Technical Cutting Out When Hot

[OnyTheMessiah]

Hey All!
I trawled through all the similar threads before posting this, but I probably missed something.
My 1.9 JTD cut out at lights after a 15 minute run. It restarted after around 10 minutes and ran happily for 10 minutes then I parked, shopped, restarted it fine and ran happily for the 20 minutes that it took to return home and park.
I thought nothing of this.
After the weekend I drove for an hour and a half in various road conditions on a hot day covering a distance of around 75 miles, parked the car for about half an hour and then headed for home.
After 10 minutes it cut out. Again it would restart after time, happily rev and hold at various rpm, but after going into gear it would swiftly cut out with the engine management light on.
We got recovered and the mechanics could find no mechanical problem, but experienced the same difficulty.
On returning home we sent it to the garage which is literally round the corner, but not our ideal choice. They called in their diagnostic guy and we got a call back to say we needed Glow Plugs and at a considerable price...I had been looking through here in the meantime...On picking up the car (work not done) the mechanic explained to me why it was the Glow Plugs and mentioned that the diagnostic had suggested that the Crank Shaft Sensor threw up a problem, but when checked "the numbers were within the correct range." at which point I reported the findings on here about Crank Sensor issues. The mechanic looked disappointed and puzzled before telling me that the diagnostic guy knew that there was a problem with the Glow Plugs and so it would be best to start there. He agreed that there was no need for Glow Plugs to function but said that they may cause the engine management to cut out the engine.
I am inclined to ignore him and follow the advice on here, take it to another garage, ask them to fit a new Crank Sensor and see how it goes. I ought to add that we kept getting Oil Warnings about a month ago and the garage to which I intend to take the car to again could find no fault and "fixed" the problem by fitting a new sensor.
Sorry this is long winded, I have tried to include all the information that I have.
Should I pay out the fortune that the local garage want and probably end up having to then pay for the Sensor to be replaced later as well OR trust my instincts and get the Crank Sensor changed? Is there something I have missed?
Thank you!

 

[a1ant]

Hi mate, and WELCOME TO THE FORUM :wave:

Ignore the garage about the glow plugs. They will not cause the car to cut out. Sounds like classic crank sensor failure to me

Alan

 

[BikeDoc]

I agree.
Glow plugs are not needed for starting (or anything else) on the JTD Engine.
They may help with a slightly quicker start-up if the car was to sit for days at sub-zero temperatures, but in the UK's climate, they're pretty-much redundant.

On some diesels (non direct-injection), they are needed for starting, but most of those will start (eventually) without them.

Once the engine is running, they're not powered, so they simply can't cause the engine to cut out, the worst you'll get is the warning light coming on, as mine has been doing for a few months now.

I'd go for the Crank sensor, I replaced mine recently after similar symptoms, although mine never cut-out when running (I may have caught it before it got to that stage).
It would run fine, then refuse to start occasionally, until left for 15 minutes or so.

It's an easy job, and the sensor itself is only £30 or so.
One 6mm bolt holds it in, and there's one electrical connector to unplug, which is admittedly a right pain in the butt to reach, but it's doable for any reasonably competent person.

 

[a1ant]

Hi,

As above, if you want to have a go yourself, have a look at THIS guide. Its for a punto but then engine is basically the same.

Alan

 

[BikeDoc]

That's a good guide, can't add anything that's not covered.
Only difference is that the bolt securing the sensor on mine ('02 115 JTD) is not a Torx head, but a plain hex-head.

 

[OnyTheMessiah]

Thank you, that makes sense to me, I am mechanically inept, but I get the theory.
Even if I shy away from giving it a go myself, you have saved me money by boosting my confidence in taking it to another garage and instructing them.
:slayer:

 

[BikeDoc]

Any half-decent garage should do the sensor in about 30mins or so, so don't be fobbed-off with anything more