Technical Anyone changed the glow plugs on a panda?
- Thread starter SiloSean
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Technical Anyone changed the glow plugs on a panda?
You'd be better changing them as soon as possible
If you leave them not working they tend to build up with carbon making removeal harder
Looking under the bonnet, it seems near or completely impossible without removing the turbo. On the Euro 6 engine (like mine) there even more bits in the way - I think because it uses a different turbo?
Point taken..
But if a DPF equipped diesel is seeing enough use to stay generally healthy any carbon build.up will be minimal
Good discussion but still no definitive answer. As I can get to the glow plugs with turbo in place I'm going to give that a go first (it's going to burn my hands!!).
Getting to them and getting them out in such a restricted place are two very different propositions - I really can't accept that even Fiat would come up with needing to take the turbo off!!
Soon as it stops raining I'll give it (another) go. Then I should get my answer and let you guys know..
Getting to them and getting them out in such a restricted place are two very different propositions - I really can't accept that even Fiat would come up with needing to take the turbo off!!
Soon as it stops raining I'll give it (another) go. Then I should get my answer and let you guys know..
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A decent fitting 3/8 drive socket..
8mm(?) single hex..but Deep
And a couple of extensions should keep your hands safe enough
But dont go out of square.. or use too muck pressure
As you see by the new plugs.. they are skinny little thin walled things
LOTS of fluid soaks then Motor to be HOT
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When I did the plugs on my old 1.3 500( it did have bettter accessthen this being a euro 5 engine)
I used a 8mm single hex universal join socket made getting to two of the plugs a bit easier
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Thanks Varesecrazy.
I've got glow plug sockets in both 1/4 and 3/8 drive, just like your photo, with various extensions so know I can reach BUT I did have a go on one plug a few days ago and the plug's hex head started to distort so I gave up!! Been soaking in plusgas since and hopefully will have penetrated a bit.
With the turbo off it would be quite straightforward but probably more hassle to do that than fiddle around behind it - and I'm not breaking seals, clips etc. I'll give it a go and update you. Regards
I've got glow plug sockets in both 1/4 and 3/8 drive, just like your photo, with various extensions so know I can reach BUT I did have a go on one plug a few days ago and the plug's hex head started to distort so I gave up!! Been soaking in plusgas since and hopefully will have penetrated a bit.
With the turbo off it would be quite straightforward but probably more hassle to do that than fiddle around behind it - and I'm not breaking seals, clips etc. I'll give it a go and update you. Regards
How deep is that ?
Lambdou seemed to imply their socket was bottoming out.. so not fully over the hex.
approx 35mm from the back of the socket section to the tip
The hex section itself is probably only around 15mm bur is hollow through the rest of it to allow space for the plug power connection part
The fault is not coming up at the moment, only had it three times, but they seem to be working ok. I have preheated when it's sub zero and the car starts without issue, so not sure if it was just a glitch? If the fault arises again, or I think it's starting to struggle, then I will change them.
Update;
My glow plug socket was, indeed, not seating fully on the hex head so I took the little rubber O ring out of the socket and then with a lot of wiggling it slid all the way down over the hex part (very difficult to see this). Still couldn't move the plug!
Don't know how much force I can give it (torque wrench can't get in there) so I gave up (again).
Phoned my local garage and had a chat = you don't have to take the turbo off to get to all 4 glow plugs but it is a pain in the butt and very fiddly, "takes almost an hour to change those things". Well at 30 quid and hour he's doing it on Monday, even using my new glow plugs. Saves me the heart ache!
My glow plug socket was, indeed, not seating fully on the hex head so I took the little rubber O ring out of the socket and then with a lot of wiggling it slid all the way down over the hex part (very difficult to see this). Still couldn't move the plug!
Don't know how much force I can give it (torque wrench can't get in there) so I gave up (again).
Phoned my local garage and had a chat = you don't have to take the turbo off to get to all 4 glow plugs but it is a pain in the butt and very fiddly, "takes almost an hour to change those things". Well at 30 quid and hour he's doing it on Monday, even using my new glow plugs. Saves me the heart ache!
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To late now if your getting the garage to do it but move it back and forth gently until you get good movement should work
Update; 3 of the 4 glow plugs are now changed!! The 4th being the plug on the far right, as looking at engine, which is the one I couldn't move. Turns out the garage couldn't move it either so tested it and it was working OK. They advised me to leave it.
The other 3 came out no problem but you do have to remove the heat shields from around the turbo to get enough access for the glow plug socket (they said).
So for £25 for the glow plugs (4) and £60 for labour, the engine now starts on all cylinders and the fault warning has gone.
The other 3 came out no problem but you do have to remove the heat shields from around the turbo to get enough access for the glow plug socket (they said).
So for £25 for the glow plugs (4) and £60 for labour, the engine now starts on all cylinders and the fault warning has gone.
Good to know they *can* be reached... with some nifty socketry. I have a 3/8 drive ‘Metrich’ socket set with both standard and deep sockets (these grip the centre of the ‘flats’ of the bolts rather than the corners), with both a universal joint but also a sort of ‘wobbly drive’ that gives just a bit of leeway. Sounds like they might be just the thing!
Yes, to be honest if the first glow plug I had tried hadn't been so tight I would have got to the rest reasonably easily. But lost confidence and got the garage to do it. They said the others came out very quickly (after taking the turbo heat shield off). So if I had moved on to the next one I would have saved a few quid - may also have snapped the first glow plug off :bang:
May be worth giving the plug a good squirt of oil after a long drive for a few weeks then give it a quick try in a few weeks may be enough to free it off a bit
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