Howdy, trying to get an old van up and running. Never worked on a diesel before though I have been the family mechanic on everything else over the years. 61,500 miles on it.
When we first got it, the battery was completely flat. Decided on a lark to hook up the jumper cables and see what worked electrically. Glow plug light came on then deactivated after 20 seconds or so, the starter buzzed, lights came on, so everything seemed to be in good order. Put in a new battery last night and things were different. No more glow plug light, no more activity at the starter. There is a solenoid (I think) on the rear of the left cylinder head that is clicking/buzzing like there is a short. When it would click-buzz, the cabin lights would flicker, once the buzzing stopped the lights would come back up. Once I disconnected this object from the wiring harness the lights and stereo would hold steady, no more buzzing. I will post up a picture to this thing later this morning. In the meantime, does anyone have any thoughts as to what this might be? Or a troubleshooting guide to diagnose the ignition?
Thanks for the help.