Berlingo Glow Plug Saga! This did not go well...

[@joebrierly7924]

KZbin doesn’t make it easy to become a member…. Can’t see a link… is there a link pls?

[@HubNut]

Here you go! kzbin.info/door/fxlBQnvNXX6o-2KbCMszWQjoin

[@XXSNIPERUKXX]

I'm going to say pump timing is out myself Generally these old mechanical pump style engines fire on the key when setup right ..if it's ever had a timing belt then what's to say it's bang on

[@Jeroen74]

Just a heads up... younger diesels may be fitted with low-voltage glowplugs, my '08 Volvo S60 has them. Testing them with 12V will burn them out within seconds. They are controlled through pulse width modulation to get them up to temperature real quick with a short burst of 12V, then down-regulated to 3...4V or so by pulsing. They are also used in the DPF regeneration process during normal engine operation. The glowplug 'relay' in this case is little box full of electronics that can also set codes to aid in diagnostics.

[@jamesdecross1035]

Important point.

[@GoldenCroc]

@@retiredbore378 To be fair, people cant be bothered to understand anything.... and its been that way for a long time, but I will admit its more common and increasingly so these days. However, if you think EVs are exempt, you will be in for a rude awakening in the future, I am pretty sure.

[@Jeroen74]

@@retiredbore378 With EVs you have to babysit the battery instead of the engine. A Tesla has a intricate heat pump system to distribute heat between motor, battery, interior and environment. And this is an enabler, a Nissan Leaf without battery thermal management is quite limited, preheating a Tesla battery before supercharging improves its life etc.

[@cambridgemart2075]

The word is 'may', not 'can'

[@Jeroen74]

​​@@cambridgemart2075thank you 😊corrected it

[@anthonystevens8683]

The good news is that you can rule out the glow plugs, two were duff so it made total sense to change them anyway. One box ticked. The symptoms certainly look to be fuel delivery related or even compression related, it might be worth a compression test to compare the cylinders readings. A squirt of oil into the cylinders after the 1st compression test should give an indication of piston rings or valves, post oil in the bore test if the compression is good that would indicate piston rings.

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Great little tutorial on how a Glowplug works. When I bought my Escort which is the old 1.8 diesel, I was told first thing in the morning to cycle the ignition five times on and off to get the Glowplugs to start the car and that works a treat. Great little tinkering video as always.

[@Levenstone132]

You could hear those click off too.Had the 1.6.

[@andypicken7848]

scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain Knocks the shite out of the battery though. Especially on frostie morning

[@kennztube]

yep,i do something similar with my '10 Citroen C4, on chilly mornings it works well.

[@Yossarian-uj9dh]

I had this with a Xsara 2.0 HDi and it was an injector dying. As it ran fine the rest of the time I just lived with it and made sure there was no one around to witness the clouds of smoke whenever I started it from cold!

[@tonysargent1699]

When you first started it up, it sounded like there was a diesel knock, which is normally caused by a faulty injector. Good luck with it.

[@Morgans_Miles]

That was my thought too. Definitely over fuelling at that point so could be injectors.

[@XXSNIPERUKXX]

Diesel knock is caused from been too lean or firing at the wrong time .. to rich usually causes it to rev up

[@miseMise971]

One can't "over fuel" a Diesel engine, put more fuel in and it runs faster, put less in and it runs slower. Poorly atomised fuel from the injectors on the other hand will mean that the fuel will not burn properly. @@Morgans_Miles

[@19jacobob93]

​@Morgans_Miles that white smoke on start-up screams leaky injector/overfueling

[@miseMise971]

One can't "overfuel" a diesel engine, it is throttled by fuel; put less in it and it runs more slowly, put more in it and it runs faster. Poor atomisation will cause the fuel to burn less homogeneously and completely than it otherwise would, hence the smoke for a poor injector...but there is no such thing as "overfuelling" in a Diesel engine.

[@MultiVogon]

My first car was a Mk1 Astra diesel, and was a bugger to start in the cold, until someone told me about 'the click'. Basically ignore the glow plug light and wait til you hear a relay click when the pugs actually turn off. After that, it started first time every time. Was a complete shed though 😅. Now I have a Berlingo B9 - I am dreading the day it decides to go all French on me 😂

[@Weejie2011]

When I was a truck driver (before fancy things like glow plugs and stop solenoids were commonplace) we used to light fires underneath the engines. It wasn't good for the respiratory system.

