grand picasso 1.6hdi how to remove the glow plugs

[paultintin]

Hi I have what I believe to be a glow plug problem the car starts and runs rough for the first few moments and also throws white smoke out once warm the car runs fun although it does now have a depollution system fault but has full power. I have checked the glow plugs by removing the cable connected to the front of the electrical box near passenger side head light. It showed X2 glow plugs had an open circuit and the other X2 were reading around 0.8ohms so on that have presume I have x2 duff plugs. Now the fun bit I removed the air pipe and air box (noticed air filter was black even though I changed it 2 months ago) and fuel filter and bracket I then removed the scuttle to gain access to the back of the engine now using a mirror I can see the glow plugs and have even managged to pull the connectors off 2 of them using a deep 8mm socket I can undo X2 of them but can't remove them. they will screw back in but even when they are completely undone they just won't pull out.not sure if it's just the fact I can't pull them at a straight enough angle but it feels like the threads are still just hanging on but I slowly turn then using my fingers but they never let go. Now the other X2 glow plugs I have no idea how to get to them I can see the connectors in the mirror for both but that's about it. My question is Am I making this job far harder than it really is? Am I missing something is there an easier way as I've even considered dropping the engine out. I just don't understand how a simple job of changing the glow plugs is made so difficult by citroen. Please please someone shed some light on this and put me out of my misery before I stick 2 sticks of dynamite under the car and stand well back lol many thanks to anyone who took the time to read this and especially anyone with any help.

[NewcastleFalcon]

You may well have seen my cautionary tale on the thread entitled "Glow Plugs Annihilate 2.0Hdi Xsara Picasso". I have no knowledge of the 1.6Hdi but it seems even worse for access from what you describe. Have a read of that thread some of the comments made may be relevant, in particular the general opinion being that glow plugs do very little except in freezing conditions, and the source of your problems may well not be the glow plugs. Suffice to say if you end up losing a tip which is all too easily done on attempting to replace them, then disaster awaits out of all proportion to the benefit of renewing a duff plug.

Regards Neil

[RichardW]

It's unlikley to be the glow plugs, and as you have seen, it's almost impossible to remove them. Black air filter may be soot leaking from the EGR valve. How many miles has it done? I wonder if perhaps the cam chain controlling the exhaust cam has stretched or jumped.

[paultintin]

Hi thanks for the reply's. Yeah I believe the reason why they glow plugs won't come out is carbon/soot build up and I ain't brave enough to pull to hard incase they snap so have left it soaking in carb cleaner to hopefully desolve enough to let me pull it through. I do believe the egr valve is missing a gasket so maybe that's the cause of the soot issue although I've never seen it smoking under the engine when running. I did wonder on an injector being at fault as ages ago I did find a bit of soot around one of them but tightened the seals back down using 7mm allen key( very common fault) and it hasn't come back so far. He cars done 72k miles so far. It had the cam belt/water pump changed at the start of this week but the problem was there before all that but because I had no record of it being done before I bought the car last year I thought it wise to get it done. I will check your thread and see how similar it is to mine thanks all

[paultintin]

Oh my God I can't believe the fun you had with your 2.0hdi picasso hats why I'm not oulling to hard as don't Want a tip rolling around in there. Did u ever get it sorted I read the first few pages and thought s**t I hope I don't have thay problem. My local garage said they are a nightmare and it can be better to remove the whole engine before starting the job. They also said it could be a dodgy injector but they don't have the equipment to test them and would have to send them away but reckones there not difficult to take out on my 1.6hdi. So my plan is get the glow plugs done see if that works and cures issues if not get the injectors off and get them tested. I've only owned my grand picasso a short time and I bloody hate the thing already lol but when it works it is nice to drive

[NewcastleFalcon]

Oh my God I can't believe the fun you had with your 2.0hdi picasso hats why I'm not oulling to hard as don't Want a tip rolling around in there. Did u ever get it sorted

Short answer. Not yet. While I have an alternative car to use, it just sits there waiting for a sunny day and some free time to investigate further. All ready now to remove the camshaft and its housing to see if there are any broken rocker arms on cylinder no 4.

Yes unbelievably slow progress, but I can't quite let it go, because it's a nice car and tinkering on sunny days is less of a pain than exposing myself to the trauma of attempting to buy another one I've discovered

If your garage want to take the engine out to change the glow plugs, that's going to turn into an outrageous price

Regards Neil

[paultintin]

Hope you get it sorted soon. I'm the same I like the car just oh boy did citroen make them hard to work on even changing the air filter is a pig of a job. The first 2 glow plugs will come out soon as there is alot more movement now theyve been soaked in cleaner so left them a bit longer and reckon they"ll come out but still can't get to the remaining 2 it's crazy how hard theyve made it and citroen list this job as less than 2 hours to complete. I just thought maybe I was missing something obvious to gain access to them so thought it's worth asking on here but I'm getting the impression it really is that stupid lol good luck with yours

[NewcastleFalcon]

You make extract some help from this post on a C4 owners forum Skip down to the entry by Nitropixie about 9 posts in. Someone also posted up a PDF of the process to download.

Someone on here may have access to the Citroen Technical Manuals with a procedure in for the C4 Grand Picasso. My basic registration with Service Citroen doesn't give access to that information.

Regards Neil

Ps. Just found this lot in the Midlands, who may be of assistance, and are tooled up for removing stuck/broken Glow plugs. Website

Midland Diesel Solutions
70 Druid Street
Hinckley
Leicestershire
LE10 1QQ

[paultintin]

Hi many thanks for the help the pic about how to test the plugs using the cable that rune to the relay is exactly how I tested them so it's good to know that bit was right. Using that forum it appears I was doing exactly what they say is the right way to get them out so many thanks for the help it was very useful along with the garage who can remove broken glow plugs. Thanks again

[Bick]

There is also this guy http://www.marklightfootltd.co.uk/ he is in Derby

[paultintin]

Cheers it may come in useful I've got 2 out just 2 to go the stupidly hard ones lol

[Bick]

Im probably a bit late now looking at the time of your last post! But make sure the engine is hot it help getting the plugs out - although it may burn your fingers!

[paultintin]

Yeah I did give the car a little run before hand to warm things up without making it to hot to touch but thanks for the information. It's just how much soot/carbon has built up on the plug is stopping them pulling through so I'm guessing they been knackered for ages and may not be the only fault which is causing the issues.

[paultintin]

Well got all the plugs done the carb cleaner left soaking was enough to pull the 2 stuck ones out. Car sounds totally different the tap tap tap running has gone (almost like pinking on a petrol engine) and all faults dissappeared. So hopefully job done many thanks for the help

[Bick]

Good news!