My '82 300TD has been eating glow plugs for the last few years, and it's been really accelerating recently. Now it's at the point where every few months 1 or 2 GPs will be dead. For example, maybe 5 months ago I changed GP 1 and 2. Then last week the car just would not start at all, so I checked and GP 1 2 and 3 were dead.

I bought a reamer, thinking that it was just in dire need of reaming. Well holes 1, 2, and 3 were all clean. The only thing the reamer picked up was a tiny amount of sludge. The dead GPs were covered with black sludge. It's like a thick black oil, which I'm assuming is blowby.

My question is, is that black oil really blowby? Also, what can cause early GP death, aside from carbon build up? Can blowby oil be killing the GPs?

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'82 300TD
'77 6.9
'75 280S
'74 280
'87 Porsche 944 turbo

My guess would be a relay that is sticking on or running an excessively long cycle. Time it with a stopwatch and see how long it takes for your relay to cycle off. You won't get blowby in the combustion chambers because it's 'blowing by'. I don't know what the stuff is on the plugs.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

What brand GP's are you using?

Does the car use oil? Valve stem seals could be causing this.

What type fuel, pump diesel or an alternative?

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RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

I buy a relay every 20 years,and voltage regulator every 5.One time my 16 volts burnt the GPs.

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

Using anything outside of Bosch Glow Plugs, as far as I can tell. The only time in over 300k miles on three MB diesels I had rapid glow plug failure was with an episode with Autolite glow plugs.
Have had a one car that blew a lot of oil, I did not have glow plugs failing on that one either. Most everything else, but the GP's held up their end.

Beck an Arnley plugs are good too.Bosch Duratherms ain't worth the ink.

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

How is your Engine running after the Engine is up to operating temp? After the Engine is warm is there any smoke during idle or when you accelerate?

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I use pump diesel. I try to add a quart of 2-cycle oil as an additive every few tanks. I always use Bosch GPs except on the last run I replaced the two bad ones with Autolites because I was in a hurry to get the car moving. They lasted just as long as the Bosches have been - about 5-6 months. Now it has all Bosch once again.

The GP relay clicks off after about 20 seconds. I always forget to count, but it is a reasonable amount of time. On really cold mornings I cycle it two full times. If all 5 plugs are good, it will start even with just one cycle but 2 cycles starts it more easily.

When it's warmed up to about 60 C or more, it runs smoothly and consistently. Power is alright, idle is good, and everything else is fine. I never notice smoke but friends driving behind me always tell me I get a puff of smoke on acceleration. Cold starts always give of smoke.

I forgot to mention that the GP problem is mostly on #1 and #2. Last week #3 blew for the first time since I replaced all 5 about 4 years ago. #4 and #5 have been good since 4 years ago.



About the blowby: perhaps I misspoke, blowby refers to gases blowing by the rings into the oil, right? Then does oil ever get sucked by the rings? I read somewhere that this can cause runaway engines as the oil seepage fuels the motor? Sorry if I'm confusing the issue. The airbox has always been soaked in oil and I was told this was evidence of blowby so I always assumed this engine has blowby.

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'82 300TD
'77 6.9
'75 280S
'74 280
'87 Porsche 944 turbo

Additionally: Every time I start the car, I have to hold the throttle a little until it warms up, or else it will die. I don't rev it up, expecially in that first instant before there's oil pressure. But just enough to hold idle, until it can hold itself. I have always suspected this is a fueling problem and unrelated to the GP problem.

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'82 300TD
'77 6.9
'75 280S
'74 280
'87 Porsche 944 turbo

>>I forgot to mention that the GP problem is mostly on #1 and #2.

It may be worthwhile checking your injectors. A duff spray pattern can damage glow plugs very quickly. See the technical section of the Beru website for some pictures of typical glow plug failure modes.

Then what can I do to A) diagnose an injector problem, and B) fix it? Would a pour-in injector cleaner be sufficient or at least worthwhile, like diesel purge or something? Something tells me rebuilding these injectors would be very expensive.

Thanks for the input everyone!

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'82 300TD
'77 6.9
'75 280S
'74 280
'87 Porsche 944 turbo

Why do you think you need to add a quart of two-stroke oil to the fuel "as an additive" occasionally?IMHO, a waste of money, makes the engine smoke more, could be part of your gunk problem.

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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

>>Something tells me rebuilding these injectors would be very expensive.

That depends upon what you call expensive. If you take them out, and go to a diesel specialist to have them tested first, you won't be exposing yourself to a large cost.

If the injectors fail the test, then, they need to be rebuilt, and you either accept your car will run badly and eat glow plugs, or, you get them done.

Running various gloops and fluids through your system won't tell you much.

Some of the truck guys are doing it because of the ULSD.

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Brad
1981 300TD - daily driver
1963 Chevy II
2001 F-250 7.3 Power Stroke

I've always read lots of opinions either way on this forum but I liked the idea of lubricating the IP so I use the 2-stroke oil. Actually I've neglected to pour in the oil for the last few months... But that's a good point that it might be adding to the oily GP problem.

About how much would I be looking at spending on rebuilding 2 or 3 injectors, if that's what I end up needing? Ballpark? I don't mind spending a little money to keep this tank going - until recently it's been the most reliable car in the family.

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'82 300TD
'77 6.9
'75 280S
'74 280
'87 Porsche 944 turbo