Xantia 2.1TD Glowplugs/Relay

rory_perrett · Post by **rory_perrett** » 01 Mar 2006, 22:20

Car (1998 Xantia 2.1td facelift model) was an absolute pig to start this morning. At –3 it was colder than it has been for a while. Lots of cranking, clouds of white smoke out the back and after about 5 mins it finally ran. Bit lumpy at first but soon sorted itself out once it was running. Started Ok after sitting in the car park for 8 hours and later on after it had been parked for an hour or so.

Has been slightly rough on initial start-up for a few weeks.

My diagnosis is either 3 or even 4 glow plugs have failed, or the relay/supply to the glow plus has failed. Hoping to get through to the weekend so I can have a look. (At the moment I'm going for failed glow plugs)

Couple of questions in advance.

Is the Haynes BOL correct in saying the pre-heater control system is located beneath a plastic cover behind the battery. If I remember rightly there are a few relays in there, which is the one for the glow plugs?

How easy are the plugs to get at on the 2.1 engine? Done them on a 1.7td BX and a 1.9td Xantia but comments in the BOL like “carefully move any obstructing pipes or wires to one side to permit access to the relevant glow plug(s)” always makes me suspicious. Is this code for “strip every ancillary part off the engine before you can get anywhere near attempting this simple straight forward job!!!” ?

Regards

Rory

mipster · Post by **mipster** » 02 Mar 2006, 00:02

the relay is to the right of the battery, mounted on the wing.

I've not done the plugs on my 2.1 but let us all know what they are like!

Post by **Peter.N.** » 02 Mar 2006, 12:19

I have changed them on my XM, same engine, and I have also changed a number on 1.9 engines, all I can say is, both possible but difficult, more due to the contorsions you have to perform than the actual job of removing them. A good selection of various shaped spanners, very thin flexible fingers and a lot of patience are the chief requirements

mipster · Post by **mipster** » 02 Mar 2006, 12:22

which is the esiest then peter? A 2.1Td or a 1.9TD.

I've done a 1.9 but now have a 2.1 so I would love it to be easier,

mipster

Post by **Peter.N.** » 02 Mar 2006, 14:24

I dont think the 2.1 is any easier, just a bit different. The 1.9 non turbo is the easiest.

rory_perrett · Post by **rory_perrett** » 02 Mar 2006, 14:58

Thanks for the replies chaps. Guess the glow-plugs job is not that bad, I will let you know. Must say I think the 1.9td was worse than the BX 1.7td.

Funnily enough it was -4 this morning and the car started no problem, still a bit lumpy for 10 – 15 sec which I suspect is due to 1 or 2 glow plugs being down. Think I will start with a glow-plug change and see if that does the trick.

At £56 + vat from GSF the relay (and at that price I assume it is a whole control unit) is not a “change it anyway item”. I kind of had an image in mind of the standard sort of automotive relay you pick up from the local motor factors for a fiver. I know the glow plugs pull a fair bit if power (probably 50 – 60 amps) but the price was a bit of a shock.

Nice and sunny in Yorkshire at the moment – hope it last to the weekend.

Regards

Rory

Stewart(oily) · Post by **Stewart(oily)** » 02 Mar 2006, 20:37

The older blue relays had a set of contacts in them that can get dirty and are easy to clean, the glowplugs are no more difficult in a 2.1 than a 1.9 TD.
stewart

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 02 Mar 2006, 23:16

The BX turbodiesel is very easy - dont use this as a reference.
There is free access to no 4 because its a Lucas pump used here.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 03 Mar 2006, 08:42

Stewart(oily) wrote:The older blue relays had a set of contacts in them that can get dirty and are easy to clean, the glowplugs are no more difficult in a 2.1 than a 1.9 TD.
stewart

the glow plug relay is not just a relay its also the timer control in one unit,and the xantia box is electronic and is black,wheres the BXs had electromechanical timers which is the blue one
regards malcolm

Reggie · Post by **Reggie** » 03 Mar 2006, 10:00

(I did the glow plugs on my 2.1 406 a 3 months ago. I don't know if it has the same plastic box above the inlet manifold as on the 406, but I did not remove it on my first attempt, and due to the ridiculous angles available, damaged one of the plug hexagonals so that a spanner now just turns on the plug.

Anyway, to get to the point, on my second attempt, I found that by springing the clip on the EGR pipe, that was that released (I was subsequently able to re-use this clip), and then after undoing four bolts in the plastic manifold box, the whole inlet manifold box pulled off (the rear is located with four rubber interference fit pipes which the manifold just pulled out of, the rubbers remaining in situ on the inlet manifold). This gave me really good access, and after undoing a couple of injector pipes access was excellent. I just wish I'd done this in the first place as the difference was huge.

Reggie

NiSk · Post by **NiSk** » 03 Mar 2006, 13:28

Have to agree with Reggie - when I changed the glowplugs on my ('93) 2.1 XM it became rather apparent that the inlet manifold had to come off. This only took an extra 10 mins and made the whole job laughingly simple . . (Bosch mechanical pump!)

I also had some trouble with the glowplug relay a number of years ago - one cold morning the pig wouldn't start at all -and then I noticed that the glowplug light didn't come on either. It turned out to be the output spade connector on the relay had fractured(!) giving no connection! I guess due to the vibration of the diesel engine. I silver-soldered on a new spade terminal and it has worked ever since.