Yeah no kidding!
I thought it was just me.

So we all think the GP's are good but the light is screwy, right? Weird.

All right, I'm sore from working on the car yesterday (I just had foot surgery too). In the next few days, I'm going to replace #1 GP, like Brian said. If that doesn't work, I'll take all five out, check resistance, and see if they glow.

If I don't have a reamer, does it really work to take the GPs out and start the engine to blow out the carbon? Or do you just try to start it without actually starting it?

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1985 300d Turbo, 274k miles
my first and only car

Brian is right on (as usual), GP #1 is probably bad.

I had the same problem.

All the GPs passed a quick multimeter test (0.6 Ohms), but when I pulled the GPs and tested them directly on the battery it tutned out that #1 was bad.

New GP, no more problem.

All you have to do to test this hypothesis is:

1) remove GP #1
2) grab the GP with pliers pinning a thick wire (10 ga) around the threads to ground it
3) touch the ground wire to one battery terminal, touch the butt end of teh GP to the other

The GP should glow red hot in a few seconds, if not replace it.

Well sheeet. I'll just do this today!

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1985 300d Turbo, 274k miles
my first and only car

Well I hope my car doesn't catch it, now that I've read this thread.

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1987 300TD 309, xxx 2.8.2014 10,000 mile OCI


Be careful of the toes you step on today, as they may be connected to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow. anonymous

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter won’t mind.” Dr. Seuss

#1 glow plug.

All fixed.

I've never used the reamer and never had any problems with packed carbon.

I'm beginning to think it's an urban myth.

The reamer is designed to open the prechamber hole properly to accept the glow plug. The additional use of the reamer to remove carbon is something that I've yet to see.........

Thinking the reamer thing is a myth myself, still have one tho. The one GP that showed a high ohm reading was #1.

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83 SD

84 CD

I'll try that first, I've also never used a reamer.

It was very obvious. #1 was open when checked with an ohmmeter.

And, it's not too bad to do with the hard lines installed. Starting the nut is the biggest difficulty. Smaller hands would be a benefit..........

All mine tested OK with a meter two weeks ago (after I replaced #3), but #1 may have burned out since then. I always do mine with the hard lines in place, a little tight but doable (until you drop the little nut behind the IP).

I never do them with the hard lines in place. Just impossible for my hands.

But, this time was the exception.

When the plug goes out.........it's an instant failure AFAIK. So, test it again.........

Yup, I just don't have a meter with me. I check when I get home next weekend.

FWIW, on both of my wagons (84 euro and 85 federal) I can easily remove the glow plugs by using deep sockets and a variety of 1/4" extension pieces through the injector hard lines. Quite easy really.

............on #5 you can't..........

You win.