Technical glowplugs,

[cumbriangeorge]

My mate has a 2008 Multijet130 (2.2 diesel?). He recently put it into a garage to change the glowplugs (check glowplugs light was coming on). He was a little suspicious that the glowplugs were actually changed however the bill was paid although the garage never offered to show him the old glowplugs or comment on their condition.

Some days later the check glowplugs warning appeared again on the dashboard.

I put my dc clamp meter on the starter battery earth cable and measured just under 11 amps before cranking, well below what i would expect to measure for 4 glowplugs. I dont know what the current should be, guessing 30 amps at least? Since my mate has read horror stories about glowplugs breaking he is going to book his van in with a local glowplug specialist for diagnosis. From what i have read the glowplug relay can be accessed to enable testing of the individual cables going to the glowplugs, am i reading this right?

 

[Anthony489]

Hi

Each glowplug should draw something like 20 Amps initially, which drops to 10 amps in the space of 15 seconds as it heats up. So four plugs will draw 80 to 40 Amps. Each plug when cold should measure about 0.7 ohms at the plug (between the connection tip and the block), a little more if measured at the controller end of the harness. However, a low power ohmmeter check won't reveal plugs that are faulty when hot. A professional glow plug tester will check them at full power.

The high current feed to the plugs is via the 50 Amp Fuse F02 in the underbonnet Fuse Box

Ducato glowplugs are both hard to get to and prone to snapping if they have been in place more than a few years, so done properly it can be a time consuming job.

Were they actually changed ? I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

The glowplug controller ("relay") is fixed with a single fastener to the inner wing on the UK passenger side, just behind the headlight. The harness plug is removed by releasing a sort of swinging/hinged blue plastic clamp. You need to remove the fusebox cover and reach through if you have small hands or remove the headlamp taking care not to rotate the fasteners as this will alter the beam setting. The controllers are far more reliable than the glowplugs.

 

[cumbriangeorge]

Hi

Each glowplug should draw something like 20 Amps initially, which drops to 10 amps in the space of 15 seconds as it heats up. So four plugs will draw 80 to 40 Amps. Each plug when cold should measure about 0.7 ohms at the plug (between the connection tip and the block), a little more if measured at the controller end of the harness. However, a low power ohmmeter check won't reveal plugs that are faulty when hot. A professional glow plug tester will check them at full power.

The high current feed to the plugs is via the 50 Amp Fuse F02 in the underbonnet Fuse Box

Ducato glowplugs are both hard to get to and prone to snapping if they have been in place more than a few years, so done properly it can be a time consuming job.

Were they actually changed ? I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

The glowplug controller ("relay") is fixed with a single fastener to the inner wing on the UK passenger side, just behind the headlight. The harness plug is removed by releasing a sort of swinging/hinged blue plastic clamp. You need to remove the fusebox cover and reach through if you have small hands or remove the headlamp taking care not to rotate the fasteners as this will alter the beam setting. The controllers are far more reliable than the glowplugs.

Thanks for your comprehensive reply, and circuit diagram. So if i had measured circa 40 amps (cold) i would be able to conclude that not much is really concerning. Measuring 11 amps TOTAL initially would suggest only one glowplug is working.

 

[CamperVanBeethoven]

Hi

Each glowplug should draw something like 20 Amps initially, which drops to 10 amps in the space of 15 seconds as it heats up. So four plugs will draw 80 to 40 Amps. Each plug when cold should measure about 0.7 ohms at the plug (between the connection tip and the block), a little more if measured at the controller end of the harness. However, a low power ohmmeter check won't reveal plugs that are faulty when hot. A professional glow plug tester will check them at full power.

The high current feed to the plugs is via the 50 Amp Fuse F02 in the underbonnet Fuse Box

Ducato glowplugs are both hard to get to and prone to snapping if they have been in place more than a few years, so done properly it can be a time consuming job.

Were they actually changed ? I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

The glowplug controller ("relay") is fixed with a single fastener to the inner wing on the UK passenger side, just behind the headlight. The harness plug is removed by releasing a sort of swinging/hinged blue plastic clamp. You need to remove the fusebox cover and reach through if you have small hands or remove the headlamp taking care not to rotate the fasteners as this will alter the beam setting. The controllers are far more reliable than the glowplugs.

Are glowplugs important to starting on the Multijets? Other than at subzero temperatures?