Electrical starting system for diesel engines

For use with a motor vehicle diesel engine having one or more glowplugs for maintaining temperature control of one or more diesel engine combustion chambers, apparatus comprising:

• a) a starter control housing supported by the motor vehicle and including a cable connector for routing energization signals into a housing interior from a vehicle mounted power source for use in energizing the glowplugs;
• b) monitor circuitry supported within a housing interior for providing an indicator signal corresponding to a voltage applied to the one or more glowplugs;
• c) a programmable controller supported within the housing interior that is coupled to the monitor circuitry and produces a control output for supplying energy to the glowplugs;
• d) at least one switching device supported within the housing interior that is coupled to the control output from the programmable controller for energizing the one or more glow plugs in a controlled time sequence prior to, during an/or after engine cranking by selectively coupling the energization signals to the glowplugs;
• and
• e) load protection circuitry supported within the housing interior for temporarily maintaining an alternator to battery power correction after removal or an ignition signal until engine speed has been reduced to a specified value.