Warming up time for Glow Plugs

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sooty
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Post by sooty »

Like I said earlier, Turbo or Not:-
"Once you switch on your ignition to start your engine, your heater plugs start thier timed cycle according to the weather like or lump it. You cannot choose, whether to have then on or not, only if you a switching device of some kind to turn the relay on or off."
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

Seems to be a bit of confusion here [8D]
As sooty writes - you can not choose to have the glow off - as they WILL glow for some time according to set time - or temperature. This glowtime has NOTHING to do with lamp time - as the lamp is timed differently for a time ensuring the engine will start first off - if you wait untill the lamp is off.
This means that even if the engine is started - BEFORE the lamp is off - the glowplugs are timed anyway - according to the timer's decision.
In other words - even after the engine is started and runs - the glowplug continues to glow for a timed period - which may be several minutes in fact.
If you then start a "warm" diesel engine right off not waiting for the lamp off - it will run with glow on anyway - ensuring the engine runs and burns the fuel as it should. This ensures the engine runs with stable idle - and cuts down emission pollution.
Starting the engine right off then means it only runs a few seconds in the "NON-allowed" state - in real life that does'nt mean a thing.
It does not matter if it's a turbo or not - the glowplugs works the same way - as the turbo is only on work once there is any flow in the exhaust.
It's known that diesels in good shape even from cold may start right off ignoring the lamp. It's simply a matter of different behaviour over the engines.
2 cars with same engine type may behave very differently. The one would start right off - the other needs the lamp be respected to start.
But please don't confuse the good old diesel engine types with the later types HDI or derivatives - as there are worlds of differences to how these operates.
andy pandy
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Post by andy pandy »

I have a transit van L reg they dont have glow plugs, they use a system called direct injection I think, it starts every time without any waitin for glow plugs if this system is as good as it is on the old transit why do other makers not adopt this mythod for all diesels[?]
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

andy pandy this Transit of yours has a HDI diesel [8D]
(HDI = High pressure Direct Injection)
- which exactly is the new generation of diesel engines off the late '90-es.
The other cars mentioned above has the earlier standard diesel engines.
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Post by Hans »

My 1.9TD always needs glowing before staring (even when warm). This summer when my temp.sensor of the glowrelay-unit was faulty I removed the sensor as it kept de glowplugs glowing forrever (eventually buring out the dynamo[:(]). I beleive this sensor is the input for the afterglowing time but since it is out I noticed no change in starting?? Strange, any ideas why?? I tried to get a new sensor but no Citroen dealer can help me.Ideas??
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

Hans -
Try a diesel specialists garage (not Citroen) - like Bosch or CAV.
Dave Bamber
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Post by Dave Bamber »

My heater light on the Berlingo will only come on when the temp is below 0 and then only for a max of 2 second, blink and you miss it! On the other hand, the L[B)]ndRover needs at least 30 seconds, no relay, it's a thumb straining hold on the key for this 1960's IDI lump[:o)]
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

[:D][:D] LandRover IDI [:D][:D]
Indirect Direct Injection - hehehehehe...[:D][:D][:D]
Dave Bamber
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Post by Dave Bamber »

Yeah Anders, no turbo, no electronics and valves you set with feeler gauge, screw driver and a 1/2 spanner. Bliss[:D]
louis1
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Post by louis1 »

how come my TD zx takes longer to start when warmed up then when cold
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Kowalski
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Post by Kowalski »

The electronics controling the glow plugs don't always get it right...
philhoward

Post by philhoward »

Interesting topic on Glow Plugs...my Xantia TD always gets started after the plug light goes out, but starts a lot better from cold than hot..Saying that it's only 1-2 seconds on the starter cold and possibly 6-8 seconds when hot if that.
I thought that the glow plugs stayed on until either the 1-1.5min timer had expired OR throttle depresion of more than 11mm for more than 5 seconds, or something like that?
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