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.

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green 85 300SD 200K miles "Das Schlepper Frog" With a OM603 TBO360 turbo ( To be intercooled someday )( Kalifornistani emissons )
white 79 300SD 200K'ish miles "Farfegnugen" (RIP - cracked crank)
desert storm primer 63 T-bird "The Undead" (long term hibernation)

http://ecomodder.com/forum/fe-graphs/sig692a.png

This guarantees that they won't make it one season...........

They burn out in the winter because this is when you use them the most. Maybe 2 or even 3 full glow cycles every morning if you've got low compression and it's good and cold. Versus the quick 15 second glow in the summer. A block heater will reduce the need for low glow cycles, which will prolong the GP life.

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Well if Bosch didn't fail the first time I never would have had to try the Autolites. I'm trying Bosch again, maybe I got a bad batch the first time.

Fortunately I have good compression. I'm gonna fix the block heater next. Note: a cheap hair dryer thrown under the hood with a blanket over the hood and grill makes a good substitute for a block heater

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green 85 300SD 200K miles "Das Schlepper Frog" With a OM603 TBO360 turbo ( To be intercooled someday )( Kalifornistani emissons )
white 79 300SD 200K'ish miles "Farfegnugen" (RIP - cracked crank)
desert storm primer 63 T-bird "The Undead" (long term hibernation)

http://ecomodder.com/forum/fe-graphs/sig692a.png

Sounds you like you prefer your car rip-roaring-fire-hot.

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'85 300TD "Puff The Magic Wagon" - Rolling Resto
'19 Mazda CX-9 Signature - Wife's sled
'21 Morgan 3-Wheeler P101 Edition
'95 E300d - SOLD
'84 300TD "Brown Betty" - Miss this one
'81 240D "China Baby" - Farm grocery getter

Actually it takes about 2 hours to warm up to the point where you can start it (easily). A block heater takes about 30 minutes. I think a shock hazard would be more likely than a fire.

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green 85 300SD 200K miles "Das Schlepper Frog" With a OM603 TBO360 turbo ( To be intercooled someday )( Kalifornistani emissons )
white 79 300SD 200K'ish miles "Farfegnugen" (RIP - cracked crank)
desert storm primer 63 T-bird "The Undead" (long term hibernation)

http://ecomodder.com/forum/fe-graphs/sig692a.png

I used to work for the Canadian equivalent of Consumers Union (Consumer Reports). We tested consumer hair dryers. We were alarmed at how easily some melt. The cheap plastic ones. They aren't made to run for extended periods, like the pro dryers.

I have done something similar in extreme cold on a previous car, using a small home space heater. But I only left it for an hour or so and kept one eye peeled for signs of trouble.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Cheaper, safer idea is a drop light. Until I got a circulating heater for my skidsteer, I would hang a drop light in the engine compartment overnight when I knew I needed to use it in the morning.

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On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

The Factory Glow Plug Reamer is 7mm in diameter.

The condition of the Injector Nozzles and the Pop Pressure effects Glow Plug life.

The below is from the FSM.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

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...

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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!

Because that's when you're using them?

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2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

12 degrees this morning, block heater not plugged in, 3 glow cycles, started and ran rough for a minute then cleared out and ran fine. Car is an "87 300D with 337XXX and the block heater does not seem to be working. Going to fix that VERY soon.

yes but it still doesn't make a lot of sense.

on my '87 i've driven the car for 6 years - 6 cold toronto winters. i've put about 80,000 Kms on the car in that time and changed the glow plugs last fall for the first time in my 80K period. i would think that glow plugs should last at least 2 years if not more. so this owner having them fail in less than a year makes me think there's something wrong.

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punkinfair

Since heat rises, I'd think it's more effective to put the light lower in the engine, like under the oil pan.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

The same reason my ACC unit failed, it's cold!

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83 SD

84 CD