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my 406 diesel turbo(N reg) won't start in cold weather. new glow plugs changed last march 08. when i spray cold start, it starts and works all day. in summer it was ok. only since last week, as the weather turned cold, it won't start. relay is ok as there is voltage and it cuts off after about 76 to 7 seconds. same problem last winter as well. hence, the reason for changing the glow plugs. after new glow plugs changed, the weather suddenly changed to warm. hence, all summer no problem. now it is cold, it won't start. please help. what can be the reason. thanks.

I don't know the engine but logically it's got to be a bad connection in the feed to the glow plugs!

How can i tell if my glowplugs need changing ? is my first diesel so not sure hopefully i dont have to wait until weather gets bad to find out when doesnt start,

can you just look at them like spark plugs and decide if fooked and change them, and if so do you change all at same time

My td can be a bit of a pig, sometimes it starts without waiting for the light to go out, sometimes it won't start if I do this and I've got to light the glow plugs twice before it'll fire, even if it's already run that day.

If you've not long changed the glowplugs then I wouldn't have thought they'd be the problem, there is meant to be a bit of post-heating going on with the glowplugs after the light's gone out so maybe you should test them to see if this is happening.

thanks guys. yes, i did change all 4 glow plugs at the same time. once last march and once in dec.2007. Also when tested, they were ok, but still i got them changed in march last. What does pre heating means when the light gone off and how do you test it. thanks.

I thought that even though the light goes out after 7 seconds, the actual current to the glow plugs remains for 20 seconds or so

Haynes just says "on certain models", whatever that means, and it can be up to 3 minutes, depending on "under-bonnet temperatures"

Momin, pre-heating is before you start it, post-heating is after. Use a meter/test lamp connected to the glow plug rail (i.e. clipped on the connector on top one of the glow plugs) and watch what happens when you turn the key to bring the light up and when you start it.

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Mine has just recently stopped being a "morning" car, starts instantly but coughs and splutters for a couple of miles. I seemed to have cured it with a new set of glow plugs. He started fine this cold morning and didn't stutter. You could stick a multimeter across the battery negative and the glow plug lead. It should show 10 volts or above depending on the health of you battery before you crank her over, then when the engine is running the glow plugs will still be live with maybe 13 or 14v on them now the alternator has taken over until the coolant temperature sensor tellls the glow plug relay to stop.