Club 80-90 Forums

Well after some great advice from those more knowledgeable than myself about my diesel hot start issues, I'm going to give the whole glow plug system a going over next weekend.
I'm going to start with glowplug renewal but have a few questions for those that have done this before.
Where's the best priced place to buy and which make are most reliable ?
What's the most appropriate spanner/socket size and type for removal ?
I've read the injector pipes need to come off for access, is this necessary?
Any hints and tips appreciated !
Thanks again

Poor hot starting can be down to poor valve clearance,when hot the valve stem lengthens causing a compression loss so worth shimming if it's a JX or any other non hydraulic head

Its a JR code actually so hydraulic head thankfully!

Is the cold start lever connected?
The reason I ask is if I start my van when the engine is still hot it takes quite a while and when it does start there is quite a lot of smoke and it runs lumpy for a few seconds!
So I always pull the cold start out when I start the van!
All the glow plugs are ok,the pump is set to .98mm.
As the " jx " started in the same way ( now have a " sb " engine ) I put the odd starting down to the worn " jx " injection pump.

Yes cold start lever connected, to be honest I never tried that when it was hot!
Maybe I'll try that first.......

If you are experiencing problems starting when hot then I would have thought it very unlikely to be glow plug related?

Yes so would I but apparently these engines like a burst of glowplug even when hot

im pretty sure that the glowplugs are on when the ignition switch is in start position [as is the auxiliary water pump ]

Going back to basics 1 does it have enough compression,2 does it get enough fuel 3 does it happen at the right time,very easy to over look 1 of these,hot starting issues can also be injector pump related, out of tolerance,when ALL other things have been ruled out tip cold water on it and see if it starts then BUT this may result in DAMAGE to the pump so finding another pump may be preferable

Just pull the cold start lever out!!!

Started checking things today and the first problem was the blue/white wire to the temp sensor had broken off.
That was obviously why the glow plug light took an age to go out when starting, a new terminal was crimped on to sort that.
The plugs are getting about 10.5v after checking with the multimeter and are pulling approx 60-65 amps as noted from the induction amp meter.
It all appears to be working fine and starting seemed to be OK today as well. I might leave things alone or maybe change the glowplugs, or could I be looking for work here ?
If it ain't broke............

10.5volts? Where have all the rest gone? How knackered is your wiring?

Just asking as mine, an 88, has well knacked wiring, which led to sweet FA happening when I turn the key. Well the glow plugs might have warmed a little...

Several sensor wires were suffering from cracked, exposed and corroded wiring particularly where it was close to the engine (some was simply missing but that's another story!).

My starter solenoid trigger wire was badly corroded, and so the solenoid simply shrugged at me, saying"Well, what are you gonna do?"

My feed to the starter was corroding into dust and breaking strands. The feed wire to the dash was also looking sad. The gearbox earth was in an appalling state. And there was an immobiliser with tiny wee wiring on the trigger to further restrict bolts. I'm replacing all of the above.

If you really have only 10.5 volts, it might be worth looking to see where they have gone... Wiring diagram on syncrosport.com will be a help if you haven't already got one. On the wiki there are details of a wiring upgrade, which I'm currently following. (This is for the feed to the dash, whereas you are losing volts before it even gets that far. )

https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/VW ... ry_to_dash" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The voltage will drop when the glow plugs are on. Each glow plug should draw around 9A with normal plugs (36A total) and 12A (48A total) with quick glow plugs.

Ahh. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing..

Just another thought - that 60 - 65A should have blown the 50A fuse!