Activating glow plug light in the cluster

[bbob203]

Wiring up a pushbutton system in my Passat mTDi converted car. Trying to figure out how to make the stock cluster glow plug light glow. The cluster is from an aaz passat so it is almost the same as a mk2 cluster. The glow plug led comes on when grounded. Im not a wiring wiz.

[bscutt]

rig up a cheap relay. Get a relay form your local auto parts store like a universal or headlight relay. On the relay there will be two terminals for actuating the relay. These would be shown as the connections to the coil. Ground one of those and connect the other to your hot wire on the glow plug bus.

Then find the common and normally open terminals on the relay usually marked C and NO respectively. Connect one of those to ground and the other to your glow plug light terminal that you say makes the light come on if you ground it. Then you are done.

[bbob203]

This is what I have so far.

[bbob203]

As far as i can tell i need to plug a wire into the front of the fuse box where the glow plug L terminal would be plugged into. Since this isnt a diesel fuse block will it have the ability to receive a wire into it?

[surfcam]

I think it would be easier to put a separate light on the dash wired to the live side of the solenoid. Under wise you would have to do a pin out connection on the wiring harness going into the cluster.

[bbob203]

I think it would be easier to put a separate light on the dash wired to the live side of the solenoid. Under wise you would have to do a pin out connection on the wiring harness going into the cluster.

Yea it would be easier but I'm particular. This is something that a future buyer would appreciate.

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Get yourself a "bosch type" relay instead of the big ugly solenoid. They cost about $3, will fit under the dash, and look like they actually belong on the car. If you are concerned about future owners, it wont look like a hack job. Any auto parts store will have them

Use the glow plug wire to excite the coil, and the other terminal to turn on the LED.

Google it if you dont know what I mean.

[bbob203]

The purpose of the solenoid is to increase the juice to the glow plugs for better starts and to keep all the high current out of the cab to avoid a fire.

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The purpose of the solenoid is to increase the juice to the glow plugs for better starts and to keep all the high current out of the cab to avoid a fire.

Oh that makes more sense.
Your question was how to make the dash light work, so I was confused.

You could still use the bosch type in the way I suggested for the light, and you can get the bosch type in 60 amp versions to supply juice to you Glow plugs. A much cleaner looking install in my opinion.

boschrelay.JPG

[bbob203]

I may get one of those but my system turned out pretty well. I used the push button to complete the ground circuit on 1 terminal went to the main ground by the fuse box other terminal had 2 leads one i plugged into the fuse box #9 terminal where glowplug "L" terminal would normally go then another wire to the 85 terminal on the glow plug.
I used a 30amp fog foglight relay as an inverter This idea came from my friend who has a degree in electrical engineering.
30 and 86 power from battery
85 push button
87 to starter solenoid for the glow plugs..

It all turned out great and ill post a video of it when i get back from maine(the reason i decided to finally hook the glowplugs up). I started it w/o them all the way down to 20*f without issue but it will be nice to have them now.