Accurate Diesel - ‘86 6.9 Glow Plug Controller Upgrade

Hey everyone! Glow plug controller failed on me on a trip. Installed a manual push button before as backup, and running that now.

Wondering if upgrading to this controller is any good?

https://www.accuratediesel.com/shop/61.html

Also anyone know a Canadian source that’ll be great.

I’m happy with the manual button, just I want to get my truck worked on. New exhaust system, get the injectors and engine timed etc before another road trip this winter. So ideally have a fail safe starting, so no one starting my van destroys my plugs.

Thanks!

Never seen or heard of that mod before but the price tag isn’t too bad with a set of glow plugs and their description is convincing. Might not hurt to just pull the trigger and give it a try on your rig.

You are better off using Motorcraft ZD-1 plugs.
Other brand of plugs will cause you problems.

The Controller brands? IDK, probably made in China,
and a krap shoot as to quality.
Everything I read the early Controllers will fail in the on position
and burn out the plugs. 83- 87 years.

The early Controller like you have screws into the back drivers
side of the engine. being aluminum into a steel engine, they can
corrode to where they will/can snap off trying to unscrew them.
They screw into the water jacket.
At PNP had 3 snap off and one unscrew, to where on my 86 said
s c r e w it, and wired it manual.
I know what you mean taking it to a shop, they don`t know the
difference between 10 SEC and 10 Minutes on the glow time.

I think you would be better (if you can afford it) up grading to the
later style ZD-9 Plugs and the solid state controller.
You will need to change the GP Harness.
Classic Diesel design makes new harnesses better than the
original.

Looks like at the moment he is out.


Goat

I think that is the controller I bought years ago. I only use it as a plug in the head but it has the harness attached. I use a push button to glow the plugs. I tried it out thinking if I left my truck at the tire shop or other place long enough the folks there wouldn't know how to start it. I can replace the purple wire on the solenoid and the controller works as it is supposed to, at least it did the few times I tried it. Mel, the original owner of Conestoga Diesel said they didn't last long term and the Delphi one was better. That was over 10 years ago. I haven't tried my controller in years, so who knows. As far as the glow plugs, it is a bit of a gamble. Most would say to stick with the OEM Motorola/ Beru, But it seems like the quality of them seems to be worse, though they have always come out without issue if they stop working. I have heard there may be counterfeit Berus floating around too. You could hook the ones listed to a battery and see how long they survive.

After I bought my IDI diesel I replaced the malfunctioning glow plugs controller. It worked for a few months and then failed. Luckily it didn't fail with the GPs on. Now I use a push button. I don't remember where I got the controller, Accurate Diesel, Classic Diesel Design, etc. It was probably a Chinesium part.

I don't know why everyone is afraid of the manual button. That is all they had on old tractors, skid loaders, etc. in the old days. You turned the key backwards for a period of time, or you turned the key forward without starting for a period of time. Not sure if Kubota ever went with a glowplug controller?

Most people, especially the young generation are in a hurry. You would think they would not hold the button long enough.

franklin2 said:

Not sure if Kubota ever went with a glowplug controller?

Click to expand...

yes, they did....works ok from my experience...as long as you keep mice out from behind the instrument panel...

I have had to repair a few tractors that had their wires chewed up...it helped that I could get my hands on some wiring diagrams...

franklin2 said:

Most people, especially the young generation are in a hurry.

Click to expand...

In a hurry or just conditioned to have an extremely short attention span by watching TV and playing video games...?

This is probably why there are fewer deer hunters around...most folks just can't sit still long enough...so...coyotes were shipped in to cut down on the deer population....

I am glad that I am not one of them...I thank my lucky stars....

Thanks for all the replies!

Yes definitely keeping the manual button. Works great (for me) haha.

I may try a new controller to see how it works. First I’ll see if I can unscrew the one in place.

Or go with what @Old Goat suggests and spend the time to upgrade to the 7.3 system if I feel so inclined.

Cheers

The 7.3 system, which my truck is supposed to have, has it's problems also.

Your old style controller used the coolant temp to adjust the glow time.

The 7.3 controller monitors the current the glowplugs are using, and uses this amp value to control the glow time. This is all well and good till the wiring gets old and the connections get old, or if you lose just one glowplug. If you are diligent with your repairs, you can keep up with the glowplugs going bad, but expect not to go anywhere till you get the bad glowplug fixed.

It's the old wiring and connection problems that are frustrating. Any of this, a bad glowplug, or a poor connection or connections in the glowplug wiring, will affect the current draw of the glowplugs. Dirty connections or one less glowplug will make the system draw less current. This fools the controller brain into thinking the engine is already warm and it will short cycle the plugs on a cold engine. Engine will not start.

XOLATEM said:

This is probably why there are fewer deer hunters around...most folks just can't sit still long enough...

Click to expand...

Huh, good point.

XOLATEM said:

so...coyotes were shipped in to cut down on the deer population....

Click to expand...

I never thought of it that way.

XOLATEM said:

I am glad that I am not one of them...I thank my lucky stars....

Click to expand...

Do you mean a coyote or a deer?

