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Hello fellow daihatsu owners!!!!!, i recently got a 1997 fourtrak riviera for free,runs great, but has been loosing charge, but since last week when i put the battery back in after charging it up there was no glow plug light and it wouldn't start at all, even after 2 mins cranking, i tried to bump start but nothing happened, i guessed that it could be either the voltage regulator or the glow plug relay at fault but im really not sure what's wrong, any help greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Duff heater/glow plug
A burnt-out heater plug confuses the timer's little brain and only gives about 1 second glow time.
The compression ratio of the engine is insuficient to get a cold start, no matter how much you crank it.
Do a search for 'glow plugs' or 'heater plugs' for more info.
thanks for the reply!, but
thanks for the reply!, but what's worrying me is that there's no glow plug light whatsoever, could the bad heaterplugs cause this??
Listen for the relay.
There's a chunky relay under a plastic cover near the battery which switches the 35 Amps or so that the heater plugs take.
If you turn the key quietly, you will hear a solid clunk as the relay pulls in and another about 3 seconds after the glow plug light goes out which is the relay dropping out.
When there is a burnt out plug, the relay will clunk in and clunk out again within a second or so.
If no clunks, it looks like there is wiring fault to the timer, or the timer unit has died (which is the first time I have heard of that happening).
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nope, there are no clunks any more, the timer unit sounds more plausible, would this cause the engine to die all together?? as before the glowplug fault came it bump started well, even without giving any heat??!! but now it wont at all and also could the timer unit be draining the battery aswell??? it has been losing charge since i got it, hence the bump starting!!!?? just to add the glowplugs stopped working when i re connected the battery after charging it, thanks.
ps: where is the timer location?? is it a cube shape behind the glove box!!
any replies??? please????
any replies??? please????
Check the obvious first, is
Check the obvious first, is there over 7 volts to the glow plugs? no voltage usually means a blown inline fuse to the relay main power lead, or the main power lead. With either of these gone it won't start, and don't be tempted to apply 12 volts to the busbar as this will blow the glowplugs.
Check the main power leads as they often break near their ends through years of corrosion, and check the connections at the body are not corroded.
No, it wouldn't as all these
No, it wouldn't as all these engines need to run are fuel and air; once its running the combustion heat keeps the glow plugs hot and glowing.
So, have you checked the air filter and inlet pipes to ensure they are clear and fine; if so then the only other thing is a lack of fuel which could be a number of things.
Put your hand on the injector pump and get someone to turn on the ignition (don't crank the engine) and see if you feel a distinct click where the wires enter the injection pump, if you do your fuel shut off valve is working, if not heres your problem, the fuel shut off valve is shot and not opening.
These are merely a needle and an electromagnet, apply a voltage and it energises the electromagnet and pulls the body and needle out of a hole to let fuel through, shut off the power my switching off the ignition and a spring closes it and shuts fuel off, if this is faulty then its the injection pump off to change it, they are only about £10 to buy though, and screw in.
Check the wires going to your injection pump, one should have 12 volts when you switch the ignition on, if it doesn't have 12 volts then the shut off valve won't open so its an electrical fault, check the fuses first and then the wiring.
Check you're getting fuel as they have a non return valve in the fuel filter head and if this becomes defective it syphons all the fuel back to tank and you have to crank the engine until it sucks it up, also check the fuel pipes for leaks as this can also drain the fuel. To check this you need to try priming the fuel system by pumping the hand pump on top of the fuel filter housing, if it is slack and easy to pump for more than one stroke then you're not retaining fuel and its draining back to tank.