A glow plug question

[Bren]

My vec can be a bit of a pig to start when cold - lots of smoke and a bit of spluttering. Even when the outside temp is in double figures.

 

The car has fault codes for the plugs - however a dodgy starter can draw power from the glow plugs.

 

My questions are as follows -

 

When are the glow plugs needed? At every start?

 

Will a lack of voltage at the plugs show up as a fault and generate a code?

 

Fed up with bastard diesels - next car will be a petrol. The first big bill on a diesel will wipe out any saving on fuel.

[Pillock]

New VAG models only use the plugs below 12° I believe.... Even on my SEAT when I didn't plug the little plastic power rail in properly it still started fine but that was summer/autumn.

[saucedoctor]

As far as I can remember, the sales bod told me that once my Tucson had been started in the morning the heater plugs (as he called them) typically wouldn't be needed for the rest of the day, unless it was pretty cold weather-wise. Right nuff, the light did go off almost instantly on all subsequent start-ups.

[twosmoke300]

Is it a 2.0 or 2.2 dti ?

[Bren]

1,9 cdti -the 8 valve fiat one.

[forddeliveryboy]

No idea if low volts will trigger a glow plug fault code, but they're not expensive to buy. It's that time of year - used to be HT leads and dizzys, now it's glow plugs. Best way to test them is remove and connect across a good battery. That way you're sure.

[Bren]

I spoke to my local vaux specialist - he stated because the engine was direct injection the glow plugs would have little bearing on starting - however there are fault codes relating to the plugs.

 

Personally I think the plugs are goosed and the starter needs replacing - it cannot crank fast enough.

[red5]

check current draw when starting 1st - battery or starter issue i suspect.

[Danblez]

When I first got my focus diesel it was never happy starting in winter. I put a new battery on it and a new set of glow plugs which made no difference, I just put up wth it. It was only since having the starter refurbed that I realised it was this all along.