Vehicle & Technical > Discovery

Glowplugs. GGRRRR!!

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aog:
Hi All,

Changed the glow plugs on Shirleys Disco to fix the bad cold starting in the freezing cold we have had.

I was cranking and cranking sometimes till the battery went flat and it would not go. In fact it jump started first turn!!

I fitted 4 new plugs. The old one all appeared to be dead, well at least no reading on my test meter unless I was testing it wrong.......

All new ones fitted, though one plug end where the small nut and wire is, seems slightly "wiggly" Would this cause a problem????

Anyway, still seems a sod to start, so I am none the wiser. I will take the new one out to test them.

Any ideas if a "wiggly end" would stop it from starting?

I was assuming with nice new glow plugs it would start just as well cold as it does when hot, or am I missing the point?????!!!!

It has always been hard to start when freezing, though this year seems worse than last, hence me changing the glow plugs.

They were only £20 of ebay, so maybe that's my problem....

Help!! I don't want to kill the battery or starter trying to get it going!!!!

petergalileo:
You are waiting for your glow plug warning light to go out before starting arnt you ? if you arent that will definately kill your battery !

Turn on your headlights, turn on the ignition, lights should dim a little while the glow plug light is on then the lights should get brighter when it goes off.  This generally checks all glowplugs.

Other things that cause poor starting other than glowplug faults is

Fuel waxing up as it is cold
very slight air leak in the fuel line,  Lots of TDI owners on here are suffering the fuel waxing problem at the moment.

drmike:
What TDI is it?

My 200 TDI glow plugs were not connected when I bought the 90 but it always started on the button. Then I thought I really should get the plugs working and did so ready for the colder weather. After that it wasn't such a great starter and eventually I flattened the battery what with starting and running about in the dark with the lights on.

I have since disconnected the glow plugs and it starts just as well as before when theyw orked. So, I wonder if your porblem has anything to do with the glow plugs!

I suspect I need a bigger alternator but for the moment all is well and its starts OK.

Mike

muddyjames:
My disco used to be exactly the same and wouldnot start when a small amount of frost had come over night and then as soon as I get the jump leads out and put it next to the disco it started 1st time!

I spent 2 hours changing the glow plugs and even now after the light goes out on a really cold morning the engine turns over a couple of times and then fires up.

I am thinking about getting a new battery and see what happens. How old is your battery? Batteries do loose their efficiency over time and escpecially in cold weather.

I am guessing with regards to fuel waxing as somebody mentioned if you were to have a full tank of diesel it would take longer to wax over?

GADGETP38:
direct injection engines should fire up pretty easily apparently without glow plugs.   :roll:

I had a similar prob with mine at the start and air was getting in the system from the leak off rails.

Also check your lift pump.  Fuel may be draining back overnight and thus a [!Expletive Deleted!] to start.  Replace if necessary.

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