XM 2.5 Glow Plug Life...

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rg
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XM 2.5 Glow Plug Life...

Post by rg »

Folks,
My 2.5 '97 is at 75K and original glow plugs.
A few hiccups on starting these cold mornings (7 Deg C) (!!)
Anyone got any experience of the expected life of these?
rg
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

Well -
To my experience they should readily last 100Kkm/60Kmiles - even longer.
But often the problem is the wiring (corrosion), the timer's power relay contact set - or even a tired battery giving too low supply voltage when the plugs are timed.
When testing the glowplugs - test the voltage between the tip of the plug (not on the cable/nut) and the nearest engine earth. You should have 11V - when the plugs are timed.
If no feed voltage problems - then suspect the plugs.
On the other hand - if clearly a low voltage problem detected - then first check the battery voltage and/or the pole clamps.
Each glowplug "eats" approx 10-12Amps - totalling 40-48Amps load on the battery - which is a considerable load opposed to both wiring & battery.
Any small wiring/corrosion problem will instantly give a voltage drop - rendering the glowplug heating in-adequate.
rg
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Post by rg »

Anders,
Thanks for yet another learned answer.
The engine runs a bit uneven for around fifteen seconds. Are the glow plugs partially effective and significant at this point, or are they only used for the initial combustion on the first revolution?
rg
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Post by JohnD »

From your description, it sounds as though you have one glowplug not working, and yes! they continue glowing for several seconds after start up. From my experience, I've found the occasional plug that has given up after quite a short life whilst others have gone on for years. If the lay out of your 2.5 is similar to my 2.1, change them all while you've got it stripped. When it comes to plugs, it's by far the worst XUD I've worked on.
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Post by rg »

Cheers,
I will train up some rodents to reach the ones on the 2.5...
rg
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