It Just Keeps Going

[Diesel Pusher]

About 10 years ago I inherited my dads old diesel pickup. It had sat for a couple of years before I changed the oil and fired it up. Well, 60K and 10 years later, it runs better than ever. Well, sort of better. It seems the valves and or rings must have been sticking most of the time resulting in excessive smoke and oil useage. Lately I have been driving it almost 100 miles a day and changing the oil and filter every 1500 miles. It's getting 40mpg and burning about a quart of oil every 400 miles. Yea, it's a bit worn, but it just keeps going.

The Latest Problem:

When it's cold and you turn the key to the pre heat position and all the indicator lamps on the dashboard are enabled except the glow plug lamp that goes out in a bout 5 seconds. In about 7 seconds you can hear a "click" and then it starts right up without hesitation :D But then the lamps usually never go out. Until latetly. Lately the glow plug light does its usual thing but the t-belt and the alternator lamp do not come on. Nor does the "click" happen. And it takes a lot of life off the starter to get it going. Once it starts, the enviromentalists are are running around taking pictures of helpless squirrels gasping for air. But seriously, what is the connection with the glow plugs/lamps/starting/? I don't know. Sometimes you can kick the floorboard or smack the dash and the lamps come on. But it seems to run better if the lamps go out after it warms up. Any ideas out there?