Glow Plugs?! '89 Patrol

[Elliott]

g'day,
Usually when i start my car, a 89 turbo diesel patrol, i just glow it untill the light goes out and then start and it starts straght away no worries. But just reasently i have been having some troubles starting.
I glow it untill the light goes out and it strougles to start, somtimes i have to try 4 or 5 times to get it to start if its cold. i have deduced that it is the glow plugs. How can i be sure?
I pulled out plug no.1? (front of engine), and ran 12v through it and it glew no worries, do i have to go that for all of them? how many will be shagged for it to have trouble starting?

Cheers
Elliott

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

You really need to check the brass 'rail' that connects all the glow plugs together before you go pulling them all out! Check all the connections to the glow plugs, and the connection to the rail at the beginning. If (and only if) all of those look really good and clean and working well, then you might consider taking the glow plugs out one by one and checking them. It is more likely to be that brass 'rail' than anything else, in the first instance.

It really only takes one glow plug to be fully on the fritz or just not getting sufficient power to work properly before it'll create some issues with starting, particularly if the vehicle is getting a bit old, maybe compression is down a little, or the diesel is a bit gummy cos of the temp. But usually you won't notice that, and it's not until you get a couple gone or the wiring isn't delivering anywhere near enough power to get them up to an appropriate start temp that you notice the difficulties. And it is still compounded by the age issues, compression, bleed down, dirty diesel or lower cetane rating cos someone's 'extended' it with a cheap and nasty product that doesn't have an excise on it - cheaper for them to stretch it that way, and any more they make is all profit cos they don't pay excise and taxes of up to about 40%.

Anyhow, try cleaning up the 'rail' and make sure that all the connections are good. It usually makes a great difference!!

[dougiehq]

i have simluar problem i have a 2.4 turbo diesel 90 model 4 runner i installed the secondery battery today and on starting it didnt want to start it just kept winding over until i held it flat to the floor then she cranked but sounded rough, it cleared and ran normal but when she got cold again the same problem happen is having the second battery a problem or could it be glow plugs? any thoughts would be helpful

[marki]

and ran 12v through it and it glew no worries,

Glew? What a great word. I'll add it to my vocabulary :thumb:

[HiCountryCruisr]

Try the glow plug relay too. I had the same problem in an 89 hilux.

[dakar61]

Glew? What a great word. I'll add it to my vocabulary :thumb:

Hey Marki, whats with Brains???

Where`s Beaker gone?? :cry:

[sudso]

Sounds like a fuel problem. Worn pump, waxy fuel, injectors?