Changing Glowplugs

[Guest BigJase88]

Well we all know there crap to change

last time i did it i snapped one in the head..... :(

any tips... any penetrating fluid i can use

basically don't want to mess it up again if i can avoid it

[skoda norm]

Did mine the other day, just used a 10mm deep socket, 12" extension and a ratchet, nothing else and no probs. I'm guessing that they were the original plugs too as I've not changed them before!

On mine though, the fuel injection pipes are right above a couple of the glow plugs!...took some manipulating here and there.

Edit: any penetrating fluid should be ok, just lots of it an hour before you try turning them so it gets to soak in.

Edited 10 November, 2010 by skoda norm

[Guest BigJase88]

Did mine the other day, just used a 10mm deep socket, 12" extension and a ratchet, nothing else and no probs. I'm guessing that they were the original plugs too as I've not changed them before!

On mine though, the fuel injection pipes are right above a couple of the glow plugs!...took some manipulating here and there.

yeah i bought a long 10mm socket the last time

just last time 2 of the plugs were almost welded into there threads.... and one snapped

don't want that happening again :/

[sausage roll]

Below is an image of what a duff glowplug looks like. The first one hadn't been heating up and burning the carbon off but the other three were still working fine.

[Guest BigJase88]

brilliant....

i'd never have been able to tell Mr S. Roll

im dreading to see what these ones look like 74k and original i'd bet

[sausage roll]

brilliant....

i'd never have been able to tell Mr S. Roll

There's loads a people on here who will never have even seen a glow plug. Image was more for benefit of the masses, not you really seen as you said you have changed them before. :p

[alexandjen]

I replaced all of mine a couple of weeks ago and they all looked like your duff one!

I found a universal joint was needed to get aroung the injector pipes, and I soaked mine in penetrating oil before starting

[sausage roll]

I replaced all of mine a couple of weeks ago and they all looked like your duff one!

I found a universal joint was needed to get aroung the injector pipes, and I soaked mine in penetrating oil before starting

See Jase! :p

[R1chard]

Mine need changing too seen as EML has been on a few weeks because one is nackered !

I'll get my bro to do it so if one brakes I can blame him LOL

[Guest BigJase88]

did it

do these look fubard then?

[skoda norm]

Good Job!

They look exactly the same as mine when I took them out (no nice white bits like Mr S Roll's :S )

Should they have the white bits?, I'm guessing that means they're working well?, but does that mean ours aren't? :no:

Edited 12 November, 2010 by skoda norm

[Guest BigJase88]

yeah im hoping mine were fluffed as it struggled to rev normally for the first 10 seconds or so, idle was at 700rpm and sounded as if it was going to stall

so i think it was running on 2 or 3 cylinders

was pretty easy to change, penetrating fluid is handy

[wilsy7]

id be interested in changing mine too but is it neccessary to do so? i thought glow plugs did not need to be changed until one failed?

[Guest BigJase88]

just preventative maintenance really now the cold weathers came in

plus my car is / was a bad starter in the cold

hopefully now it has alleviated my problems

[MattH]

Old thread but how easy are these to do yourself? Mine have failed and with the current Covid-19 lockdown measures in place getting to a garage isnt possible. But if I order online I’d like to try myself. 
 

Is there a help guide for it?

[MattH]

Nevermind I found one on YouTube. 

[MattH]

On 10/11/2010 at 21:34, sausage roll said:

Below is an image of what a duff glowplug looks like. The first one hadn't been heating up and burning the carbon off but the other three were still working fine.

All four of mine looked like the left hand one when I took mine out 😂

[TMB]

It's easy to do a continuity test on them while they are still in situ.

Edited 3 April, 2020 by TMB

[VWD]

Haynes don't quote resistance figures, but from  ECP figures of rated current at volts ( 16A @11v) , this works out at .6875 ohms. Using 10% as a variant, this would be from .75 ohms to .61 ohms.

Other tests suggest checking the volts on the glowplug to ensure that the operate circuit works as per spec and glow plug is receiving battery for the time the plug indicator says it is. Not advisable to try measuring current with a standard meter as at switch on the current could be 50% higher ( = 24A) and most meters only read up to 10A.

Bit of history. Some of us started life with a diesel in the days og the old BMC/BL  J series, 1500 cc vans with a manual heater. In winter up close to Ben Nevis, we'd a plan. Switch on ignition. light up a ciggie. Place foot on heater button . Finish ciggie before starting. if that failed, then it was tow time.

[MattH]

Anyone around that can confirm these are ok? 
 

Old one doesn’t show any voltage. 
 

New shows 11V

 

Ordered from ECP and they showed as correct when I put my reg in. 

[sepulchrave]

As long as the thread fits and the length is the same then it doesn't matter, a 12V glowplug is a 12V glowplug.

[VWD]

i wouldn't think 1volt in 12 (nominal ) would make much difference. Possibly better as in worst conditions, ( weather where monkey seeks blowlamp) battery might just be a bit low .

[langers2k]

10 hours ago, MattH said:

Anyone around that can confirm these are ok? 
 

Old one doesn’t show any voltage. 
 

New shows 11v

 

It's not voltage you should be measuring, it's resistance.

 

A good glow plug should probably be less than an ohm in resistance.

[sepulchrave]

21 minutes ago, VWD said:

i wouldn't think 1volt in 12 (nominal ) would make much difference. Possibly better as in worst conditions, ( weather where monkey seeks blowlamp) battery might just be a bit low .

 

I meant as opposed to LGV glow plugs which of course are 24V and wouldn't get hot enough in a 12V system, so I'm not really sure what you're on about.

[VWD]

I thought OP was bothered about fact that ECP glowplugs are rated at 11v, and car electrics are nominal 12v. Hence the idea that 1volt would not make much difference and might be beneficial as if weather is nasty ( = cold enough to freeze externals bits on brass monkeys) , then battery might be a bit lower than nominal 12v.