Schaut mal nach Euren Glühkerzen! | Posts 16+

ulf wrote:

Right-click on it, select "open in a new window", and then the complete link will appear in the website address field.

Hi Ulf,


aaaaaah, now it's working! Thank you .

Hey,

I replaced all 5 glow plugs in my Volvo today without any problems and without much effort.
Laughing.
Engine from 10/1996 with 152,000 km on the odometer.

After reading some of the posts here, I actually found the whole thing to be less difficult than I had initially imagined. Apparently, things sometimes work out without any problems.

Have a good start to the new year.

Peter.

Hi,

Influenced by my own experiences, I recently had to replace the glow plugs on my father's car (an Audi 80 from 1994 with 260,000 km on the clock, and still with the original glow plugs!).

I just went outside with a full toolbox and a torque wrench (set to 25Nm) and was able to loosen all four spark plugs with my index finger while the engine was still lukewarm!!!!

This confirms my theory again, that the quality of Audi seems to be much better (the Passat is, as far as I know, manufactured in Slovakia ).

With my Passat, I can only imagine that some IDIOT screwed the spark plugs in way too tightly.

Best regards, Christian.

Hi,

Since I've been having starting problems in the last few days due to very low temperatures (around -10°C), I checked my glow plugs with a test lamp => they were all dead , and that's after six years and 140,000 km. I'm glad he can even start up at all.
Fortunately, getting the spark plugs out wasn't a problem. The test on the battery then confirmed that none of them were working. They were also all covered in a layer of soot. Is that normal?
With the new spark plugs, it now starts perfectly again.

zzzZZ wrote:

The test on the battery confirmed that none of them could glow anymore. They were also all covered with a nice layer of soot. Is that normal?

Hi,

The carbon buildup is normal and is a result of the engine running after the last cold start. Afterglow.
However, it will burn if the candle is lit and reaches the red-hot zone the next time.

So, if there's no damage to the cylinder head, etc., a Hazet ratchet wrench (model no. 2530) should definitely be worth the investment. Back then, a 1/2' ratchet wrench cost around 7 DM. 'It has a joint extension, and nothing rotates around it.'

Julian wrote:

So, no damage to the cylinder head, etc., but a Hazetsch key (No. 2530) should still be worth it. Back then, a 1/2" ratchet cost about 7 DM. Is it with a joint and extension, and nothing rotates around it.

Hi Julian,

I swear by HAZET and I don't skimp on tools... but even good tools can't compensate if the loosening torque exceeds 40 Nm!

Best regards, Christian.

Sure, go ahead.
After reading this thread, I counted the time it takes for the glow plug indicator to go out and for my 1Z model (built in November 1993) to start normally during the last cold start this morning: 12 seconds!
Well, it was pretty freezing (around 5°C below zero), but 12 seconds!?

Should I take a look at that?

Hi Edward,

I think there's a good safety feature built in; the control unit waits until you can start safely and with minimal wear and tear.

My Ibiza (11/01) also glowed for about 20 seconds even at -13 degrees Celsius (more precisely, the indicator light stayed on for that long, although the glow plugs are actually active for a longer period). This is just my subjective estimate, but it's quite clear that it doesn't need that long.

A day or two later, with temperatures around -8 degrees Celsius, I started the car after a 2-second pre-glow, and it started immediately – the indicator light went out quickly. The first few revolutions were a bit rough, but then, after a few seconds, it settled down to a normal idle speed of 910 RPM.

I left it at that one test because it probably isn't good for the cold mechanics, but it does work.

The above starts were all performed after the car had been sitting overnight, so the engine was completely cold.

Best regards,

Jan.

Hello Jan!

My 'glow coil' burned out relatively quickly, even with the low temperatures we've been experiencing recently. But after the start, it still ran somewhat erratically for a few seconds (about 5 seconds).
Shouldn't the glow plugs continue to glow, even if the heating element has already gone out, but the engine hasn't started yet?
Could that potentially increase wear and tear? B. If I were to wait an excessively long time – say, 60 seconds?

My wife, for example, always has to adjust the seat, mirrors, etc., whenever she drives. She always turns the 'ignition' on beforehand. However, the 'adjustment' process, especially when it's not that cold, can take considerably longer.

Best regards, D.

Jan6K wrote:

I left it at just one test because it probably isn't good for the cold mechanics, but it does work.

Hi Jan,

The mechanics are not getting warm from the preheating . Only the air cushion in the cylinder is being heated to improve the ignition of the diesel fuel:

It's also easy to verify.

Power = 12 volts multiplied by 4 multiplied by GK (Grossraum) 20 Amperes = 960 Watts (but only for the first few seconds... then the power decreases due to the temperature-related increase in resistance in the GK!!)

Hold a 2000-watt heater against the cold engine block for 20 seconds... it will just laugh at that.

Best regards, Christian.

Hi Haehnlein,

That's not what I meant at all, that's clear.

A cold engine puts extreme stress on all of its bearings, and this stress increases even further if the engine is running unevenly, because, for example, three cylinders have to pull the fourth, or the initial ignitions are irregular because the temperature is not yet high enough.

In that regard, what I meant was that a "super cold start" puts more strain on the mechanics than a start where the machine is preheated for too long, but runs smoothly from the beginning.

Similarly, every second longer the engine cranks for can be more damaging to components like the starter, flywheel, crankshaft, and many other parts, especially when the engine is cold. Therefore, it's better if it starts immediately.

And also, @D: I don't think that a glow duration that's too long (I think, like you, that it will continue to glow) increases the wear and tear on the engine, but it certainly doesn't decrease it either. There's an optimal point somewhere, and I think it corresponds to the duration the indicator light is on. Otherwise, it would be pointless to keep the light on for so long if the engine could start much earlier. What is certain is that longer glow times reduce the lifespan of the glow plugs.

Best regards,

Jan.

Jan6K wrote:

That's not what I meant at all, that's clear. A cold engine puts extreme stress on all of its bearings, and this stress increases even further if the engine is running unevenly, because, for example, three cylinders have to pull the fourth, or the initial ignitions are irregular because the temperature is not yet high enough. In this regard, what I meant was that a "super cold start" puts more strain on the mechanics than a start where the machine was preheated for too long, but runs smoothly from the beginning.

aaaah ok

I've also come to feel that the TDI is an over-engineered, delicate piece of machinery . I often had to manually crank-start my old TD in the winter because the glow plugs or the starter motor wouldn't work... but with almost 300,000 km, the engine still ran like a dream!

Best regards, Christian.