Glow Plug Relay Question for 1985 300TD

[riethoven]

My glowplug indicator light stopped lighting yesterday, and my car has become more difficult to start when cold over the last few weeks even though we have had some weather in the 50s.

After perusing several of the glow plug threads, downloading the "checking preglow system" http://skinnerbox.steaky.org/Service/W123/w123CD2/Program/Engine/617/15-710.pdf section of the manual and and did all the tests except amps. (my Fluke multimeter only goes to 10 amps and I did not wnat to blow the fuse on it) Everything checked out as good except the glow plugs. I did check the resistance on the glow plugs and the lowest is 3.2 ohms and the highest is 12 ohms. According to the manual anything greater then 1 ohm is no good, so that means that all my glow plugs are bad. When I put the key to the number 2 position the glow plug light does not light up, but I can hear the glowplug relay click.

Now my questions:

1.If the glowplug relay is good and the glowplugs are all bad, will the glowplug indicator light on the dash not light up?

2. Since my car is a 1985, it has the pencil type plugs. I see Fastlane does not sell the relay only, that they sell a kit which includes glowplugs. This is a new and improved version than what came from the factory. If I am able to determine that the relay is good, do I really need a new relay? I am gravitating towards the new relay because it says it can help give less smoke at startups.

3. I read somewhere about "reaming the glowplugs" what is this and is it
necessary?

By the way, I was able to crank up this morning without the glow plugs (it took a few times) It was right at freezing. Does this tell me that I have good compression, because I have never checked it.