[@davyfella]

You also had to light fires under the fuel tanks to get rid of the waxing.

[@ivy7642]

I think a bunch of places with older excavators and dozers still do this to this very day. I love it honestly. In a way it reminds me that we're not so far removed from the old external combustion steam engines!

[@Ragnar8504]

@@davyfella In the 80s Diesel car drivers were advised to put up to 25% of petrol into the tank if temperatures dropped below 5C to prevent waxing. Diesel fuel has really evolved a lot in the past 30 years.

[@JohnnyPaton]

In Siberia they use flamethrowers underneath the engine bay!!

[@bentullett6068]

Some tractors still have an option for engine bay heating as in very cold locations the heating in the engine bay prevents the diesel fuel turning to a cold gel. As you mentioned on a cold day you had to heat under the engines which pretty much helped the fuel in the fuel system heat up a bit and pre heat the engine.

[@twocvbloke]

I'm going to guess that the injectors have expired, instead of spraying fuel, they may be just dribbling it into the cylinders which makes it harder for the fuel to ignite and makes a smoky mess out the back end until things have heated up so the diesel fuel vaporises from hitting something hot, I'd recommend getting them tested by a diesel tech to confirm whether they're good or not... :)

[@musguelha14]

He's done a leak off test and it looked OK, usually it shows there. I don't know these PSA engines, but being common-rail, I'm sure that you could see individual injector correction values with an appropriate diagnostics machine.

[@twocvbloke]

@@musguelha14 Leakdown tests are one thing, but a spray pattern test is what matters, could be letting the right amount of fuel in, but if it's more "elderly man having a wee" and less "garden sprinkler", it makes a huge difference... :)

[@andypicken7848]

twocvbloke A very valid point. Thanks

[@Daz_Stap]

I concur with this theory, the fuel needs to be delivered in a confident fashion, not just creeping in.

[@malcolmyoung7866]

I agree.

[@pauljones1325]

I messaged you a couple of months ago with what I did to the injectors. They are still working to this day after I refurbished them 4 ish years later. I sent you pictures of the process. Easy job to do. A typical Hub nuttery job.

[@captaccordion]

I think the likelihood is as you think - tired injectors. But new ones are hellishly expensive, and you'd want to be 100% certain. In the old days, diesel specialists had gear to test your injectors and observe the spray pattern. Presumably they can do so thesedays on common rail engines too. Whether they can rebuild them as they used to do is less certain, but taking yours out and to a diesel specialist for testing would be a good first step. Maybe you could also pick up a set from a breaker's and pick the best 4 from the 8.

[@rimmersbryggeri]

There are difinitely places that can rebuild injectors. Is possible you can even do it yourself.

[@GlennPowell-ls3lg]

Reminded me of watching a "Class 37" starting from cold.

[@cambridgemart2075]

Nowhere near as impressive though!

[@nigelh4617]

That engine bay layout is a work of art.

[@joopjansen9102]

C'est français... "Laissez-nous rammer tous les choses dans une compartiment très crampée!"

[@AliMackMechanical]

Unfortunately I think you need to put injectors in it. It's quite common for the engine to run well after it's hot. If the injectors are bad then you will get bad starting smoke and coughing till warm.

[@martinneumann7783]

This reminds of the preheating procedure in the second car I owned, a 1972 Mercedes-Benz 200 D (W115). Glowing in winter could take up to one minute... Cheers --- Martin 🚗💨💨💨

[@cambridgemart2075]

The pre-heater on my tractor is way more interesting, it has a CAV Thermostart module in the inlet manifold; it's basically a coil of resistance wire with a fuel nozzle in the middle, when it's energised, it glows red hot and ignites the diesel from the nozzle, starting a fire in the inlet manifold. It's manually operated and requires the heater to be powered for 20s at first, then an additional 10s if the engine doesn't start. If it's operated repeatedly, smoke starts to come from the exhaust without turning the engine over!

