406 1.9 TDI

Gents
With this cold weather my diesel is producing white smoke and sounding like
a tractor when it starts as it is not firing on all cylinders.
My diagnosis is faulty glow plug as it OK when warm.

1 Is there a way of identifying the faulty plug without removing all 4 from
the car.
2 In order to change the glow plugs what actually needs to be removed to get
at them. The two passenger ones won't be too bad as access is restricted.
The other two look as though a lot of dismantling is required including
removing the diesel pump.
3 Are specialist spanners / tools required

Mike

 

They all come out without any special tools or techniques. Just a bit
of patience. If you're going to do one, then do them all. Shouldn't
cost more than £30 for the lot. I got Beru from ECP last time.

 

First of all Mike, I hope your diagnosois is correct, although in my
experience plugs out means black smoke on startup.
To answer your questions though.
The only effective way to test them is to put em on a battery, I've always
found resistance checks inconclusive.
I tend to leave changing em to a garage, two are easy, one's difficult and
the fourth is a ba*tard to get at.
(I used to do the plugs on my old diesel 305 without breaking into a sweat)
If one or two's gone the others won't be far behind, and sods law dictates
that if it is only one, it'll be the one behind the pump.
imo.

Rick.

 

On this subject. I have just had all 4 glow plugs replaced on my Pug
405 1.9 TD (1995). Reason being that the car was struggling to start
and chucking out thick grey / black smoke. Since having the plugs
changed the car starts better but still throws out lots of smoke and
does not always start first time i.e. I wait until the glow plug light
has gone out attempt to start with no luck turn the key again to
relight the glow plugs wait and try again. Second time it starts Ok.

Why is this? Is it just because it's getting colder in the morning at
this time of year? or is it mainly because my Pug is getting nearer
110K miles on the clock?

 

Mines still running perfect, no problems, starts first time, with 158k on
the clock

 

does not always start first time i.e. I wait until the glow plug light

I don't know why it's doing that, unless one of the new plugs was duff -
not many people (including garages) check new plugs. Another possibility
is that you have a poor connection somewhere in the glow-plug circuit
(glow-plug relay or wiring)
At 110k miles the engine is barely run in, so I shouldn't worry about that.

Andy

 

Another one is they fitted the wrong plugs, or couldn't be assed to change
em all, some of these monkeys don't give a stuff.
Generaly it shouldn't need two goes at the plugs even in the dead of
winter.
All the Pug diesels I've had, including a 405 with 140K on it, started first
turn when the plugs were ok.

Rick.

 

Gents
Thanks for information. Looks like a hard slog as I don't trust the local
Pug dealer to do any job properly unfortunately.
Mike