Glowplug life? - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#31 01-05-2008, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

I think what MB does now is either an A or B serivce, every 13k miles. I'd be shocked getting out of one of those for under $500.

I was thinking more like $1K, at least for the B service.

whunter · #32 01-05-2008, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldnavy

What I have been wondering from time to tie over the years is if the GP go bad will they eventually damage the relay or vice versa. Anyone know? How about it Whunter, will one cause the the failure of the other? They all fail about the same time or is it more a cascade effect as seen in electronic circuit boards?

Another thing I have often wondered is how these cars run 200k or maybe twice that w/o ever replacing or rebuilding the injectors? Then when they are replaced or rebuilt they are seldom ever pop tested. It would seem to me that it is not that big a deal to pop test and shim the injectors when or if they are rebuilt after two or three hundred thousand miles. Even those that rebuild and replace the nozzles seldom if ever replace the springs in the injectors or for that matter have the injectors pop tested unless they just are not reporting that part of the repair.

I hope I haven't stirred up a hornets nest here or sounded like a complete idiot.

* A bad relay can burn out the glow plugs in record time.
* Bad glow plugs have no effect on the relay durability.

The pop test is final step for injector rebuild at any reputable diesel injection service shop.

oldnavy · #33 01-05-2008, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Spark plugs can be very expensive these days, I don't know about the latest MB's they are to new, but the M112/M113 family all had 2 plugs per cylinder. So 12-16 @ $10 a pop. Good thing they last 100k miles!

On the Grandparents XJ8 they are $20 each x 16!

On my friends M104 they are $3 x6!

I think what MB does now is either an A or B service, every 13k miles. I'd be shocked getting out of one of those for under $500.

Last one was $240 in my '05 and was oil & filter, air filter, pollen filter, and fuel filter, plus a spare fuel and oil filter. I am coming up for another one in about 1500 miles and that may be a little more as I want the brake fluid fluid flushed and new belt(s) put on and oil & filter changed. I will not need a fuel filter till spring and will replace before the rally.

sokoloff · #34 01-05-2008, 08:33 AM

I've owned my 240D since new and I expect to get at least fifteen years out of a set of glow plugs. Changed them out in 1998 because I had nothing better to do. It's been ten years on those glow plugs now and I have penciled in 2013 as the next time to think about changing them.

The glow plugs in the 123 engines don't break off like the ones in the 606 and newer engines. For my E300 I expect to get four or five years out of a set of glow plugs.

oldnavy · #35 01-05-2008, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sokoloff

I've owned my 240D since new and I expect to get at least fifteen years out of a set of glow plugs. Changed them out in 1998 because I had nothing better to do. It's been ten years on those glow plugs now and I have penciled in 2013 as the next time to think about changing them.

The glow plugs in the 123 engines don't break off like the ones in the 606 and newer engines. For my E300 I expect to get four or five years out of a set of glow plugs.

I guess you about got the 240D broke in by now.

whunter · #36 01-05-2008, 01:59 PM

On my 1985 300SD I DEMAND 100% perfect starting with no block heater down to -20F, and single glow starting with a block heater down to -60F...

My glow plugs are tested at least four times per year, and if they show variation from 0.7 OHM, all are replaced.

If you come to the tech session, I will have a display rack of old glow plugs to test.
Most of the used ones IMO show serious deterioration of the tip.

sokoloff · #37 01-05-2008, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldnavy

I guess you about got the 240D broke in by now.

Just about.

tangofox007 · #38 01-05-2008, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whunter

My glow plugs are tested at least four times per year, and if they show variation from 0.7 OHM are all replaced.

How long. typically, does it take for that condition to manifest?

whunter · #39 01-05-2008, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangofox007

How long. typically, does it take for that condition to manifest?

On my car:
Between six and fourteen months for one of them to show variance.
Some brands are much worse.

Please remember that I am demanding 100% perfection/MAXIMUM performance at all times from these glow plugs.

oldnavy · #40 01-05-2008, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whunter

Between six and fourteen months for one of them to show variance.
Some brands are much worse.

Please remember that I am demanding 100% perfection/MAXIMUM performance at all times from these glow plugs.

Several other variables probably need to be mentioned. How many times a day is it started, weather conditions, garage starts, even quality & cetane level of the fuel used has to be taken in here. Not sure one could really put a amount of time to GP life I guess due to those variables.

My car is garaged kept and seldom ever started in cold weather because here it may be 15* in the morning but by noon it may hit 35 to 40 degrees F or higher. Generally I will start my car and it will never be parked outside long enough to cool down even close to air temprature, my wife's car will be started in the garage and driven 5 gto 10 miles and parked for the day, then started and return home as general rule.

Mark DiSilvestro · #41 01-05-2008, 08:58 PM

Wow. Didn't remeber starting this thread until I began reading it, as I didn't own any diesels in 2004, Since then, the question of glowplug lifespan for my friends BMW 524TD was rendered academic in 2005, when another driver ran a traffic-light in DC and totalled it!
Meanwhile, I acquired a pair of 240Ds, an '82 automatic and an '81 stickshift. I believe at least one of them has had the glowpugs replaced by the PO. I hope they're not the dreaded Autolites! So far the only glow problem I've had was one time last year, when a loose plug on the controller prevented the '81 from starting.

Happy Motoring, Mark

hangit · #42 01-24-2008, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whunter

On my car:
Between six and fourteen months for one of them to show variance.
Some brands are much worse.

Please remember that I am demanding 100% perfection/MAXIMUM performance at all times from these glow plugs.

What brands do you recommend? I put Bosch in my 240D last March and today they all tested bad.

John

Mark DiSilvestro · #43 01-24-2008, 09:52 AM

Don't know what brand or how old the glow-plugs are in my pair of 240Ds, but on another Diesel Forum thread, someone suggested replacing them at regular intervals. If there are so many problems now with the quality of replacements, including Bosch, I think I'll leave mine alone until they actually fail. I haven't properly tested the ones in my 240Ds but I've had them for over a year and so far both diesels have been starting OK down to well below freezing, without any auxiliary heaters, except for the previously-mentioned incident with a loose plug on a control unit.

Happy Motoring, Mark

hangit · #44 01-24-2008, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark DiSilvestro

If there are so many problems now with the quality of replacements, including Bosch, I think I'll leave mine alone until they actually fail.

I'm not sure that's the best plan. My wife was not too happy that our daughter was stranded in the highschool parking lot when it was -10F! I'll be following Hunter's advice and checking them every 5-6 months and replacing them if any deviation from normal resistance.

John