[@paulbray4626]

Perhaps have a look in the fuel filter housing for metal particles , the first of those with siemen sid 801 injection system suffered high pressure pump breaking up causing particles of metal to go through injection system sometimes getting into injectors causing running issues , we quite often had to replace complete fuel systems under warranty !

[@DanielEvansMusic]

check glow plug relay / fuse. it may show the light on the dash ( did seem a bit quick ) but maybe no power to the glow plugs? Use a tester on the glow plug rail to be sure

[@HubNut]

We did actually test the 12v feed in this video.

[@tedh7521]

I had to replace my glow plugs on my 82 Rabbit aka Caddy pickup I only use Bosch kit relay & four glow plugs I bench tested the old one as well God Bless you and your family from sunny California

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

Oh dear...... New injectors here we come. At least all the plugs came out easily. I have a seized one which after a few tries I have left well alone. Luckily, the other five come out nicely.

[@llywelyn1984]

I was wrong about the EGR but im 100% certain of this. Dont be afraid of injectors. Easy job.

[@tomicarr90]

The most cinematic glow plug testing footage on the whole of KZbin 😅 love it! I had a 1.7cdti Astra coupe thing not too long ago that started like that and ran like that, reckon it was a dodgy injector on that.

[@The_Cheques_Offender]

I had a m59 berlingo van which was a 2.0 Hdi. It was a superb van. Really liked it and a noisy idler pulley was the only issue I ever had would buy another one in a heartbeat if I didnt need a big van and the Glow Plugs wouldnt heat unless it was below 5 degrees I believe.

[@Codzilla71]

I think there might be one for sale here soon, if you like them.

[@daniellee9015]

Absolutely brilliant video Ian ❤👍 you are brilliant and the experiment with the glow plugs brilliant

[@Tarten21]

Id say definately injectors its got good compression as it wants to start and that knock is caused by bad injectors.

[@darrendixon9534]

I have a 2006 Mondeo TDCj, this sounds like a perfect start to me

[@tristanpage6805]

Great video. Hope she's fixed soon

[@a1white]

I remember waiting for the glow plugs to g out starting my stepdads BX on cold winters mornings

[@TonyLing]

Love the sound of a PCV Diesel

[@BaguetteBeardBass]

I think had you posted the intro of the video everyone would have said to not bother with the plugs. Even my XUD powered baguette when the glowplug feed died would crank and crank but not start, then when it did i'd have less than a few seconds of lumpiness as it rapidly heated up

[@johnlladron735]

Thanks for the ultimate in tinkering, Ian, enjoyed it. Injectors might be gummed up especially after a period of inactivity.

[@Summers-lad]

I just about choked on that exhaust at the start!

[@SAM-zt2uy]

Oh my days the jump leads on the glow plugs, why yes that was a fun test.

[@robtaylor4462]

Ian, to me I'd check the temp sender or glow plug relay as that glow plug light wouldn't give them enough chance to heat up. I don't know if you could disconnect the car loom and try a feed to power them on longer see if she fires any better. However with her been down on power anyway I would suspect fuel system. My thought is injectors, but need to check low and high pressure pump readings make sure they are up to scratch. I hope you can get her sorted

[@HubNut]

My test showed that the plugs stay on longer than the light.

[@rimmersbryggeri]

High pressure pump is definitely a suspect on this car. Fortunately it's not a timed unit so it is hypothetically an easier job. im surprised the glow plugs were so cooperative, they quite often break or take the thread with them.

[@robames1293]

Heaters like light globes have a low resistance when cold but increase when they warm up ie a positive temp coefficient of resistance.

[@standbanger2]

So try this, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't but i have had success in the past doing this,,,,take the diesel filter off fill it with forte injector cleaner put it back on, start the car leave it to run for 3 to 5 minutes, then turn it off & leave it to stand for as long has you can (24h is probably best) then take the car for a good 30 minute blast,, like i said may or may not work but it's the cheapest option first before looking at new injectors! Leaving it to stand for 24h let the diesel cleaner to sit inside the injectors to soften any dirt & carbon build in the injectors!

