Club 80-90 Forums

And whilst it was fiddly, it was'nt hard.

After faffing about for 20 minutes i decided to take off the metal diesel pipes that go into the injectors. This gave me lots more room.

One thing i did do to make life easier was take off the bus bar, clean it, vaseline it and then lightly fit two new glow plugs to it (the ones that go under the injection pump). This saved me really struggling to get the little nuts on to clamp down the bus bar.

All in all, a very satisfying job. And the van starts perfectly now. Sweet.

Two of the glow plugs were knackered - hence the problem starting the van.

Ringo

I have also just changed the same two glow plugs .. except my engines in the garage with the pump off cos I did not fancy doing that later on with the engine in and injection pump in the way .. looks a nightmare!

Kerr

Yes - if the engines out then its a good idea to change them.

Due to being a bit skint at the moment (ie this decade so far) i opted for some cheaper plugs at £5 each.

If they dont last then i will definetly go for some boshe ones.

Ringo

Hi there,

can i ask, my van 1.6D no turbo. It starts from cold but has trouble, no trouble from warm tho. is it worth changing the glow plugs as i intend to use it alot.

Thanks

if it aint broke DONT FIX IT,
but some people think- if it aint broke fix it till it is broke. you will see them under a van at every campsite. if it is starting lumpy though, they do need changing.

How bad at starting is it?

Hi all,

It is hard to explaine being the first deieisl i have had, it starts ok if i turn the ignition on twice otherwise it is lumpy and stalls. sorry like i say not used to deilise i cant spell it.

Jon

One thing i did do to make life easier was take off the bus bar, clean it, vaseline it and then lightly fit two new glow plugs to it (the ones that go under the injection pump). This saved me really struggling to get the little nuts on to clamp down the bus bar.

Good trick, shame it came 6 months too late for me

Other-Power wrote:Hi there,

can i ask, my van 1.6D no turbo. It starts from cold but has trouble, no trouble from warm tho. is it worth changing the glow plugs as i intend to use it alot.

Thanks

Sounds pretty much was happenning to mine. Two of my glow plugs had gone and it was hard to start - after about the third blast of the glow plug light it would start up (had to keep my foot down on the gas) and then kick out a load of black smoke.

I don't like this because normally the bus starts first time every time. Now its starts like a dream again.

For £20, i'd do it.

Disconnect the battery, take off the injector pipes (17mm spanner), take off the nuts that clamp down onto the bus bar (8mm spanner and fidly), take out the glow plugs (12mm) and test how many are knackered.
Follow my tip in the first post for reassembly.

Is your cold start working alright?

otherwise you can test the plugs if you want, remove them - stick 12v across them from the battery - will glow within seconds if working. (I used jump leads, negative to clamp the body and positive to the center/threaded part).

Kerr

I must say that i have never had to use the cold start - the only time i needed to use it was when two glow plugs had gone!

Ringo

Thanks for that, i just spent the last two days rebuilding the starter motor which is working now. I think i will do the glow plugs after DF. I havernt been using the cold start, cause its not cold. my logic. well thanks for the help. C some of u at DF i gess.

Jon

i have the same engine in marladys camper as is in her golf,both are 1.9 diesels,getting towards christmas both motors seemed to be crap to start,the golf took forever,turned out that i only had 1 good glow plug out of eight working!!!!!!,£56 and a bad back later two lovely cold starting vehicles....funniest thing though was when i replaced the camper gloweys, i returned to the same shop and asked for 4 more of the very same articles to fit into the golf,only to hear the little squirt mechanic in the back of the shop saying that the silverback gorilla at the counter must be an idiot cause hes back for another 4 plugs..hes probably burnt them out..amateur!.....so i put the little turd right before i left the shop!!!!!! lol....ive forgotten more about fixing motors than he and his master probably could learn in their entire lives if they lived in the f****n place.....lol.i love putting idiot little knowalls in their place from time to time.....helps to pass the time away and always draws a laugh in,t pub....me owducks!!!!!!

Good man. I hope you took your business elsewhere.....

.i love putting idiot little knowalls in their place from time to time.....helps to pass the time away and always draws a laugh in,t pub....me owducks!!!!!!

keep it up, sounds like you've developed it into an artform, wish I had, 'cos its really quite educational for them