I have a 1982 chevette diesel I bought about a week ago when I picked it up there were a few problems with it.
First I'll give a little overview of the car and it's problems and what was done to it before I bought it.

First the guy who had it before me had a push button on the starter ran from one of the hot post on the glow plug solenoids to the small terminal on the starter. Starter still worked with key but I had to tap on the solenoid to get it to turn over.
Second he had a push button on the glow plugs that was wired from the same hot post on the glow plug solenoid as the starter button was then to where the main feed on the sensing resistor would be. The original was disconnected and taped off. It also had 10.5 volt glow plugs in it.

Third he had a manual high idle wired into a switch and the wires from the sensor on the thermostat housing were cut and taped off.

Now to what I have done so far.
First I removed the starter and put a new solenoid on. Now no more problems with that turns over everytime on the key. So I removed the push button start.
Second I did all the maintenance on it while I was waiting on my new glow plugs. Ran the valves, changed trans fluid, changed rearend fluid, new fuel filter.
I recieved my new glow plugs last night Beck-Arnley 176-1043 5 volt glow plugs from rockauto. I installed all the new glow plugs and cleaned the bus bar. I then disconnected the manual push button on glow plug system and hooked the original back up. So I got everything original hooked up and turned the key and I herd the solenoids click on then right back off within a second or so wait light also never came on.
I then took all of the connections apart 1 by 1 and cleaned them with a small wire wheel on a dremal tool.
After all of that was done I turned the key and no wait light but the solenoids kicked on but not right back off I let them go for about 4 seconds or so and the sensing resistor started to smoke so I shut the key off.
I unpluged the wiring harness from the glow plug controller and put a jumper wire to the wire that goes to the wait light and I lights right up.

So here are my questions
1) why am I NOT getting a wait light but the solenoids are active
2) why is the sensing resistor smoking I know there is a little oil on it but should it get that hot.
3)how long will the solenoids stay active I was afraid to let them go to long cause I didn't want to fry the new glow plugs. 5sec. 10sec. ?

If there is anyone than can give me some things to check and how to check them or how to troubleshoot the system I would appriciate it.

Thanks

Sounds like the original glow-plug controller went out and that's why the P/O hooked up the manual push-button......... So I'd say your controller is junk.....

I have tried a different Glow plug controller and still same symptoms unless both are bad?

It's possible........ Where did you get the one you tried?

Junkyard not too far from my house is there anyway to test them?

Hmm...... might not be the controller after all........ time to do some reading......

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=334663&page=3

http://www.isuzupup.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1258

See if one of these helps....

Thanks for the links but I read those last night and still same problems that's why I started a new post.

Ahh...... well hopefully someone with experience with those engines will chime in......

Yea thanks for the input though it is much appriciated.

hard to beat a push button glowplug control

Yea I just like when everything works the way it should instead of having a bunch of wires running everywhere.