Changing glow plugs

[Andyjones41]

Can anybody give me some advice on changing glow plugs on my diesel 2 litre 406. Is it a tricky or fidly job. The car fires and starts up but immediately quits and it takes a good few goes to get it to keep turning over once it's started and not immediately stop. Also the glow plug lights doesn't come on at all. I've bought new plugs I'm just not sure if it's a big job or not.

[steve_earwig]

If the light's not coming on, are the glowplugs getting 12 volts at any point? Maybe it's the relay that wants looking at...

[PeterN]

Doe's it have an Hdi or XUD engine?

[jasper5]

On the 2.0 HDi changing the glow plugs is a fairly simple job.

You need an 8mm and a deep 10mm 3/8th or 1/2 inch drive socket with extension bar and ratchet.
Squirt some WD40 or similar on the threads of the wire connectors and on the glow plug threads and leave for a short while.
Take off the nuts from the wiring connectors then undo the glow plugs with your 10mm socket and remove the plugs.refit the new plugs and wiring connector nuts....don't overtighten the new glow plugs...just nip them up.

If you want to check the plugs before you remove them take off all the wiring connectors then, using test lamp, put one connection to battery positive and put the other one to the tip of each glow plug in turn...with the ignition on they should light up the test lamp if they are working.
If you want to test them after they are removed use a jump lead and connect the plug across the battery.

[Rolebama]

The starting and cutting out is usually down to an air leak allowing the fuel to run back to tank. Once it has started, it should keep going regardless of glow plug performance.

[jasper5]

The starting and cutting out is usually down to an air leak allowing the fuel to run back to tank. Once it has started, it should keep going regardless of glow plug performance.

Wouldn't the fuel filter still be full though as the fuel can't drain out of the filter housing unless there is a leak at the bottom of the housing.

[Rolebama]

Not necessarily. The injector pipes and probably the pump would be full, but the minute the air enters the pump it will just try to compress hence engine stoppage. Then as the fuel begins to arrive, it will try to run on a mix of air and fuel, and as the fuel begins to arrive en masse, it would run OK. The majority of the fuel in the filter would disappear quite quickly through the tank return pipes. (Hope that makes sense.)

[jasper5]

Not necessarily. The injector pipes and probably the pump would be full, but the minute the air enters the pump it will just try to compress hence engine stoppage. Then as the fuel begins to arrive, it will try to run on a mix of air and fuel, and as the fuel begins to arrive en masse, it would run OK. The majority of the fuel in the filter would disappear quite quickly through the tank return pipes. (Hope that makes sense.)

The easiest way to check for a possible air leak is to pump the plastic hand pump until it becomes hard then try to start the car...if the car starts and runs properly then air in the system is the cause of the problem.

[Andyjones41]

I'll check the hand pump as I'm sure I've seen some air bubbles in the fuel pipe although I only have the problem of starting and stopping when the weather is really cold and the car had been sat for a day