[@edwardalannewton8591]

I learnt alot thx hubnut

[@chrisbarnes2823]

Here in Canada I have a V8 diesel, obviously 8 glow plugs plus an intake heater to help reduce emissions. Truck lives in my garage and is plugged in to warm up the block heater, oil pan heater and transmission pan heater when the temperature drops. It will start without warming it up but it makes life for the truck and me a lot nicer.

[@bigmfromdevn]

I bet it does Chris, especially when you get temperatures in the -30*c / 40*c sometimes, where i read recently that Manitoba was experiencing. Only visited Canada once back in March 93, i was staying in the North York area of Toronto & apparently, so i was told, Toronto was experiencing one of the coldest early March’s for a long time. Most nights the temp went down to around -17*c / 20*c & the TV weather folk was sayin that with the wind chill factored in, t’would feel like -30*c. The hire car, a 5 month old Ford Taurus with about 5000 km, would always start in the morning, but ee was mighty sluggish at times, & that was a fairly new car. So yeah i can quite easily see why y’need all that extra kit bolted to yer vehicles.

[@1brokenspoke189]

Hello Hub Nut the valve clearance goes tight on these engines causing them to struggle starting when cold its worth doing a compression test or slip the rocker cover off and check the gaps

[@HubNut]

Should be hydraulic tappets though, no?

[@PaulBaker85]

Bella is jealous of Ian liking the Leyland 510 and wants some of that action too.

[@Jwnewall]

Had my '04 Berlingo for 9 months now, and I absolutely love her. However, it has been through my wallet a bit. All new tyres, new cam belt / pump / alternator, 3 lights, had to get the fuel line cleaned out, all new wipers and the windscreen wash pump... but I still absolutely love it. Great in the country lanes and is great on cold mornings. Only car I would sell it for would be a newer mk1 with the hydraulic clutch, or a generic mk2. For the meantime however, she's been a lovely 1st car and has been a bit learning curve.

[@100SteveB]

Though it did not solve the problem, I am very impressed with how you used the multimeter to determine which plugs were bad. They are just a simple heating element, so going open circuit is the way they fail. And like Jeroen mentioned in his comment, a lot of glow plugs are controlled using pulsed DC voltage, so they will not stand up to a full 12v for very long. I am windering now if you have an injector that is leaking slightly - bleeding fuel into the cylinders whilst the engine is off. I noticed that when you done the cold start after changing the glow plugs that the engine seemed to struggle to turn for a moment, that could be leaked fuel in the cylinder causing a much higher than normal compression until it dumps the excess down the exhaust pipe. Hope you find the cause and get her starting normally again.

[@bombakdik]

I had my daily driver when I was in university being a BMW E90 318D. It was a fantastic car and I sold it in 2019 with 200K miles on it. The timing chain had been replaced by the previous owner and I drove it for about 65K miles without any issues or whatsoever. However, there was one thing. Every cold start, every start after at least a day of sitting, it popped blue smoke like a two stroke. When it was really cold, it didn't even have misfires, perhaps only some unbalance. After some minutes, the smoke was gone. Engine had no oil consumption, turbo was ok etc. The glow plug modules do tend to go bad on those engines, and that was probably the culprit. Just like with the Berlingo, you never saw to glow plug light ignite in the dashboard. It only popped on for about two seconds when it was really cold outside, but the engine already went on the starter. Never really understood that kind of "programming". Looking forward to watch this. Cheers from Belgium.

[@rhspek]

Our camper (Fiat 2.5TD) shows the same symptoms: extremely smokey after a cold start and very reluctant to fire on all four at low temps. But when it gets to temperature all is well. The 2.5TD apparently has no glow plows but if I understood correctly some sort of flame thrower in the inlet tract. If new/refurbished connectors solve your problem they might well also solve ours and then it becomes time to bite te bullet. We have discussed it with the mechanic but either very high costs or them being unubtainable has so far held us from taking action.

