Glow Plugs

[nesssalmon]

Hi

I have recently fitted a set of cheap glow plugs that I bought off ebay.
(£13.00 for a set). I found that plug no 3 was non operational.

Initially the start up was much improved. However now I need to preheat the glow plugs around 3 times to get a good clean start. (Or she smokes very badly)

I have checked that the 12-volt feed goes to all plugs and switches off when it should.

So do I have?
1) Dodgy cheap glow plugs
2) A problem elsewhere

Any Ideas would be greatly appreciated

Cheers
Robert

[CitroJim]

Poor, cheap glowplugs I'd say It really pays to buy good 'uns and you can't go far wrong with a set of BERU ones from GSF. They're not nuch dearer really. And for the hassle of fitting them it pasys to get good ones so you are not doing the job too often!

To test the system, place a voltmeter from one glowplug to earth. Switch on and observe you have at least 11V showing for all the time your glowplug lamp is on. This should carry on for a bit after the light goes out if you have post-heating. You should hear a loud click as the pre-heat realy drops out. The plugs should glow for around 20s although this seems a little dependant on the ambient temperature.

Anything less than 11V points to a high resistance somewhere causing an excessive voltage drop. Check connections from battery right through to the plugs. The glowplug controller is rarely at fault.

[nick]

Perhaps 1) Dodgy cheap glowplugs?
My stepfather regularly buys cheap glowplugs via ebay & has said in the past that for those from certain sellers there is about a 50% failure rate
Why does he keep buying them? Because they are so cheap, or so he says, that even if only 2 out of every 4 that he buys work, they are still cheaper than buying a decent set. Well you pays your money . . .

[citronut]

if you over tighten the 8mm nuts you will damage the glow plugs,as you will rotate the center core
regards malcolm

[davethewheel]

i fitted a cheap set to my old zx and they only lasted about a week and the tips burnt off them, never had a problem with beru ones.

[np]

I fitted some Hal***** glow plugs a few yrs ago to my Xantia.Not worth the money putting cheap ones in.I replaced the with Beru from ECP`s,which worked a treat up untill i got rid of the car.
When we got my wifes TD Astra,after 5 days it would`nt start.I put cheap Hal****** plugs in it,the lasted 5 mths.When i took them out,i wired them up to the battery & not 1 plug glowed.I spent nearly £60 on a set of champions,which are still working fine after 8 mths.
The only upside to this is they are a 15 min job to change on the Astra,not like my old Xantia!!!
It pays to buy the best.

[nick]

The only upside to this is they are a 15 min job to change on the Astra,not like my old Xantia!!!

My stepfather runs a Cavalier & a Corsa and the glowplugs are similarly quick & easy to change on both of these too, I think thats why he tends to be a more "experimental" with the brands he uses.
Last time I changed some on a Xantia I would have gladly paid top price to get a set that I was guaranteed never to have to touch again

[nesssalmon]

Thanks for all of your suggestions

I will test them as suggested, but I think a new Beru set is probably my next step.

My hands have only just recovered from the last change Ahh well magnets and blue tac back out again.......

Cheers
Robert

[CitroJim]

My hands have only just recovered from the last change Ahh well magnets and blue tac back out again.......

Cheers
Robert

We know precisely what you mean!

[BonceChops]

My hands have only just recovered from the last change Ahh well magnets and blue tac back out again.....

Just take the injection pipes off first. It was an easy job on my 2.1td withe the pipes off. I was changing the pump and remembered to change them just before I refitted the pipes.

[citronut]

i allways dangle the two behind the pump into place on a thin piece of stiff wire,like locking wire,loosly twisted around them so you can remove it when they are inserted
regards malcolm