Could it have anything to do with the battery?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers

[haydn callow]

It shouldn't be doing this and it does not mean the glow plugs themselves are coming on....The orange light is in fact not in the plug circuit at all and is just a reminder to wait a few seconds before starting ....the plugs themselves can switch on/off for ages but the light should not reflect this..
I belive the glow light if it ever comes on after starting is a warning of somthing totally unrelated to the glow circuit.....I think it comes on with another of the warning lights to warn of alternator/gearbox or somthing.

[peanutcrusher]

i'm having the same thing happening to me. are you sure its to do with the alternator because if that's the case my alternator problem has returned, the van did lose supply from the second battery when i started up the engine yesterday this is what happen the last time my alternator went down.
also my rear internal light is dimmer than normal again.

[dave_aber]

Interesting. I have a Hoyota Hilux which is doing the same thing - and coincidentally the twin batteries always seem a bit flat. I put this down to one of them being old and tired.

Is the dual-use of the glow light a common feature on japanese cars?

[adrel]

Thanks for the info Haydn. It only does it on the first start up of the day, if it's been driven then left a couple of hours the light doesn't come on! Could it still point to the alternator?

Cheers

[missfixit70]

Could point to a scavenge fan fault according to the owners manual? But it'd be worth checking your alternator is chucking out a good voltage when running should be somewhere between 13.8 & 14.5 volts across the batteries, then when it switched off the batteries should drop down towards 12.5 volts.

[Dillion Dog]

When this happened to me at the begining of August it proved to be a failing battery - new battery and the problem has gone away. I noticed for a few weeks before that the orange light came back on after starting and the interior lights were dimmer than usual but I suspected that I needed new glow plugs. Glad I didn't rush out and buy them.

[peanutcrusher]

i have new glow plugs and a newly installed re-coned alternator, a brand new slow drain second battery plus split charger. so don't think its the battery I'll be gutted if it is as it cost the earth. its been OK today but its another day tomorrow. how would i check the split charger is senting charge to the second battery as i believe the relay will not charge the second battery while its not moving, any idea if revving the engine will work and if so up to what rev's should i be looking to hold to make the relay switch to charging on the second battery.

[missfixit70]

If it's a willinton split charge kit it should be charging nearly all the time & I'd have thought with other split charge systems too. Make sure heater fans, lights, stereo & any other loads are turned off, check the voltage on the LB should be around 12.5v ish then start the engine, within a minute or 2 the LB should start charging at 13.8 to 14.5v, you may need to give a few revs just to get it switched over.

[peanutcrusher]

thanks i'll try that in the morning

[bigdaddycain]

I reckon your leisure battery is flat... You'll find next that your central locking will start playing up (if your interior lights are wired into the l/b) I had a similar problem a year or so back with the glowing glowplug light after starting, then no central locking,no interior lights, radio etc... It was traced back to the inline fuse going to the Willington kit that had blown. The battery was so flat that new fuses instantly blew, the battery needed charging, a new fuse was fitted, everything then returned back to normal, and has been fine ever since.

Kirsty is right, a glowplug light illuminated after start up is a warning that there may be a fan problem.

[peanutcrusher]

i've checked the output across the two batteries, around 12.8v engine not running 13.2v with the engine running, this is without the battery under load. is this a bit low or is it normal.

[g8dhe]

If the engine is just ticking over its about right.

[adrel]

Leisure battery was fine so I got a replacement main battery as the old one had probably had it's day. Seems to have solved problem for now!
Thanks for the replies.

[zimmer]

Hi!
I had same fault, light came on for 2 or 3 seconds after start up and went off. New battery fixed the problem for me but it can be alternater giving low volts. Try jump starting it and see what happens.
Richard.