[@julianowens4071]

Very interesting on the glow plugs,I never knew

[@jamieclayton9]

Injectors or fuel pump being weak would be my first go too. If new injectors are fitted I want to see another run on @UpandDowns KZbin channel 😊

[@chrisw3771]

Good to see a lack of copperslip, totally changes the torque reading as well as gumming up the threads. I'd change the bleed off lines as a matter of course just to check (it's cheap) & I spent months chasing an issue that turned out to be a tiny leak out of sight on a bleed off line. The little rubber seals anywhere on the fuel lines can do the same. As a last resort before pulling the injectors running a litre of hydra diesel cleaner in half a tank just to see if they clear is an option. Worked on the wifes C4

[@icascone]

I learned a lot about glow plugs and diesel engines anyway!

[@StevensPaul]

Ha! I just been down this road with my Oldsmobile (5.7ltr.) Diesels. Went through what you went through with the Glow Plugs and then onto the Injectors. I was able to find both NOS and found a local Company that reconditions Injectors. I went with the reconditioned Injectors along with the original GM pieces which I got for free. Out here in the Desert though cold starts are not a problem with chugging and missing,ect.

[@philipheath8265]

I had this problem on my Berlingo. It was mainly on very cold mornings and it was very complicated and expensive to solve! I never really bottomed the problem before I sold it.

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

In my XUD 306 D Turbo I got down to just one working glow plug. Finally somebody left a note on my car telling me they did not like the smoke..there was lots of it so much in fact that I had to wait for it to clear before moving off. With new glow plugs all was fixed however I did need to do as you suggested abd wait a few more seconds aftef the light went out for a clean immediate start.

[@JimF500]

The Mk6 Fiesta which uses a pug diesel engine, it's glow plug warning light would only come on below freezing, but it still always started fine when not on. (guess the glows still came on) I once removed the glow relay as a test and it gave out to me by putting on a light with a "cog", not the management light.

[@Zeem4]

My Expert (with DW10ATED4 engine) suffered from really bad starting in cold weather, but somehow I massively improved it by unplugging the glow plug control module. I've no idea why this worked. However, I've got a full set of four glow plugs to install and I'm dreading it because I'm terrified that they're going to snap off. I've been periodically spraying them with BDX. Luckily the engine's already out and on the floor so access it great - they're right up the back of the engine where there's almost no access.

[@neodonkey]

My XD3 used to clag like that, I rather liked it. The glowplugs did work (they had an effect, and cycling them helped) but were maybe tired. If it was *really* cold a hair drier in the intake made it start nice :)

[@Adam_T]

When I had two plugs fail on an original Xsara car version (not the people carrier) it was incredibly hard to start at all , it needed 4 plugs to start instantly like Bella is , amazed it starts so well on only two plugs ..

[@johnnorth9355]

Worry not - only three months until spring 🙂.

[@Cayres9]

Best to replace them anyway as that Bella is a good car she is , keep her on the road Hubnut

[@Okanagan48]

In Canada what you call a beanie is called a toque. Carry on with your interesting shows.

[@steveharrod6911]

i would personally check the seal on the disposable fuel filter housing, some of the aftermarket filters dont have a very good quality seal included and they can leak air into the system

[@Parknest]

Ian, you've found and fixed a problem but not THE problem. Once you've eliminated the impossible, whatever is left must be the answer.

[@Codzilla71]

No shit, Sherlock! 😁

[@richardhunt809]

Gah! Engines, eh? They can give so much joy and so much anguish. Hopefully you can get this sorted out shortly.

[@mespaul2]

Look into glow plug timer , the light did not stay on long enough. 2 glow plug definitely out no continuity no heat. Good luck.

[@AnthonyBrown-jm4rj]

Sorry Ian, looking at the colour of the exhaust when you first managed to get Bella started, all that smoke indicates the fuel isn't burning cleanly, which points to tired injectors. Sorry that's probably not what you wanted to hear. Still the engine has a new set of glow plugs now! Great content as usual.

[@normanstephens5391]

It will work one day. 🙏🙏

[@jeremylister89]

My 2007 1.5dCi megane with 205,000 miles starts fine in winter. However EVERY glow plug is dead (open circuit). Amazed it starts at all! Fixing glow plugs will hammer the battery probably at least 50 amps pre heating. This may mean slower cranking and worse starting!!! Suggest clean injectors with ultrasonic cleaner.

