Question about soloenoid.

[onegammyleg]

Originally Posted by omgwtfbyobbq

I'm not sure if the dealy in the car was a fuse or fusable link, looks kinda like a little red box with two copper prongs for wiring, so it might be a fusable link. I'll get a few from a VW stealership since I've been told they're handy. I can run a ground off of one of the screws in the assembly that used to hold it to the starter, and just for posterity, here's the old relay... There are a few people who relocated it because they don't like the idea of 50A running through the passenger compartment.
Is it just me or do the contacts not look good?

Thanks for all the help!

The difference between fusable links (they look like normal wires ,,usually right off the battery terminal) and fuses is that a fuse will blow fast at the specvified rating , but a link will allow short term high current surges (which happens with glow plugs) but will still blow at the rated amps if held there for some time.


You might have something like this....it is a type of fuseable link....in a box.

It might be found in your fuse box ,,or if you have a separate relay box under the hood it could be there too.

You cant see the relays switch contacts from that view., they are on the other side.

That relay looks like it has a controller timer built into it.- normal relays dont have those other electronic parts.

50 amps is a lot , but you have nearly that much current anyway passing inside the car anyway when you hit the starter button.
Look on the back of the ignition switch ,, you got some beefy wires on there.

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Yup, that's what I have, It screws into the firewall. The glow plugs start out pulling ~14-15A each (four plugs) for a second and settle down to 12A each, which explains why a fusable link is used. One last question about grounding the solenoid, when it's on the starter, it's grounded because the starter is and it's flush with it. W/o a separate ground off the case, the coil wouldn't energize when I hit the switch, would it?

[onegammyleg]

Originally Posted by omgwtfbyobbq

Yup, that's what I have, It screws into the firewall. The glow plugs start out pulling ~14-15A each (four plugs) for a second and settle down to 12A each, which explains why a fusable link is used. One last question about grounding the solenoid, when it's on the starter, it's grounded because the starter is and it's flush with it. W/o a separate ground off the case, the coil wouldn't energize when I hit the switch, would it?

Thats right.
You will have to add a ground to the body work.

It can be either a screwed on support bracket which makes both an electrical connection and holds the solenoid , or a wire from the metal part of the solenoid to the body.(and some other support)
It doesn't need to be a super thick wire ,, just one good enough for about 8 to 10 amps .