Former VWDieselParts.com Forum

Indeed, as Fatmobile has pointed out. I noticed 100% starting improvement with the Ford E350 starter solenoid operating the plugs via the stock relay vs the relay itself running them. I never got around to wiring each plug individually and fusing it individually before I got rid of the car. I did however wire a manual switch to the relay (I like manual things, make the vehicle unique).

You can get a solenoid at any carquest/napa/etc. I got one from an 88 E350 Ford van, it was like, 12 bucks? And its rated to handle quite a load. I never had any issues with it whatsoever. It was the kind that grounded using the bracket it was attached to so it was very easy to hook up.

So ill remove the red wire with the white stripe from the fuse panel where it goes into the relay and attach it to the solenoid? Then how will do i tie the solenoid to the stock relay? Then I would I would hook my fuse box up to thw other end of the solenoid? Sorry for thd questions this whole thing seems easy to do I'm just not all that great with electrical and wiring.

No, you put the solenoid under the hood of the car somewhere, and you remove the wire coming from the firewall to the glow plug fuse and place it on the relay. You will hook that wire to the "S" or start terminal on the solenoid. Then, you'll run a fat wire from the positive battery terminal to one of the big copper terminals on the solenoid, and the other to the glow plug fuse (or fuses, if you have "pimp'd" your glow plug system) From there, you will run a new wire to the bus. (Never bypass the fuse unless you are in an emergency situtation, like, its -40F and you need your car to start)

This will allow the relay to control the solenoid, but keep the high amperage/voltage lines from running into the passenger compartment since only at trickle will be used to trigger the solenoid, which will get its current from the battery connection you make directly to the solenoid.

Any wire can power the stock relay since it won't be pushing many amps, just enough to run the Ford starter relay in the engine bay.
Some cars have a dedicated fat wire running from the battery to power the glow plug relay under the dash; I remove that, use it to power the Ford starter solenoid.
Either way a fat wire goes from the battery to the starter solenoid.

Ok I'm starting to get it a lot better now and seems a ton easier than I was thinking it was at first this is all being done under the hood correct? No messing with anything on the fuse box. Instead of having all ths juice run to fuse panel and then to the glow plugs alll the juice via the fat wire from the battery is going to the solenoid when it is activated by the glow plug relay and then onto the plugs. Am I gettin it right now??

Thats right. You got it.

Picked up e 350 solenoid tonite from advance auto 18 bucks. Gonna reroute my current starter to battery cable over the solenoid its a 6ga cable and run a new 4ga from starter to battery. Gonna connect the solenoid and fuse panel together with another short 6ga. Have an optima deep cycle battery in gonna have it load tested at advance see how much power it has left in it rated somewhere around 700-750 cca. Replacing glow plugs and injector nozzle within the next month. Think ill be able to handle some single and subzero days with that kinda setup?

Keep short wire as you can is good,but also good and clean contacts too.

If you have access to MK3 battery cables, from a '93 or newer VW;
they are a nice upgrade and have several extra places to bolt positive wires.
(You'll want a headlight relay later on anyway)
Check some of my cars in the project fora for pics.
I use them on all my cars now.

For this glowplug setup I run a wire from the battery to the stock glow plug fuse,
after moving it over by the battery.
It's safer to have the whole circuit fused rather than install it just before the glow plugs.

I guess I need a little more clarification fatmobile. Or could you elaborate more on the glow plug wiring stuff you just mentioned and the headlight relay..

Mk3 battery cable at the local junkyard 25 bucks for positive and negative cables.

Another angle on pimping the glow plugs:

http://vincewaldon.com/index.php?option ... &Itemid=28

Fast or slow glow plugs?

My solenoid has a terminal marked with an "I" for ignition I think. Should I just ignore it?

Yes. ignore it.