RonMar
Elite Member
Yea, 25F isn’t horribly cold(about as cold as it typically gets here, 99% duilding design temp is 26F). I do typically plug in the heater 10 minutes before startup when it does get that cold as it is easier on starter and plugs with a quicker firsttime start... I am still using my original 2005 chinese battery... I have a hand crank slow speed diesel generator with a lister CS clone engine that is a stone ***** to crank up to speed when the oil is cold
There is a multi-pin connector by the right side of the fuel tank on my jinma that they ran the glow power from the key to the plug bussbar. The connector they ran it thru in that multipin was nowhere near heavy enough for that much current and mine eventually melted. I simply ran a dedicated wire from key to plugs which restored function. Better way would be an automotive relay from glowplug fuse to glowplug bussbar with the normal glowplug circuit powering the relay.
The good thing about using the normal glowplug power source from the fusepanel is that it pulls power thru the amp gauge so you can get an idea of how warm the plugs are getting. This is how I first detected I had a wiring issue. As the glowplugs warm up, their resistance changes and the current draw will drop off. In my normal working circuit, it goes right to 30A of current draw and gradually decrease to around 20A in about 15 seconds or so which would be my indication to start cranking. With a good current source, you should not run the plugs more than about 20 seconds as they will overheat and have a shorter life... The starter switch on my Jinma keeps the heat on during the crank so typically I am done with plugs and cranking in under 20 seconds...
There is a multi-pin connector by the right side of the fuel tank on my jinma that they ran the glow power from the key to the plug bussbar. The connector they ran it thru in that multipin was nowhere near heavy enough for that much current and mine eventually melted. I simply ran a dedicated wire from key to plugs which restored function. Better way would be an automotive relay from glowplug fuse to glowplug bussbar with the normal glowplug circuit powering the relay.
The good thing about using the normal glowplug power source from the fusepanel is that it pulls power thru the amp gauge so you can get an idea of how warm the plugs are getting. This is how I first detected I had a wiring issue. As the glowplugs warm up, their resistance changes and the current draw will drop off. In my normal working circuit, it goes right to 30A of current draw and gradually decrease to around 20A in about 15 seconds or so which would be my indication to start cranking. With a good current source, you should not run the plugs more than about 20 seconds as they will overheat and have a shorter life... The starter switch on my Jinma keeps the heat on during the crank so typically I am done with plugs and cranking in under 20 seconds...