When I went to start my van today I was unable to get power. Initially I engaged the glow plugs four times. The glow plugs heat, then the relay chatters. When I turned the key to start there was a pop and the power dropped (eg. Dome lights off, no 12v accessory, battery meter shows no V). Returning the key to accesory did not restore power.

I checked the battery (approx.1yr old) and found 12v across the connectors to the terminals. The connectors were confirmed firmly secured. I then checked fuses, finding only 1 blown fuse for the trailer power which is not connected. All lines from the battery had continuity. I did not detect any parasitic draw. During this time the power came back on.

Now when I engage accessory I recieve power. When attempting to engage the glow plugs I lose power. In accessory the battery voltage no longer reads on the battery meter.

A 2nd car was used for a jump after warming the glow plugs. This caused no change in the symptoms.

The glow plugs are new. Any educated guesses on where I should look for problems? Any ideas are much appreciated.

 

12volts open circuit voltage is a discharged battery. it should be 12.6Volts open circuit voltage fully charged.
have both batteries tested with a conductance tester.

 

I truncated. The battery initially read 12.6 before repeatedly runnging the glow plugs. Readingfrom the 12v accessory V drops to about 9 under gp load then jumps to 11.8 during chatter. Disengaging will usually show approx 12.2. The battery may still be faulty. There however must be another problem as another car was used as a jump later on with no change in the problem. Thank you for your reply

 

not sure what "the car was used as a jump means". if that means you got a boost from another vehicle or used a battery pack to assist your vehicle....a battery with a bad cell with suck the life out of a battery pack or jumper vehicle.

have the batteries tested. its the starting point for any starting or charging system diagnosis. if the batteries are dropping below 9.6 volts....their state of charge and ability to handle a load is questionable.

 

After confirming battery and cabling found loose control signal on starter, corrosion on several grounds, and finally a damaged ignition starter solenoid. The IGS is not the solenoid attached to the starter.