Have not posted on this site for awhile but glad to see it is still going. Been meaning to give you a call or come down to see you also junqueyardjim your engine in my 300SD is running great showing about 374,000 on odometer my daily driver on 100 mile commutes to work. Reason for posting today is my issue with glow plugs that do not seem to last as long as I think they should. Last night temp. dropped to 40 and would'nt you know it when trying to start light on dash did not come on alerting me to faulty plug. The car started fairly easy on 4 working plugs and luckily when I went to replace bad one it was in #1 cyl. easy to get at had job done in 1 hr. When I checked my records I just relaced that plug 1 yr. 22,000 miles ago. What gives with these glow plugs should'nt they last longer then a yr. it seems I'm constantly replaceing them since I only replace faulty ones one at a time. If I would go to manual glow would they last longer? I do like my light on dash alerting me to a faulty one and would that light still work if I go to manual glow since you do not have to use your glows in warmer weather and warm restarts maybe then my plugs would last longer. Opinions please?

Best Wishes.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

You don't mention what brand of glow plug you're using. Life expectancy of the glow plug is dependend on the quality of the original piece, carbon buildup in the head, injector spray pattern, and how often and long you glow the engine. More frequent glowing and for longer times will result in a shorter life expectancy of the glow plug.

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Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

A good Bosch plug should last four or five years unless you really pile up the miles.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Manuel glow? Crank engine as soon as will start quickly.Glow system shuts off after
engine starts and release of key,unless later than 1985.
Using Bosch glow plugs,about right,replacing all new starting on third, burn one a year
usually,under normal conditions.

I have been logging the brand & cyl I install in each cylinder to track how long they last in my 1984 & 84 300D. No conclusions yet. Most last ~4 yrs, though one Chinese brand (VSG, forget) seems to fail sooner. If you buy a set of ratcheting box wrenches, you will find the job much faster. Ditto for the 4 bolts which secure the stop valve, and the 3 which secure the lift pump. As I recall, all take a 10 mm wrench, and the nuts on glow-plug wires take 8 mm.

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1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

I have found that Beru last longer than all of the brands that I have tried.
When compared side by side you can see the difference.

X2 without a doubt

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92 e300d2.5t
01 e320
05 cdi
85 chev c10