Cold start, Thermo temp gauge

[teammckay]

Hi All,

First time poster, second time TF owner!

I just thought I'd contribute back to the board that had helped me over the last few days fix issues on my recent R9 acquisition.

I notice that Geeves has posted quite a few times that disconnecting the thermo temp sensor (the top wire on the thermo housing) causes knocking and you should only run it disconnected for testing - some people have questioned the wisdom. Well, I can confirm that after finding the wire cut - right to the base - that he's right! I've only had the bus for 3.5 days, driven around 200ish k's, and upon finding the wire was cut, and wondering why on earth the plugs glow for 15 seconds, I have re-soldered some electrical wire to the sensor and reconnected it to the solenoid. I am absolutely shocked at how much nicer it runs, and how much quieter it is. Also, it doesn't glow for forever and a day.

Next on the list (I've done the oil, oil filter, fuel filter, air filter and started cleaning up rust spots) is to replace the sensor completely with a fresh one that's not bodged on with a 2mm drill hole with wire stuck in it, and filled with solder. Following on from that is getting the bottom two bolts on the transfer/gearbox actually installed. God knows why they're missing.

On that note, I'm assuming that there is a reasonable amount of pressure in the coolant system, so I'm not sure weak I've just made this point - any guesses?

I'm dropping it into the mech across the road to give it a once over and grease the slippery bits while he's at it.

All in all, not a bad pickup for $4k though, and really, really happy to be back in an old diesel!

[nb422]

Mines also missing the bottom two gearbox bolts.. can't think of why they would be gone

[teammckay]

Mines also missing the bottom two gearbox bolts.. can't think of why they would be gone

Well, you've got me thinking I may have made a fool of myself

Are they mounting points for something? Previous owner put a 2.5" to 3" system on, maybe related?!

[geeves]

Those 2 bolts have come up before as not there. Cant remember what the outcome was but Its too cold to go climbing under my bighorn to see if it has them

[teammckay]

Asked a bloke down town and he said that they are only used depending on what they're mated to. In the R9/TF you don't need them.

[teammckay]

Had it in the shop for a once over, apparently the plugs aren't earthed, and therefore not glowing at all!

The mech is putting in a bypass for now to a push button in the cab, which I'm OK with, but he's also said that these ute's have an ECU which the plugs earth to. I can't see any reference on the net to an ECU on the 2.8TD models anywhere so I'm not sure how correct the information is.

Apparently he's connected the scanner to the OBDII (presume that's what they run) and no connection at all. I'm wondering if this is just an unused port that's a left over from the V6 models that are EFI rather than direct mechanical injection on the diesels. If it's definitely got an ECU, then it's fried possibly or a loose wire. I'm presuming that the fact it has a coded key means it has an ECU, even though everything else I've read says they don't... or at least they don't control any injection, but maybe it does control the glow relay.

Not much information out there, so it's time to go get a workshop manual for the beast, and then look at options to fix it up so it will auto-glow again... may mean sending the unit off to Melbourne for checking at a few hundred $$.

Looking forward to easier starts with the manual glow button installed, and less fog. Even though it starts anyway, it's nice to have piece of mind!

[geeves]

I wouldnt hassle too much about the glow plugs on that engine Also Id be surprised if he did find an ecu. This engine has been around pretty much unchanged since 87 which is before electronics and diesels ever found out they could mix.
Correct operation of the glow plugs is 1/2 second unless the coolant temperature is below 5C then they glow for 30 seconds. Even then the engine will happily start well before the glow plug light goes out. It is all mechanically controlled in the injector pump. How cold does it ever get in Adelaide? Ive jumped in my bighorn with the same engine on a frosty morning turned the key in the same manner as a petrol car and backed out of the driveway before noticing the glow plug light still on.

[isuzurob]

11/00 was the cut over to efi 4jb1 engine in the rodeo so it could be either, so may have a ecu, depends on the build date on the plate

[teammckay]

How cold does it ever get in Adelaide?

I'm actually in the hills, probably should have put that in! About 35 k's south of ADL. We get 0 degree mornings and regular frosts through as per http://1drv.ms/1rKyqTG .

It definitely won't start like you mention unless I put some throttle on, then it sputters to life over a few seconds and I'm pretty good after that.

11/00 was the cut over to efi 4jb1 engine in the rodeo so it could be either, so may have a ecu, depends on the build date on the plate

It's 05/01 so this may be the explanation!

[geeves]

that sounds pretty typical for a 4jb1. Try starting a 4jg2 like that and all you do is flatten the battery