L300 WON'T START

[temsinc]

My 97 L300 4D56 will not cold start. The glow plug rail and each glow plug test ok (11V). The glow plug relay clicks on and the glow plug dash light illuminates, and so does the ? water temp light also illuminates. The glow plug light turns off and then 10-15 sec later the glow plug relay turns off. So if I turn the key and wait for the glow plug relay to give me the second "click" the engine will still not start unless the van is in the heated shop. Sidebar: van does not have block heater, but an oil pan heater.

Is it water temp sensor? Glow plug relay? Glow plugs? I appreciate your assistance and thank you in advance.

[Mr. Flibble]

Do you try turning it over as soon as the little glow plug coil light on your dash goes off?

What colour smoke do you get out the back when you try?

Do you hold your foot down on the accelerator when cranking?

[temsinc]

I turn over the engine once the GLOW PLUG RELAY MAKES A SECOND CLICKING SOUND that I interpret is turning off. I do not hold the accelerator down and it will puff small amounts of white smoke when turning over...........and when starting (if in warm shop).

[Big-Bird]

Conductivity is not always an indicator of a good plug.
Pull each glowplug and do a bench test on them individually with your own battery and a couple of test wires. You will need to secure the glow plug in a clamp or similar while you do this test as a good plug will reach peak temp (must get red hot if its a good one) in about 10 seconds and the whole plug does experience heat transfer so you could burn your hand if you decide to hold on to it while testing.

I went through this exact issue with my L400 just this week and had 2 plugs that will not get red hot, they get warm just not enough to encourage fuel ignition. Starting is a real pain and my new plugs just came in on Friday. Guess what I am doing today???

[temsinc]

I will definately bench test each glow plug. Can anyone tell me what the "IDIOT LIGHT" is to the right of the glow plug light on dash is? It is yellow and looks like it has something to do with water temp? Thanks.

[yojimbo]

To the right are, Gate Unlock which is yellow, then handbrake, then water in fuel filter, then AT temp, and then seatbelt.
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