Glow Plugs Wont Heat Up

[hiflexjohn]

can any one help.glow plugs are cool as a cucumber.ive replaced them with a new set.{ before i realised i should have checked them first!}found the ect sensor a bit dodgy so replaced that as well.if i remove the sensor wiring plug the glow plugs work,as i found out from my trusty haynes manual,{that keeps referring me back to a main dealer?}it all points to the engine management system.but before i go down that road has any one got any ideas? me glow plug light flashes allthe time.if i try to start the engine with the ect sensor connected,the glow light comes on but goes out to quickly to do any thing.if i disconnect the ect sensor and give a little easy start she runs like a dream with plenty of power! if i get hold of a second ecu,does it have to be reprogrammed?

[dodge]

Hi

 

have you replaced the glowplug relay?

I have been having similar problems with heat plugs and you can hot wire the system with the relay removed to check the wiring upto the plugs. Just connect the 2 large terminals in the relay holder with a suitably heavy section of cable,i put a push button switch in mine so i could control it.

 

Also what i found was with the temp sender removed the plugs would heat for about 20 seconds presumably as a default, and heat for about 7 seconds with the sensor connected, depending on engine temp i supose.

 

Hope this helps some.

 

dodge

[Scorpiorefugee]

Quick check for you.

 

Locate the coolant temparature sensor and disconnect it. It is located in a piece of plastic moulding somewhere about halfway across the front of the cylinder head. There have been a few posts on this.

 

Once disconnected, the glow plug light will come on for several seconds every time you start up. You can check the electrical circuits by measuring the feed to the glow plugs with a meter or easier, with a test lamp.

 

The temperature sensor is in 2 parts and the one which is used for the gauge is usually OK but the other can fail, telling the control system that the engine is hot and doesn't need the glow plugs. A typical symptom is that the cooling fans will fire up when you switch off and keep running for some time, even when the engine is cold. Beware of the wiring. It can become brittle and typically, the earth will fall off.

 

Don't worry about the ozone layer. The glow plugs are not really important in this weather. A lot of rubbish has been written about them. They are either on or off and seldom operate for more than a second or so before starting. After that they are kept warm by the normal engine firing cycle. I'm no expert but I've checked and in the summer, they will only be on for a second when you fire up from cold. After that, you don't need them until the engine cools down again.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited June 5, 2007 by Scorpiorefugee

[hiflexjohn]

do you no the number on the glow plug relay> is it 103 ?

[dodge]

103 is correct for the glowplug relay. Its on the bottom layer (Level 2) far right. Light grey in colour.

 

dodge

[Scorpiorefugee]

Please forgive my persistence but have you tried to disconnect the temperature sensor. It proves everything else in one quick test. I speak from experience having spent a lot of time groping around in the fuse/relay panels only to find that all was ok and then had to resort to the electical diagrams before I realised that an apparently silly sugestion on the first reply to my query had provided the answer. It is a very common fault.

[hiflexjohn]

yes.i did replace the temp sender.did i buy a dud? does any one no the correct colour? mines a late 97 on a r reg.

[big_kev]

I would be looking at the relay or the brake switch.

 

It is unlikely to be the ECU they never fail ( short of a fire or drowning ).

 

The faulty ignition relay will send the ECU a bit loopy as will a dodgy brake switch...fix them and the ECU is fine.

[hiflexjohn]

i have had the ignition relay of .the contacts looked a little moody but i meterd the out and they seemed ok,found brake switch sticking but freed of with some squirt if i disconect the switch would it not prove otherwise?

[big_kev]

The relay does sound a bit iffy see if you can find someone with the same and swap it.

 

Check both brake switches......assuming you have 2.

 

Then check if all is ok with the Glow Plug Light.

[hiflexjohn]

a big thanks to all the replies to my little problem.here is the situation so far.i paid autocare a little visit and apparently the colour code for my temp sensor is black and yellow, and may be not blue like the one fitted and the 1 i replaced.if by magic my glow plugs have now burst back into life.i took the oppurtunity to replace the fuel filter.does the fuel filter bleed itself? i had to crack an injector to get the thing to start.and yes,plenty of white smoke!!!!!!could i still have air in the system????? it starts but misses a little.does the ecu need resetting??i still need a little help,so if any one has any ideas please give us a clue.

the sky over essex is now turning dark and the acid rain could be a problem for me paintwork!!!!!!!! perhaps other people who have a simular fault should crack open an injector and that would help bleed the syssem and get it to start rather than using the dreaded easy start as mine is probaly an addict already!!!

[hiflexjohn]

just 1 more thing,does the little plastic valve that sits on top of the filter play up?is this what stops the fuel running back to tank?is there any body out there? where have all the people gone? have i enterd the twilight zone?????? cmon ,help me fix me galaxy and il make it give up smokin.the last time i saw this much smoke was an old mk2 granada fitted with a york diesel engine and that like a sniff of the old easy start. cheers!!!!!!!!

[dodge]

Hm, sounds like you may have the problem I have just sorted with help from this Forum.

My TDi 90Bhp has 150,000 miles on it and suddenly became a pig to start with loads of smoke (see posting 90 Bhp Tdi Poor Starting And Loads Of Smoke) I went through the hurddles of replacing every thing related to the pre heat circuit,the old glow plugs were not working when I tested them but now I reckon they had been gone for sometime and this was not my problem.

I also replaced the temp sensor as you have,the one that i removed had a yellow marking ,the one i fitted has a blue marking.This, I was told is what the part number changes up to. To cut a long story short, now i have sorted my other problems and my Gall starts fine again i rechecked the function of the heater plugs and found that they are not heating,this i put down to the current mild weather we have, and the coolant temp is not low enough to trigger the heat circuit.

To double check this i reconnected the origional yellow sensor and the glow plugs were still not activated and the engine starts fine. I think if all else is good these engines dont need heat at this time of year.

As with yours, the only way i could start mine was with the dreaded Evil Start spray. Have you had the cam belt replaced recently? I reckon that was the starting point for my problems, even if it was 10,000 miles ago. Check you timing.

 

dodge

[hiflexjohn]

hello there! i checked me timing and its all ok. i even refitted timing belt and it still lined up.after taking the starter motor of ,i found the timing hole,located to the top of the gearbox,right hand side(as you look at car)of the head and down.though you need a neck made of rubber to get in and see.i used a mirror and a torch.though wish i had three hands as you need to turn engine over to line it up.the thing still has trouble starting and smokes like hell.it does look like fuel starvation? ive changed the coolant sensor,fuel filter etc.bled the injectors.checked the timing.if the egr valve is blocked would this cause a problem? could i have fuel running back to tank?any one got any ideas? i havent changed brake light switches as this come up a lot on here.would this effect my timing on the pump?when my engine starts on easy start it does rev higher now as if on cold start and when engine warms up it returns to abot 900 rpm from about 1100.help help help help.anyone in the basildon area or does anyone no of a diesel wizard who wont charge an absolute fortune !!!