After glow plugs have been cycled I'll suggest to use ""laser thermometer not skin"" to check glow plug temp. I agree with TPGSC that fuel is probably leaking back to tank when engine isn't operating due to faulty or no fuel check valve
Hmm that is interesting about a check valve. I wonder if this Mahindra has one. If it does that it is something else that needs checking. Good advice about using a thermal test unit but I should have told everyone I was an industrial electronics tech for a long time so I know most of the things not to do like touch something that is hot .
1951 IH cub, International 254 and 1538 Mahindra Towable Backhoe
My wife’s 1538 Mahindra was doing the exact same thing. The intake preheat worked . I finally saw a diesel drip from the fuel filter at the water sensor replaced filter and sensor . It now starts like new. It was just a drip but it took a bit of cranking before fuel system would pressure back up to the injector pump.
I went out this morning To start checking. I found that first I had to blow off the engine just to see it lol and will most likely have to pressure wash it before I take any thing apart. I did start the engine after I saw I would have to clean it and moved the tactor to a place I can clean it. It took me about 5 minutes to get it started. I had to mess with the thottle some. White smoke (which is un burnt fuel) came out of the exaust. This indicates the glow plugs are not heating up.
I tried to find a service manual on this engine but only found one at Mahindra for 178$ and the parts manual is 98$.
Now I took some pictures of the engine. I need to know the location of the glow plugs which I believe will be under the top engine cover but since I have no manual I am not sure. The reason I think they are under the top cover is be cause there is one wire going to the engine in that area. The rest of the wires goto identifiable sensors like the water temp sensor above and to the right of the red circle in the picture. The red circle connector wire is the one that has 8.3 volts to ground on it constantly. The glow indicator on or off has no effect on this voltage. If I am correct in that the glow plugs are located under the valve cover and since this is the only wire I have found going to that area then the glow plug relay must be bad since this has 8.3 volts on it all the time.
It has an electric fuel pump. It has a fuel line coming from the fuel filter then out of the electric fuel pump going to a what appears to be a pump Manafold that has the three lines running from it to the injectors(I am pretty sure this is the fuel injection mechanical control).
Where is the glow plugs located and is that wire leading to the valve area the glow plug power?
I found the problem. It is the glow plugs and glow plug controller. That 8.3 volts connector that is shown in the preveious picture in the red circle is the glow plug power and unplugged it should be 12 volts and a few volts less plugged up. What had me fooled about where they were located is they have a buss rail that attaches the three plugs together and that rail covers the glow plugs add in the dirt and they were hidden. But I just ran a check on the voltage hooked up and it shows 0 volts with the glow plug light on. So the glow plug system is not working. I will have to pull the buss rail to check each plug and most likely replace the glow plug controller.
Don’t b so quick..
Some keys turn to the LEFT for heating..& some have a spot between shut-off and cranking..
It’s gonna be a trial and error, poke and hope situation..
Good luck
Don’t b so quick..
Some keys turn to the LEFT for heating..& some have a spot between shut-off and cranking..
It’s gonna be a trial and error, poke and hope situation..
Good luck
When you turn the key to the right before engaging the starter the glow plug indicator comes on. This is when it is supposed to be sending power to the glow plugs. I attached a Volt meter to the rail that hooks to the glow plugs. The meter reading at no time showed any voltage being applied to the plugs. You disconnect the glow plugs and you have 8.3 volts with the ignition in the on position and it does not matter if the indicator is on or off. It should be 12 volts with indicator on and 0 with indicator off.
After extesive testing and coming up with the same readings, I removed the glow plug controller from the fire wall and opened it up to take a look at the electronic componets. There must have been a loose connection or the relay was not making good contact because after I took the cover off the controller and plugged it back in I had 12 volts going to the glow plugs. With 12 volts on them none of them ever got hot. I check continuity and found all the glow pluhs open. Then I asked why all of them. I noticed the 12 volts staying on and never turning off. The controller was not turning off when the indicator light went out. Only time it turns off is when the ignition is off.
My take on this is the controller went bad and kept the glow plugs on causing them to burn out. Then after a period of time either a loose connection or the contact became dirty causing thhe loose of voltage I first seen.
So will have to either find the electronic component (probably a transitor controlling the relay) or purchase a new controller and with the prices on a new one(400$ original and 250 for a aftermarket) I will first try and repair this one. I found on line 3 new glow plugs for (189 each for original and 69$ for three aftermarket). Those quotes were from a dealer. Below is a picture of the controller. Not much to it for 400$.
Yes I was thinking the about same thing or using a relay along with a cheap timer so when the ign switch is turned on it starts the timer and shows the GP indicator or buying an r11-ae and seeing if I could modify it to work for 29$, same connector style and number of pins. It will plug right up but I might have to rewire something like power, ground and/or GP indicator but it may have the same pinout only thing is spending 29$ on a chance lol. Yanmar tractors and excavators parts have been used by Mahindra. Reason I know this is it has a Yanmar fuel system on it. These relays are both made by NGK and only difference is the one on it is a R81AR and this one is a R11EA. Most of the time the companies will use same electronics and sell it for a different price and/or equiptment. If this were the case this would replace the one that is on it. They make a contract to build a special controller for various manufactures but a lot of time instead of making a new design they just use one already made and just label it different.
I talked it over with my friend and he said to buy that 29$ one and try it along with the 3 set of glow plugs for 69$. So that is what I will do if this does not work then I will put a 30 amp push button on it and he can hold it in for 6 seconds lol. Decided someone might need this little diagram of a R81AR glow plug controller in/out wiring
That indicator light bulb has 12 volts on one side and so it will show 12 volts off. The controller switches that wire to ground to turn the indicator on.
.
