Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all,i have a LHD 1.6d cs,its a 1987,only had it a couple or months,its done 66,000 km and it takes a few mins to start from cold,it starts and throws a lot of white smoke out for a couple of mins,then its fine,no smoke,ticks over well and revs nicely,when iv'e been starting it iv'e let the glow plug light come on and go of 3 times before iv'e cranked it over,the glow plug light only seems to stay on for about 3 secs,don't really know much about diesels,does this sound like a glow plug problem?,a relay maybe?,is there a relay?,if so where is it?,what would you look at doing first?,should i change the fuel filter as a precaution?,any help would be much appreciated,Thanks Dave

Have you checked your pump timing? That's where I would start....then glowplugs

To check the pump timing you need a dial gauge with a special rod that you screw into the back of the injection pump.
Also it's probably worth changing your rubber fuel lines and injector lines in the engine bay as they can let air in and cause problems.

I would change the glow plugs before checking the timing - it is unusual for the timing to be out in the normal course of use whereas glow plugs wear out and do fail causing these symptoms.

I agree with OBG that glowplugs are worth a look before timing. My various episodes of white smoke have all been related to glow plugs.

The glowplugs themselves can fail, and equally if there is no electrical supply to them even good glowplugs won't work. A simple initial test is to connect a 12V bulb between the thick copper bar that connects all the glowplugs together, and the body of the engine. This will tell you if, and for how long there is a supply to the glowplugs when you turn the key. Be careful not to short circuit the busbar to the body.

In winter 3 seconds on a cold engine is not enough. As a guide, ten seconds in winter should be OK, reducing to no time at all with the engine hot.

There is a relay with some clever electronics in the black box on the bulkhead, left hand side of the engine compartment. This has a temperature sender in the rear of the cylinder head, which controls how long the relay switches on the glowplugs for.

If you do the bulb test first, then get back to us, we can advise on the next stage depending on what you find.

Thanks for replies,think i will go the glow plug route first(not really got a clue about pump timing),how long should the glow plugs be on for?,the light stays on for 3 seconds max,could this be a relay problem?,was writing this as colinthefox replied,will try the bulb test tomorrow,and post back up,thanks all,Dave

Light on for only 3 secs at this time of year suggests that there is a shorted/ badly deteriorated temp sensor for the glow plugs also. I would check its resistance:



Terminate the sensor wire terminal with a 5k ohm resistor to ground and it should glow for longer than it is at present.
Your symptoms could be a combination of dodgy sensor and some duff glow plugs.

Thanks again,sorry to sound a bit numb but where will i find the temp sensor Oldiebut goodie?Cheers Dave

It should be on the end flange at the rear of the cylinder head. There are usually 2 there.

Thanks OBG,i know what i'm looking for now,i'll post back tomorrow,cheers Dave

Hi all,sorry about the delay,went to the van today and the blue and white wire wasn't on the sensor at the rear of the head(just hanging loose),i cleaned both and put it back on,no difference,glow plug light on dash still only on for max 3 secs,with ignition on i put a test light between the live connection on injector number 4 and the engine block and it was live,started it up,and checked it again with the engine running and it was still live ?,should it have power when running?,thanks for any replies Dave