XOLATEM said:

In a hurry or just conditioned to have an extremely short attention span by watching TV and playing video games...?

Click to expand...

I say both. There's WAY too much time and money spent on video games these days. Most people also seem to be in a hurry for no particular reason.

XOLATEM said:

.coyotes were shipped in to cut down on the deer population...

Click to expand...

It was mountain lions around here. I haven't seen one, but I've seen tracks back in the late 90's. That was around Kansasidi's area.

XOLATEM said:

I am glad that I am not one of them...I thank my lucky stars....

Click to expand...

Same here!

I guess I'm the odd one out here as I sit playing video games and casually reading forums...

To be fair I did work 9 hours today then came home and dug two fence post holes in prep for putting a short fence up, so I'm exhausted.

IDIBRONCO said:

It was mountain lions around here. I haven't seen one, but I've seen tracks back in the late 90's. That was around Kansasidi's area

Click to expand...

I have a picture of one that was around here, I think that’s on an old phone, I’d have to do some digging to find it, that was a few years ago.

I’ve seen it since then, pretty sure we still have them.

You can hear it scream every now and then. Their screams are louder and raspier than a bobcat’s. They have a deep menacing growl.

About a year and some months ago one out in the cornfield behind the house that big cat (I assume and hope it’s the same one) decided to attack a bobcat, holy hell did that ever wake up everyone in a four mile radius. I have a real bright 120v handheld spotlight that I keep in the house, I remember seeing them back there, the bobcat was dead and the big cat gone before I could get back with a boom stick.

Pretty sure that big menace of a cat has poached a few calves… and definitely once tore up a cow, scratched her up real bad, clearly not the work of coyotes…

And yes, sometimes at night, when outside, especially with the house lights off, especially when it’s cooler out, for the last several years, one feels very muchly so like they are being watched, and I would guess it’s that big cat. Wish that creep would pack up and leave, there aren’t too many deer round here… now about 30-40 miles north, there are, hell there’s elk up around Manhattan now…

There’s another one of those big cats up around Alta Vista that I have also seen, scared the ever living hell out of me, ran right past me through the brush while I was on an ATV.

Beavers flooded the farm pond and thus the lower 1/4 of the farm yard, a few months ago. They’ve been around awhile, but their damage got pretty bad and we had to intervene with a boom stick and excavator

We have bald eagles too

And plenty of varmints, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, possums, snakes, lots of snakes… and mice and frogs… and frickin bugs.

I haven’t seen them, but have heard there’s otters in the Council Grove lake.

11PM last night look out the kitchen window (patio light was on)
and there was this big bear, walk over to the Dining room and he
is looking through the Double door windows. Damed that was a
big head.
Grabbed my 410, opened the Kitchen window, and Boom, he found
a couple new gears and zoom he disappeared.
They are just looking for food.

About 4 years ago, Wife opened the front room windows, and there
was a small Bear sleeping on the door mat, guess Mama booted him
out with a new brood coming on.

They don`t like those Air Horns screwed on the air cans for boats, it
sure makes them scoot when you blast it.

We are 25 miles south of Carson City out in the boonies.
Always makes me nervous to walk out to the shop after dark, always
shinning my light around hopping there aren`t a couple lights
shinning back at me.


Goat

KansasIDI said:

Pretty sure that big menace of a cat has poached a few calves… and definitely once tore up a cow,

Click to expand...

Yes. The guy whose land we were on was having calves come up missing. The field I saw the tracks in was between T Ave. and the highway on the west side of 2100 so not far from you. I also did a fair amount of deer hunting south of the highway between 2100 and 2000. An older guy swore that he saw lion tracks along the tree rows back in there.

KansasIDI said:

And yes, sometimes at night, when outside, especially with the house lights off, especially when it’s cooler out, for the last several years, one feels very muchly so like they are being watched,

Click to expand...

I've had that same feeling. It was about 1 1/2 miles east of Herington. The same guy who saw the lion tracks lived in the place where I had that feeling. Like you said, it was always in the winter, after dark. I'd go to visit him once in a while and would leave after dark. I might get that feeling once a month. Also back in the 90's.

KansasIDI said:

hell there’s elk up around Manhattan now…

Click to expand...

No surprise there. In the early 2000's, I worked at a place in Salina where we replaced a semi hood. He had hit an elk along the interstate somewhere around Manhattan.

KansasIDI said:

We have bald eagles too

Click to expand...

The only one I saw around Herington was along old 77 north of Woodbine. Only once. I've seen several at Milford Lake. One time, we counted 23 all together in a group.

KansasIDI said:

have heard there’s otters in the Council Grove lake.

Click to expand...

That's not too surprising either.

Old Goat said:

About 4 years ago, Wife opened the front room windows, and there
was a small Bear sleeping on the door mat, guess Mama booted him
out with a new brood coming on.

Click to expand...

Hey now! It was probably tired from trying to find that blonde girl who ate all of his porridge.

Old Goat said:

We are 25 miles south of Carson City out in the boonies.

Click to expand...

Well darn. If you were north, you'd probably be neighbors with the Cartwrights.