Mit meinem Latein am Ende! (Volvo 2,5 TDI) | Posts 16+

Hold your spark plug directly against the battery. The tip must turn orange .

Or you could connect a voltmeter to the glow plugs during preheating. Then we would finally have absolute values and wouldn't have to talk about approximate temperatures. Also, you can easily track where the voltage drops using that.

Regards,
Guste.

Hello,
Just systematically search for the error.
Best regards,
Günther.

It sounds very much like a preheating system.
Which temperature sensor was replaced? I have an Audi, and when I checked my glow plugs, I initially pulled off the wrong sensor. Now, in an Audi, the engine is mounted longitudinally, and the temperature sensor for the engine control unit is located near the firewall and is not the one that's in the water outlet on the cylinder head (near the glow plugs).
Disconnect the correct temperature sensor, and then the preheating indicator should light up for approximately 20 seconds, indicating that the glow plugs are being energized.

Mario.

P.S. When was the fuel filter last changed?

Hi.

"Which timing belt are you referring to? The belt for the water pump is new, and both tensioner pulleys on the water pump side are also new. As I mentioned, the ESP system was replaced with a good used one."

I meant the timing belt. If the valve timing isn't relatively accurate, then the compression is usually also incorrect.

Best regards from Berlin.
Olli.

Thank you for all the tips and advice. However, I decided to take the car back to Volvo, but to a different workshop than the one described above. Let's see what they find. At least I was able to narrow down the possibilities, so they shouldn't have to search for too long. I'll post what the problem was once I know.

Hi..

'Any new information available? I'm also interested. Mine also doesn't start until the temperature is -5°C or colder, and even then, it takes about 5-10 attempts. My old 200D (with 1 million km) starts up faster than that.'

Otherwise, it heats up perfectly, and when it's warmer, it starts almost immediately.

The gel battery is almost new and is always fully charged.

Well,
After replacing the spark plugs and adjusting the settings slightly, the engine starts noticeably better. Unfortunately, the compression is no longer optimal; it's between 22 and 24 bar, which should be higher according to Volvo.
I'm going to change the oil now and put in a better, lighter-weight oil. Then I'll see how it goes.

@Cobols:

Quote:

The gel battery is almost new

.
However, this is not a typical starter battery. Gel batteries are not suitable for the high current demands of starter motors.

Hi.

'I have those in my 480 Turbo as well. Only the 200D has a standard 100 model.'

'So far, everything has been fine... I use 5W/40 oil because I do a lot of highway driving. With 10W, it seems to struggle a bit more in very low temperatures, which is perfectly normal.'

Best regards,

Hi

'I also have those in my 480 Turbo. Only the 200D has a 'standard' 100 model.'

'So far, so good... I use 5W/40 oil because I do a lot of highway driving. With 10W, it struggles a bit more in very low temperatures, which is perfectly normal.'

best regards

Hello,
That's 'unnecessarily' expensive!
Best regards,
Günther.

Well, I participate in slalom races with the 480, and the TDI is used as a secondary vehicle in skill-based competitions.