[@standbanger2]

I can confirm with my c4gp 2.0 hdi,,,the glow light flicks on then virtually straight off but if i hit the start straight away it's a no start then it will smoke like hell once i get it going, but if i leave it for about 20sec it will start up like a champ with no smoke an my citroen has 175000k on it so yes the glow plugs are still growing even if the glow light has gone out!

[@iangrice329]

"Squished" is that a technical term 😂 Usually the glowplug that has gone is the one hardest to get to.

[@grahamcockerill2406]

Check the fuel trims via a scanner.

[@BernardSamson-hf6fc]

Modern Diesel use glow plugs even after starting, to lower emissions. Simple way to test glow plugs in situ. Disconnect feed to common live. Put black lead of multimeter to engine block, put red lead on glow plug terminal (nut holding common live) with meter on resistance. If yo have open circuit plug burnt out. They are like the union, one out all out.

[@sebastianohalloran9093]

I had a 406 with similar issues with the 2.1 td engine. In its case, valve stem seals were the cause.

[@allanriches9381]

Well at least you have new glow plugs in it.

[@vsanti83]

I have a cranked 12mm spanner for removing heater plugs on my previous xud powered cars😊

[@geoffholling4773]

This is exactly how my Alfa diesel was, loads of smoke and missing on startup, replaced the injectors and it started properly with no smoke at all.

[@mondodaftasabrush]

My old hdi suffered similar which was an air leak on a feed pipe.. 420 quid for a plastic pipe work at the stealer to the hdi pump and beyond then after many miles and service discovered glitter in the fuel filter.. Chrome fragments from the hdi fuel pressure pump and these particles find themselves in the injectors. Trouble is all this glitter needs to be removed and flushed out of your system before you even think about wasting more money in anything to do with the fuel system new hdi pump and injectors Run it till it breaks I got another three years before I sold it on with a full mot

[@philiplindley7384]

I can't remember how many miles are on the Berlingo but lack of compression will cause a problem in the cold weather also. I wouldn't bother changing injectors if compression is low. If it runs OK when warm then injectors are probably alright.

[@andypicken7848]

Ian this is often the case with diesels, despite not having an ignition circuit there are a mulitude of things that can be at fault that are simply absent from petrols. On the positive side the title suggest you had problems which I instantly thought you may have stipped the threads when removing the heater plugs. Im no expert but a leak down test on the injectors may point you in the right direction. Good luck Andy

[@jaggass]

My Neighbours 307 HDI used to start like that and run quite lumpy when cold. Knackered injectors and once changed fine. The induction noise with the air duct disconnected is very reminicsent of a 1.6 HDI.

[@TheFlyingBusman]

As many others suggest. Definitely worth pulling the injectors and getting them on a flow bench to test delivery and spray pattern. Another thing to watch, though not necessarily an issue in this case is the high pressure fuel pump which can wear and cause poor cold starting but live data of the fuel rail pressure would confirm this.

[@z400b]

My 2.0 hdi is also difficult to start in the cold cranking for about ten seconds, once it catches its fine. Went through the glow plug circuit and hD to replace 2 plugs on mine but made no difference to starting. Im now contemplating a manual control of glow plug relay as test. Also contemplating bottle of injector cleaner in filter canister but might need brave pills for that.

[@FantaLaStrada]

Great video. It was very informative. I am assuming it is just bad injectors that work better once the car is warm, but here is my diesel injector scenario I had a similar issue on my 1997 Ford 7.3 diesel. I couldn't figure out what was going on at first, but there is a thing called the buzz test. You have to get software on your phone/laptop that can make your bluetooth obd2 sensor actually make the injectors turn on briefly(Buzz) and you can hear if they buzz. I got my software for something like $20. If they don't buzz then they are obviously not working. Half of the cylinders were not buzzing and from this test I actually got a fault code that didn't show up when I just scanned the car with out the 2 way communication. From the code I used the service manual to pin it down to IDM(injector drive module)(kind of like an ECU just for injectors and glowplugs). I replaced it and now it works as normal. So if replacing the injectors doesn't work maybe you can look up if there is some kind of similar test for the Citroen. You can possibly do the test just checking voltage one by one on the connectors going to the injectors while it is running, but I don't know how well it will run since it would be only running on 3 cylinders during the test. You can also check the connector going to the citroen version of the IDM and it might be corroded too. Good Luck! I just rewatched your journey to get the Dacia with Rich. That was so entertaining. My wife that usually laughs at me that I watch your channel (She's always saying "ohh no you're not watching hubnut again" lol) actually watched it with me and enjoyed it too!

