Hilux 4x4 Forum

I have been experiencing a constant drain on the battery and traced the problem to the 80amp Glow fuse. I then disconnected the fuse for testing and when reconnected it, the glow light did not illuminate when the ignition was engaged and now the motor just swings but does not start.
Any info in tracing the fault will be appreciated.

did the fuse not pop when u removed/put it back?

The glow plug circuit is controlled by a relay that kicks in for about 15sec when the ignition is turned on. While the "timer" that closes the plug circuit is on, it also feeds the dash light. It could be that the timer part was still working but the main contacts were burnt closed which would account for the constant drain, even after the "timer" kicked out.

Check that fuse again as Nishan suggested, it could pop when replacing it under load (it's a heavy draw), alternately it might be that the relay has failed completely. You might have to replace it anyway, which can be pricey.

What I have done before is to replace it with a heavy duty solenoid that gets triggered manually by a push button fitted to the dash. If the main contacts are still working in the relay, you can still use it in the same way instead of replacing it with a solenoid. Either way if you use this option, you would typically hold the push button in for 10 - 15 seconds after turning on the ignition and then swing the motor over with the starter.

Usually one would really only need the glow plugs on first start-up of the day or if the vehicle has been standing long enough to cool down, otherwise a diesel should start without the need of glow plugs.

Hope you come right.