Date:         17 Jul 1995 11:56:00 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Harvey Chao" <Harvey_Chao@smtp.svl.trw.com>
Subject:      Glow Plug Warning Light-Glo

                                         Subject:
                                         Glow Plug Warning Light...
                                         Time: 11:51 AM      Date:
7/17/95

Glow Plug Warning Light

The reason I put a special warning light on my glow plug buss was to provide
positive indication (no pun intended) that there was power on that buss and
conversely, to be SURE that the power was off after the engine starts.  My
mechanic had showed me the remains of a diesel  previously installed in a
Rabbit  that suffered some failure that caused the glow plugs not to shut
down.  He got about 40 miles down the interstate before the cylinder head and
piston slagged.

Saturday night, about midnight, Concord Pavilion Parking lot at the end of a
concert, van full of the family and a guest -  glow plug buss still powered up
long after it should have been off.

Had the wife stop the van and leave it running (just in case battery was
weakend by extended glow plug heating) jumped out, popped the back hatch and
engine cover and yanked the glow plug relay and almost burnned my hand because
that puppy  was HOT.  Closed it up and drove home without event .  Sunday I
pulled a spare relay from the pile of misc. spares and installed it.  So far
all's well.


  "AARRRGGHHHH!"