I was having rough starts in February so I tested my glow plugs. #1 and #6 both tested infinity, so I replaced them on February 23rd. The last few days I have been having a stumble on cold starts. So I tested them again. They all test .6 except #6 tests at 123.4. So that glow plug only lasted about a month. Could something with my glow system be causing this to happen or did I get a bad plug? I’m going to put a new one in again tonight.

Answer: I'm an idiot. It is #5 that is gone now, not #6. I wonder how much longer before 2,3 and 4 die. Man I sure wish I had smaller hands.

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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

Glow plugs seem to be like (incandescent) light bulbs. Some fail fairly soon, others seem to last forever. I've put about 23,000 miles on my '85 using the glow plugs that came in the car when I bought it two years ago, no idea how old they were when I got the car. That's the only data point I have -- not enough experience with the other two cars. Maybe someone else has more numbers.

Jeremy

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

are you putting Bosch plugs in? the other brands are junk...

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Did you ream out the glow plug holes? Excess carbon can cause premature glow plug failure.

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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

I've used the NGK brand which is what is available locally with noproblems. Put a set in the 81 300SD when I bought it 6 years ago and they are still working fine. Replaced the ones in the 82 300SD last year with the same, no problems yet.

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1971 R600 Mack toterhome (SuperDawg)
99 NU-WA Snowbird 34+2 SE 102 5er
If it's not diesel, it's not in my stable!
53 F100 617.951/auto
95 Dodge 3500 Cummins/5 speed service truck

ahh. NGK should be a quality product... the american brands are the one's I would avoid. champion/ a/c delco / autolite... junk.

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

I've never bought any. How much are glow plugs? Are they roughly like buying speark plugs?

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

between 8 and 25.00 each... depending on source and brand...

Also, I don't understand reaming them out. Spark plugs screw into a threaded opening. Is it different for glow plugs? I wouldn't think you would ream out a threaded hole.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

you don't ream the threaded hole. you ream the area the heated plug sits in to give as much room for fuel to be heated around the plug.
diesel engines are very dirty beasts in the combustion chamber... gotta keep this gunk off the plug.
spark plugs just ignite a gas mixture when the pressures start to climb.
diesel Glow plugs sit there doing nothing 99% of their life. a cold place for soot and carbon to collect. gotta get this carbon out of there when you change the plugs so they can work their best that .1% of the time.

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Well, that makes sense. Thanks for your explanation, John.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Also - if you're considering this Dee8go - Diesel911 is selling some homemade reamers for a great price (can't find the thread)....and everybody is saying great things about them.

Next time I have my glowplugs out.....I'm going to give it a go.

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1981 240d - 135k - Arlene

You didn't read the "I'm an idiot" part of my post. It wasn't one of the ones I just replaced. I had 5 and 6 mixed up when I tested.

To answer your question: I did not ream them. If I were going to do all 6, I would pull the intake and ream them. The. one I put in a month ago did have a little carbon on it. It is a PITA to get to #5 on the OM603.

Yes I used Bosch plugs from NAPA. I didn't have time to wait for shipping.

__________________
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