glow plug question

[CowboyRon]

Thanks for the responses guys, and MHARRYE- I will check that out. I am always up for some more reading, I love new information. I am still curious whether my plugs are working or not, but as I said I have never had a problem so I haven't looked too much into it. Maybe I will just because the curiousity will get the better of me.

We tested ours last week on our little hinomoto. We pulled them out and replaced them with new ones.
We checked them with a pair of jumper cables hooked up to the tractor battery. We put the negative cable on the threads, and the positive on the terminal. Within a few seconds the tip should glow red like an electric stove.

[jinman]

Mike, you can check your glowplugs for electrical continuity to ground pretty easily. You need a good ohmeter set to the lowest scale. disconnect the lead going to the glow plug and measure from that contact to ground with the ohmeter. You should see a resistance of around 1 to 1.5 ohms. Very low resistance indicates the heating element is intact the same as measuring a light bulb or fuse for continuity. If there is a very high reading or open, then the glow plug is bad. After reading ohms, set the meter to DC volts and then cycle the glow plugs. You should see 12 VDC applied to the glow plugs while the cycle is in preheat or your key is in the preheat position. If the voltage drops or isn't present, then you might have a problem with the glow plug relay or even the ignition switch that controls the preheat cycle. Of course, glow plugs can become carbon encrusted inside the cylinder and lose their effectiveness for transferring heat. Some people have found glow plugs are hard or nearly impossible to remove because they are encrusted with carbon.

[dclynch]

Yes I have replaced the glow plug just to be sure and then tested the old one and saved it for a spare. I also tested teh circuit to make sure that it was working also. I just learn to plug it in when I get up in the AM and then go get my shower and breakfast fart around a little and by then she will fire right up.