Glow plugs and diesels.

[nakomis0]

How does a glow plug work?

I'm saying it needs the first intitial lighting to fire the engine. Then after that it stays warm... the piston comes up, increases the compression until the still hot glow plug ignites the fuel again.

My buddy just thinks the glow plug is used at the start up and then thats it, it goes out, and is not needed anymore to run the engine.

This is for an rc car but its the same idea thats in diesels.

[jordan_m6]

on a rc car the glow plug is a seperate tool used to start the motor it is not built in cause it is not need after the start of the motor. saves a lil weight.

it works like a light bulb, (kinda) when you add electricity it heats up and starts to glow. magnafy this by 100. since desiels dont have spark plugs they need a heat source to get it running but cause they run so hot they dont need plugs.

im probly way off!!

[nakomis0]

Well Rc the glow plug igniter is a seprate too. not the plug.. atleat not on any I have seen granted I am new to it.

[ramminyfz]

thats kind of how they work not all diesels have glow plugs though dodges have air heaters which heats the air to bring everything hotter so the fuel will ignite easier

[Aceman]

Originally posted by nakomis0
My buddy just thinks the glow plug is used at the start up and then thats it, it goes out, and is not needed anymore to run the engine.

I'll buy that. All the older diesel engines I've been around for the most part don't have glow plugs. So there you have it, they aren't needed to run a diesel. However, they help tremendously on cold mornings.

[premiumtommy]

glow plugs are only used to start a diesel..

and usually only in cold weather..

you dont HAVE to have them if the engine will start w/o them...

[jordan_m6]

so do desiels have plugs i have always thought no. how do they come up with the heat source to burn the fuel.

[underpowered]

Diesels run purely off compression. Glow plugs just make them easier to start in cold weather. The air/fuel mixture is compressed to the point that teh molecules are bouncine off each other so fast, the heat created by the friction between them causes the fuel to combust. Most Gas engines runa compression ration of between 8:1 and about 13:1, with varieation higher and lower. The average diesel runs compresion ratios between about 18:1 and 22:1. IT just compresses the air and fuel so much it has no choice but to explode. Glow plugs are in no way needed to make this happen, but it makes them easier to start in cold weather when diesel fuel it thicker. in fact, a Cummins motor does not have glow plugs at all.

Originally posted by underpowered
Diesels run purely off compression. Glow plugs just make them easier to start in cold weather. The air/fuel mixture is compressed to the point that teh molecules are bouncine off each other so fast, the heat created by the friction between them causes the fuel to combust. Most Gas engines runa compression ration of between 8:1 and about 13:1, with varieation higher and lower. The average diesel runs compresion ratios between about 18:1 and 22:1. IT just compresses the air and fuel so much it has no choice but to explode. Glow plugs are in no way needed to make this happen, but it makes them easier to start in cold weather when diesel fuel it thicker. in fact, a Cummins motor does not have glow plugs at all.


yes sir

[jiffers]

new modern diesels only have glow plugs to keep the emmisions dow and havr nothing to do with starting

[bradrenea]

Well, you said it was for an RC car. I know a little about them, but not diesels.
On the rc car, once the car is started the glow plug stays lit after the glow warmer is removed. The filament (wire) is so fine that the heat from the running engine keeps it hot and glowing red. The glow plug in turn keeps the engine running.
That is why sometimes when the glow plug goes bad the motor will only run as long as the glow warmer is attatched. That is also why the engine won't idle if it is just a little bit too rich. It does not burn hot enough the keep the glow plug lit, so it will die.