Manual GLow Plug Conversion and ECM

[JMK]

I'm considering replacing the 6.2/12V Super GLow Plug system with a manually activated 12V system. I've thought about it since another guy in town showed me the setup that Wayne at Luxury Imports installed in his Delica. It uses a manual push button that feeds 12V to the GLow Plugs that the driver holds down for 12 seconds of so. The owner said that it works much better.

So that brings up a question about the Electronic Control Module that is in the B Pillar. Obviously the above conversion would bypass it. Given the probablility that it suffers from blown capacitors and resistors that would normally be a good thing, if it only controlled the GLow Plugs. However I was told that that ECM does more than just control the GLow Plugs to make cold starts easier (I understand from previous posts it initially gives the GLow Plugs 12V and then changes it to 6.2V). I was told it affects overall gas mileage, power, etc. I assume that means it also has some influence on the fuel delivery system? And even with regard to the GLow Plugs, I recall reading here that it also controls the GLow Plugs to some degree just after the engine has started, perhaps cycling them on and off again at certain times?

If it is indeed the case that the ECM controls more than just the GLow Plugs, then obviously the ECM should still be rebuilt with new capacitors, resistors and perhaps trace reroutes where applicable, which may be time consuming but not expensive if you do it yourself. I assume then you could still do the manual bypass for the GLow Plugs, but leave the ECM connected to everything else it may be related to.

So my questions are:
1: Does anyone know what all the functions of the ECM in the B Pillar are?
2: Has anyone seen a circuit diagram posted anywhere for it? (which would make servicing it much easier).

[39Ronin]

My understanding is that it is only for the purpose of starting and is not linked into the fuel system at all. I have wired a manual glowplug switch in my Delica. Of course you MUST use a momentary switch so you don't forget to switch it off and burn the tips off into the engine. The ECU reduces smoke upon starting by cycling the glow plugs based on engine temp. You can reproduce this with a manual switch by cycling it in the intial start up. The computers circuit is prone to failure as you mentioned and more often than not is caused by moisture in the B pillar.
Also I shlould mention that the ECU is connected to 2 relays, one relay is 12V direct and the other is run through a drop resistor running the 6V.

[DelicaMark]

I would read http://www.delica.ca/forum/glow-plug-cicuit-271.html

It should tell you a lot about how things work...with diagrams from Mystery Machine.

-Mark