Xantia 1.9 TD LX 1995 M
Ok. Beginning to get annoyed with Glowpugs.
Cold starts, car catches first time, splutters, emits white/grey smoke, then calms down and idles. From that point forward, its fine.
Warm starts, car catches first time always.
Every time the car does this I buy it new glowplugs. I have now tried the following makes:
NGK
Beru
Champion
Bosch
(had car about 16 months and done 15,000 miles)
The car will then start perfectly for a while. The Beru and Bosch lasted longest, but even then only a couple of months before the car starts to splutter again.
Do glow plugs really die so quickly, or should I be looking elsewhere for a problem? The battery is quite old (4 years+ if I recall).
Apart from that, the car has sailed through its second MOT, needing only a windscreen. The emissions are in the 0.8->1.1 region with a legal limit of 3. It doesn't burn any oil, returns 38mpg ish.
Any ideas?
Mike
Glowplug lifespan?
Moderator: RichardW
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Mike, even though the emissions are OK for MOT purposes it is possible that the injectors are faulty too. Have you noticed if the same plugs go down each time? The spray pattern is set to avoid impinging on the plug tip and causing erosion, overheating and failure. When the injectors wear the pattern can change and the plugs get damaged as a result.
Kowalski is right with the relay and you can check for this by taking a voltage reading across the plugs when the engine is first started up and then see when it drops off - if at all!!! when warm. Good hunting.
Kowalski is right with the relay and you can check for this by taking a voltage reading across the plugs when the engine is first started up and then see when it drops off - if at all!!! when warm. Good hunting.
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If the glowplugs stay on all the time they generally knacker the alternator too...
On the 1.7TD as fitted to the BX, the glowplugs only ran at 11V, and a special relay was used to achieve this. I wonder if something similar applies to the 1.9, and if the relay on this vehicle has been changed and is supplying too high a voltage?
Either way, they should last about 10 years / 100,000 miles...., not just a few months. On the other hand it could be that you have poor compression, and a slight drop off in plug performance is causing poor starting.
On the 1.7TD as fitted to the BX, the glowplugs only ran at 11V, and a special relay was used to achieve this. I wonder if something similar applies to the 1.9, and if the relay on this vehicle has been changed and is supplying too high a voltage?
Either way, they should last about 10 years / 100,000 miles...., not just a few months. On the other hand it could be that you have poor compression, and a slight drop off in plug performance is causing poor starting.
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Xantiargh</i>
Xantia 1.9 TD LX 1995 M
Cold starts, car catches first time, splutters, emits white/grey smoke, then calms down and idles. From that point forward, its fine.
Warm starts, car catches first time always.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
In this case, I wouldn't rule out a slight air leak. Before starting, give the fuel line a pump up. See if it makes a difference.
Xantia 1.9 TD LX 1995 M
Cold starts, car catches first time, splutters, emits white/grey smoke, then calms down and idles. From that point forward, its fine.
Warm starts, car catches first time always.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
In this case, I wouldn't rule out a slight air leak. Before starting, give the fuel line a pump up. See if it makes a difference.
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If it was an air leak, why would replacing the glowplugs cure it? On changing the plugs, the spluttering and smoke disappears for a month or two...
TO test the glow plugs to see if they're permanently on, can I just wire a testlamp between the -ve on the battery and the glowplug wiring, (I can't get my mitts on a multimeter, and I'm tight) or will that not work, or result in a glorious electrical fire and a need for some marshmallows?
TO test the glow plugs to see if they're permanently on, can I just wire a testlamp between the -ve on the battery and the glowplug wiring, (I can't get my mitts on a multimeter, and I'm tight) or will that not work, or result in a glorious electrical fire and a need for some marshmallows?
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Phooey. Its an air leak. I haven't had a chance to check the glowplugs yet, but today it wouldn't catch at all. Pumped the primer about 10-15 times til hard then tried again. Broom, broom.
Oh well. Looks like I'll be popping the bonnet every morning and evening until I get a chance to find the leak...
Joy.
Mike
Still, at least I won't have to change the plug behind the Bosch pump again.
Oh well. Looks like I'll be popping the bonnet every morning and evening until I get a chance to find the leak...
Joy.
Mike
Still, at least I won't have to change the plug behind the Bosch pump again.
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Top of fuel filter was sucking in air giving same symptoms as yours, replaced filter and carefully cleaned where the lid and rubber seal sits, there was some hard crud in mine so it wasn't sealing properly.
No visible leak but if with the engine off you squeeze the bulb really hard, filter housing would start to dribble, took about 10 minutes to fix, and starting has been instant ever since.
No visible leak but if with the engine off you squeeze the bulb really hard, filter housing would start to dribble, took about 10 minutes to fix, and starting has been instant ever since.
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by jakeuk</i>
i think we may have just solved my suspected glowplug problem,...will report back i a few mins cos she's cold right now[:D]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">bloody marvelous car aint been started at all today so went out full of anticipation,pumped the primer@10 times&bosh,it took the usual 3or4 turns of the engine and when it started there was the tiniest puff of white smoke[:D] instead of the usual plumes.
Is there a permanent solution to this air leak problem[?]
i think we may have just solved my suspected glowplug problem,...will report back i a few mins cos she's cold right now[:D]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">bloody marvelous car aint been started at all today so went out full of anticipation,pumped the primer@10 times&bosh,it took the usual 3or4 turns of the engine and when it started there was the tiniest puff of white smoke[:D] instead of the usual plumes.
Is there a permanent solution to this air leak problem[?]
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How about finding the airleak and fixing it?
If the pump can draw air in, you can probably force diesel out through it by pumping hard with the bulb. Once you've got it to leak some diesel you'll find it easier (although maybe not easy) to find the leak.
The fuel filter is the most common suspect, second is probably the connecting pipework.
If the pump can draw air in, you can probably force diesel out through it by pumping hard with the bulb. Once you've got it to leak some diesel you'll find it easier (although maybe not easy) to find the leak.
The fuel filter is the most common suspect, second is probably the connecting pipework.
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