finally going to change glowplugs in my felicia. (been sitting in the shed for at least 3 yrs)- got to the stage where i "activate"plugs at least 3 times in cold weather before firing it up!(it never fails to start though) space looks a bit tight - looks like i`ll have to at least remove "leak off"pipes but can i get away without disturbing the main injector pipes? what size/type socket or spanner is best? tibsy

Edited 9 January, 201115 yr by tibsy

The Haynes manual doesn't mention a need to remove anything, and this thread that came up seems to concur, so it should be possible without. The specs for the plugs say it's a 12mm hex, and I'd guess at 8mm for the bus bar from looking at the pictures, but I can't back either of those up with experience, unfortunately

Hello Tibsy,

The glow plugs do indeed need a 12mm for the main body and 8mm for the terminal connections. Halfrauds sell a specialist VW/Audi glow plug removal tool with the correct size ratchet ring spanners on each end.

It's still a fiddly job since the plugs are buried under the injectors and associated pipework. I ended up having to take mine to my mechanic last week to get them changed as they were a little too firmly imbedded in the head for my liking and I didn't want to put too much weight behind the spanner for fear of shearing them off or destroying the thread in the head. He told me he had to take out the middle two injectors to get at the plugs properly, although I think that was a bit extreme - see what anyone else thinks about that.

we always remove the injector pipes as it makes it easier to do the job, the trouble with working round the pipes is the possibility of snapping the glowplug off due to the odd angle the spanner has to go thru, the inj pipes are paired up and will only fit in the correct place so cant really go wrong, just leave them slack on the injector end and crank 3 times for 10 secs each time before tigntening to allow bleeding.

12mm ratchet spanner is very handy and they will come out easier if the engine is warm

I did the ones on my Mum's car without removing the injector pipes, but it was more a case of me doing it because I was being bloody minded than anything else. As Jim says, a ratchet spanner will really make a difference to doing the job - I think without it would have been nigh on impossible. Made a world of difference to her car starting though, only 1 was working before!

looks like i now have the perfect excuse to buy a set of "halfords pro flex rachet spanners" then!

thanks for all your advice.

finally decided to tackle it today,

took about 1 hr !

and about 20 mins of that was trying to get the 8mm nuts securing the busbar, back on (dropped one and had to find a replacement).

i did not need to remove any of the leak off or injector pipes and the new "rachet spanners" were justified!

now i need an excuse to purchase a "halford pro 150 socket set", the socket set i have (hilka) i bought out of "exchange and mart" when i was 17yrs old (1972) and the rachet is starting to get a bit iffy!

^^ ohh i've got one of them halfords 150pc jobbies, with a few additional items like a breaker bar and a few other bits and bobs there is enough tools in there to remove and refit the engine in a felicia, i've proven this to myself before just for giggles. i mainly use my set for trips to the scrapyard because it doesn't matter if you loose them or bust them...

also while i'm on my high horse about scrapyards, why is it that there is always some eastern european types who are looking for a starter motor for a flying carpet who feel it's ok to just rummage through my god-damned tools, maybe back in turkistan they do stuff a bit different.. i said to the fellow at the time i would swap him a 1/2 drive ratchet for his 7th wife... yes i said. "feel free to help yourself to my hard earned snap-on stash, i don't mind, i'll just wait for you to get that red door off to go on your white corolla" trouble is that lot don't understand satire one bit. i've been drinking this evening folks. happy easter everybody