Why do my glow plugs always burn out in the middle of winter? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

vstech · #16 01-05-2012, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

A factually incomplete statement. True if talking about radiating through metal. If talking about warm air, yes it rises.

Heat does not rise. heatED air does rise. but heat itself travels to equalized distribution. warm air is not heat.

in the case of the lamp on the motor, it's radiant heat soaking into the head. and since the goal of starting a motor with weak glow plug system is to heat the combustion chamber, heating the head is what I wanted to do.

by the way, not only does the car start instantly down to 15 with bad plugs this way, the slight loss of convection heated air, clears the windows! bonus.

pawoSD · #17 01-06-2012, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

I have no block heater cord on my 87, and there are at least 3 dead plugs in the car, and it's gonna hit 17 tonight... So... I stopped at wallyworld tonight, and picked up a 100watt bulb, and a steel drop light, and set it on the exhaust manifold and plugged it in. I could have stuck it under the IP, for heat in the fuel... but I figured the heat from the light would soak into the steel, and keep the head slightly warm as opposed to the heat melting the wiring in the area, and catching all the fuel and oil etc on fire overnight... I'm funny that way.
we'll see in the morning how it worked. it was REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLY hard starting it this morning, and it was only 26... 17 is QUITE a bit colder...

One of the little 150 or 250 watt focused square halogen lamps would work a lot better.....much more focused beam of heat/light.

nyc10009 · #18 01-06-2012, 07:46 PM

Despite all the erudite replies to this heated conundrum, I can't help think we haven't progressed very far from going out to the barn on a cold winter's night and throwing 2 thick blankets over the horse, so we can ride to work in the morning... forgive me if I digress. -Will

vstech · #19 01-06-2012, 09:22 PM

Hmmm.
I think this thread has denigrated by me a tad away from the original topic, I think I'll move the irrelevant posts on heat to OD...
please feel free to continue the discussion there!
thanks!

jbach36 · #20 01-08-2012, 12:19 AM

It would seem to me, that your glow plugs, even up north, should last for years. If I remember correctly, someone posted on this forum that he tried Ford diesel plugs, rather than Mercedes (Bosch) replacements. The Bosch were his originals and had been in the car for 16 years. His Ford replacements lasted 2 years and failed.

It seems like there's something else wrong with your car, perhaps, if they don't last at least 5-10 years, even in your cold temps. The other thing, is that someone posted a YouTube video, where he starts his car in 0 degree weather. I think he cycled his plugs only once, but the car started right up. YouTube it and see.

I guess in your cold weather, at 0 degrees, you need to add something to your fuel so it will be thin enough to start.

We don't get that cold here in Atlanta, but I've no problems whatsoever, of starting my car on 12 degree days. Starts up just like it always does, and purrs like a kitten, though it takes the plugs maybe 15 seconds longer to warm up before I can turn the key. I've never cycled them twice, ever.

1991 300d, 166k

fruitcakesa · #21 01-08-2012, 08:51 AM

After low teen/single digit nights it has taken up to 4 glow cycles and a charger boost to fire the 82 240 but if I remember to plug in the block heater it fires up after one cycle with no boost

WINGAS · #22 01-08-2012, 10:36 AM

I have the block heater plugged to a timer kicking on at 0500 for a 0800 start in the sub zero temps.

Agreed that something else is causing premature GP failure here. You are reaming the holes out and then kicking the motor over to spit the carbon out?

BTW, working on them out in the cold sucks a bit less with an alum headed 606 engine, as they come out best when the head/engine is warm. So at least you get to work on hot pipes!

biopete · #23 01-08-2012, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

Heat does not rise. heatED air does rise. but heat itself travels to equalized distribution. warm air is not heat.

in the case of the lamp on the motor, it's radiant heat soaking into the head. and since the goal of starting a motor with weak glow plug system is to heat the combustion chamber, heating the head is what I wanted to do.

by the way, not only does the car start instantly down to 15 with bad plugs this way, the slight loss of convection heated air, clears the windows! bonus.

So better to put a drop light under good than plug in blocke heater ?

Would be awesome I'd the case.

biopete · #24 01-08-2012, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbach36

It would seem to me, that your glow plugs, even up north, should last for years. If I remember correctly, someone posted on this forum that he tried Ford diesel plugs, rather than Mercedes (Bosch) replacements. The Bosch were his originals and had been in the car for 16 years. His Ford replacements lasted 2 years and failed. U

It seems like there's something else wrong with your car, perhaps, if they don't last at least 5-10 years, even in your cold temps. The other thing, is that someone posted a YouTube video, where he starts his car in 0 degree weather. I think he cycled his plugs only once, but the car started right up. YouTube it and see.

I guess in your cold weather, at 0 degrees, you need to add something to your fuel so it will be thin enough to start.

We don't get that cold here in Atlanta, but I've no problems whatsoever, of starting my car on 12 degree days. Starts up just like it always does, and purrs like a kitten, though it takes the plugs maybe 15 seconds longer to warm up before I can turn the key. I've never cycled them twice, ever.

1991 300d, 166k

W

You have a good car. Hang on to it

panZZer · #25 01-08-2012, 05:23 PM

My reply to the OP--
Why did mine start working again this winter when they haven't the last three?

vstech · #26 01-08-2012, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biopete

So better to put a drop light under good than plug in blocke heater ?

Would be awesome I'd the case.

oh goodness no, I'm sure the block heater is far better at making the car easy to start in the worst of cases.
keep in mind, the shop light just heated the upper part of the head, and a little warm air kept the windows clear... the motor temp barely registered above 40...
with the block heater plugged in, the oil, coolant and the entire motor is heated to 60C even when it's below zero, and the wind is blowing!

If I had a block heater cord, I'd have the block heater plugged in for sure.
but I don't and I NEEDED the car to start, so I used a shop light on the head!
it worked.
but I'd NEVER suggest it's better than a block heater... Heck, I bet even the lower radiator hose heaters are better than a shop light!

cmbdiesel · #27 01-09-2012, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ConnClark

Why do my glow plugs always burn out in the middle of winter? I am sure its some form of Murphy's Law. In November I lost one. The Day after Christmas I lost two leaving me with only two working. This is the third year in a row I have lost all but two in the winter.

I have tried both Autolite and Bosch brands. I have cleaned the glow plug holes with a .223 wire brush to de-carbon the prechamber holes. The only thing I can conclude is they are not making the glowplugs as well as they used to.

Its not fun trying to replace them out in the cold weather.

Are you testing the plugs on the bench after removal? I used a battery charger to test my old glow plugs only to discover that they all glow nice and bright. My failure issue turned out to be bad connections from the harness to the plugs themselves. I also found (on the 617) that it is much easier to go ahead and remove the injector lines so you can actually reach the plugs. Turned a PITA hour+ job into a comfy, easy 40 minute fix, and I was certain that all connections were clean and tight....and I now have an extra set of glow plugs in case one actually goes bad...