[@siriax1691]

What you need Ian is a lovely Volvo v70 d5.

[@shaunfleming8668]

Team up with 6D Diesels, he'll have Bella purring in no time!

[@tony-yp6qk]

another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts 👍

[@Bicyclehub]

Injectors can be sent away for refurbishment. No need to automatically buy new ones. If that doesn’t work, you could hire a compression tester for a diesel engine. I know that your engine has very high mileage. The compression might be too low if the rings are worn or valves burnt. Also, turbos can leak oil into the intake that burns with smoke.

[@Levenstone132]

What a pain Ian. I have a similar issue with my '06 1.5dci Kangoo.Above 8 degrees no problem but below that,lumpy when cold, drives lovely once it's warm. No smoke though. Changed the glow plugs,no difference.Hardest part of that was finding a deep 10mm socket! New temp sensor as fan was coming on. Cured that. Still lumpy. Engine mounts? Seem ok. As you suggest,injector problem maybe? Or as the little van spent ten years in sunny Spain it just wants to go back! Can't blame it. Glow plugs always cured the problem on my various XUDs though,seem to remember one was a bit awkward to get at. All good fun!

[@andycusworth3323]

Mate before you do the injectors try again but cycle the key so the heater plug system lights up then turn key off without trying to start the car then do it twice more before starting up.

[@HubNut]

Have tried this. Makes no difference.

[@markvardy5479]

Direct injection engines dont normally need glow plugs to start, indirect injection diesel engine will not start in cold weather without them, get the injectors tested at injection specialists, love the channel.

[@jameswallace7709]

My hilux surf you drove, glow plugs stay on for about 2 mins after start. You'll be fine on 3 plugs but not any less.

[@volvo480]

I've driven a Peugeot 205 GLD with XUD engine which had not just bad glow plugs but a very worn engine overall. One night, I think it was New Years Eve 1996, it was -15 degrees. Heated 3 times and cranked the engine. After 10 seconds or so one cilinder started to fire, some seconds later the second cilinder started, then I could release the starter and applied throttle, let the engine run on 2 cilinders until eventually the third and fourth started to fire. By then, the street was filled with black smoke, but I got the old car running! 😅

[@krisking751]

😂 sounds like an old Deltic or Detroit. My 306 Dturbo S estate did exactly the same when the Gliw plugs were Knackered.

[@davidthehillbilly7995]

During your jump lead experiment it took roughly 5 seconds for the plug to do its thing, but the glow plug light was on for only a second, if that long, during the key start. Perhaps the high resistance from the two bad plugs has fried the timing circuit in the glow plug relay? I don't suspect an injector since my neighbor's tractor starts up the same as Bella does now, but once warmed up it works all day and has for 12 years now that I know of. Oh, and you may want to keep the 2 good glow plugs for spares....

[@richierich9761]

I think you have always been chasing injector issues but the glow plugs needed doing for sure but didn’t look like they have been in that long to me

[@squeakers27]

On the plus side, at least all 4 of the glow plugs fully work rather than just two.

[@Equiluxe1]

The heater plugs are required for running, if you remove them and plug the hole the engine will hardly run if at all. On older engines there was no tube on the heater plugs and the elemen was open to the combustion gases and would burn away completely. Engines with glow plugs are more akin to the old hot bulb engines with the electric element taking the place of the blow lamp.

[@rimizoem]

Sounded like it was idling nicely sooner with the new glow plugs to me....

[@Djwatzy]

Look forward to seeing you trying to remove injectors 😁😁

[@AndreiTupolev]

I can hear Sadiq Khan on the phone all the way from London...

[@josephjardine32]

Faulty injectors, you can check live data for Injection correction values, it'll give you a good idea as to which one(s)

[@HubNut]

I haven't yet managed to connect to it with a computer. Sodding thing.

[@mancavehobbies6213]

Ahhhhh Saterday Morning Belingo Fun .