Okay, this may be an odd one, it may be straight forward.. no better place to ask, so I'll try and summarize..

 

This is something on my 52 Fabia 1.9TDi

 

1) Key in the ignition and turn (without starting).

 

2) Fuel cut-off deactivates as normal, lights all go out on dashboard apart from the usual 2.

 

3) A few seconds later if you listen carefully.. CLICK (comes from right hand side cockpit near to where the light controls area is).. Glow Plugs relay/switch presumably? or is it something else?

 

4) Start Engine

 

5) Engine at 1000rpm (just above idle speed).. bit of vibration from the engine.. can feel it back through the wheel.

 

6) sit and wait for about 1 minute.. CLICK number 2. 

 

7) Engine vibration disappears..

 

So what's the click and what's going on the 2nd time around which settles the engine down?  Are the glow plugs on their way out after 12 years?  Is there something not getting up to temp even though the light goes out on the dash?  Dodgy relay perhaps? 

 

Any help as always.. appreciated.

 

 

This is the normal operation of the glow plugs in PD engines (and most diesels).

 

The first click you hear is the high current pre-heat phase (to aid starting) of the glow plug being switched off by the relay.

 

The glow plugs then stay on at a lower power level to aid combustion and to try and reduce emissions when the engine is very cold. This switches off after an amount of time controlled by the ECU, this is the second click you hear.

 

The engine vibration is due to the large load the alternator is placing on the engine at low revs due to the power the glow plugs take, when this load is removed (the relay switches the glow plugs off completely) the engine runs more smoothly.

 

 

Apart from that after 12 years it is probably time for new ones, especially if you have a lot of smoke on start up. PDs always start extremely easily in the cold anyway even with no glow plugs, older TDI land rovers and mitsubishis struggle to start/run with even one glow plug down.

Edited 2 February, 201511 yr by tech838

I'm sure the answer above is entirely correct.

If you want to confirm it for yourself, and you have a digital multimeter, measure voltage, on the lowest dc volts setting, across strip-fuse number 6 in your battery-box fuseholder. Get an assistant to do the key-turning and listening for clicks and signalling them to you.

If you see a small voltage between the bolts at either end of the fuse, which reduces at the first click, and disappears at the second, you'll have conclusive evidence that what tech838 describes is true.

This is the normal operation of the glow plugs in PD engines (and most diesels).

 

The first click you hear is the high current pre-heat phase (to aid starting) of the glow plug being switched off by the relay.

 

The glow plugs then stay on at a lower power level to aid combustion and to try and reduce emissions when the engine is very cold. This switches off after an amount of time controlled by the ECU, this is the second click you hear.

 

The engine vibration is due to the large load the alternator is placing on the engine at low revs due to the power the glow plugs take, when this load is removed (the relay switches the glow plugs off completely) the engine runs more smoothly.

 

 

Apart from that after 12 years it is probably time for new ones, especially if you have a lot of smoke on start up. PDs always start extremely easily in the cold anyway even with no glow plugs, older TDI land rovers and mitsubishis struggle to start/run with even one glow plug down.

 

Thanks for that - I'm about to order some new glow plugs given 12 years and 218000+ miles.. any make you'd recommend?

Just get genuine ones from TPS, they’re not that expensive, I don’t see the point saving a few £ for something thats going to be in there for the next 12 years and another 200k+ miles 

 

I’d start putting a squirt of PB or WD40 on them every so often now though, makes them amazingly easy to remove when you come to do it.

Edited 3 February, 201511 yr by tech838