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Glow plug relay clicking noise radmonly while driving

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 11:20 am
by jwa
My glow plug relay seems to inadvertently click away while driving. Can't seem to trace it to a cold/hot engine, low/high rpms, etc. It will click off and on at a very high frequency for a minute or two, then stop. If I pull the relay, all is fine. Sometimes it seems that revving the engine will stop the clicking...but it'll come right back. And this isn't really consistent.

I've tried two different relays. At start up the plugs run fine, clicks off at about 20 seconds. Pretty sure it's not the relay itself.

Re: Glow plug relay clicking noise radmonly while driving

Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 1:41 pm
by VWCaddy
Check the relay socket closely. Mine had a cracked piece right around the T terminal and that caused a poor connection there that would lead to random relay operation:
- http://www.4crawler.com/Diesel/GlowPlug ... estResults

Seems the Bosch relays are most tolerant of these sorts of problems, they "do the right thing" regardless of the inputs. But the off-brand relays seem to do strange things if given off nominal inputs.

Re: Glow plug relay clicking noise radmonly while driving

Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 12:08 am
by Fatmobile
If you list your car in your sig,
like VWCaddy does,
you wouldn't need to remind us,
we would know what kind of car it is.

... and radmonly is spelled differently. :)

Re: Glow plug relay clicking noise radmonly while driving

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:53 am
by supersisu
Mines clicking now too. The glowplug light had been staying on so I started pulling the relay; of course I was lazy and pulled it off with one hand. Eventually, I pulled the ground wire out of the socket; tried to solder it back (it's hard to reach!). I don't think I got it very well, now it's clicking. Moral of the story: pull the relay with one hand on the socket and one on the relay. I'll try to do a better soldering job later.

Re: Glow plug relay clicking noise radmonly while driving

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 8:38 am
by vwkook
See this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5293

Best course of action to take IMO.

You can buy a solenoid for well under $10.