Broken glow plug - can't get it out!

[RLyons]

Hello!

My car is finally running OK, got lots of niggles sorted etc and then bam - engine management light has come on. The fault is the cylinder 3 glow plug (simple enough to replace). I took it to the garage for some other work and asked them to change the glow plug at the same time and they said it is well and truly stuck. They cleaned the harness and connections but unfortunately the light came back on the next day.

The garage said they could have tried harder to un-do the plug but were scared it might snap. Taking the top half of the glow plug out isn't really going to solve my problem....

At the moment it's causing no problems, but I would like it sorted.

Any ideas what to do?

 

[M1KEH]

Spray the area with a penetrating oil such as plus gas daily for a week. Then try again gently. If that doesn't work try it with the engine warm.

 

[RLyons]

Thanks for the response!

Confession time, I'm a bad mechanic - which is cylinder 3? Obviously the engine is transverse, is it third from left?

Also, this is my first diesel, do you just pull the harness off the plug and un-do it like a spark plug?

 

[M1KEH]

Yes number 3 is third from the left. And yes pull off glow plug harness and undo like a spark plug. Be careful though, snapping it off will get you nowhere.

 

[James_R]

Best advice - get the engine mad hot then attempt to remove it. Do all 4 at the same time so it's out of the way and make sure you get the correct ampage ones as incorrect ones (identical apart from function) will bring the light on again.

 

[RLyons]

Thanks!

I've just spoken to my mechanic who has spoken to his engineer (who deals with tricky stuff like this). He had a golf in last week, one of the plugs snapped and cost 600quid to sort as they had to take the head off!!!

Does this sound right? I'd rather keep a dud plug than spend 600quid getting it out!

MJ - have you ever heard of this problem?

 

[M1KEH]

£600 to get it out will be going rate, as they need to take off the head and replace the cambelt etc.

 

[RLyons]

But how likely is the glow plug to snap? Sounds like more shi**** VAG quality/design fault! I'm sick of this bloody car!

 

[M1KEH]

With care taken it is unlikely to snap, get someone who is a bit hamfisted then it could do easily.

 

[Fl@pper]

Best advice - get the engine mad hot then attempt to remove it. Do all 4 at the same time so it's out of the way and make sure you get the correct ampage ones as incorrect ones (identical apart from function) will bring the light on again.

come across the later 2.0 ones with either 4.4v + 7v options yet ?

 

[RLyons]

Ill have to lube it daily as suggested, then go for a massive end of week tonk and give them a go! Cheers

 

[James_R]

MJ - have you ever heard of this problem?

Yes but you have to take the bull by the horns sometimes, i've never seen one snap in a 1.9 pd engine.

But how likely is the glow plug to snap? Sounds like more shi**** VAG quality/design fault! I'm sick of this bloody car!

its the same for any diesel (the french PSA engines being the worst by far), if they were a little bit cheaper then people would replace them at regular service intervals

come across the later 2.0 ones with either 4.4v + 7v options yet ?

yes, another well thought through idea by the vw design team (and just a carry on of the previous confusion in the 1.9tdi) - normal scenario is; you order 4, they turn up and fit them as they all look identical and all seems well but the car comes back a week later with another glow plug fault!!!

the 2.0 ones are also much thinner and feel extremely flimsy both going in and coming out.

 

[RLyons]

Spray the area with a penetrating oil such as plus gas daily for a week. Then try again gently. If that doesn't work try it with the engine warm.

I did this and took it to my mechanic, still no joy, he was afraid of snapping it....I believe the harness can be modified so the fault does not appear but I'm worried about rough starting in winter.

I know there is a "maximum" torque for undo'ing these glowplugs, how can I measure this force so as not to exceed it?

Also - what is the best way to do it, wack the wrench or gradually apply more and more pressure?

 

[M1KEH]

I'd suggest a low power impact wrench for trying to break it loose.

 

[NagaBurns]

I followed MJ's advice and did all four of mine. I didn't check beforehand to see if any were 'stuck', I just got everything ready before I went to work and did it straight away when I got home. I'd never done it before so I just cracked them all loose first because I didn't want the engine to cool between plugs. Give Dave a call from Sere Motors and he'll sort you out with the right plugs at the right price

All the best,

Lee

 

[gavbey]

im not sure about the pd engines but use a punch to knock the plug around if it dosent want to come. (that normaly cracks seised components)

good old plus gas is best

 

[RLyons]

Sorry to bring up and old one....

I have removed and replaced 3 of the 4 plugs. Plug 3 has now sheared (top from bottom) and is just spinning but not going in or out of the head. I believe I need to do this next

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=153383

Anybody done this before? Is it a good idea? Should I just leave the dead plug in there?

Also, if I do leave the dead plug in the engine, can I trick the ECU into thinking the 3rd plug is good, therefore not tripping the EML everytime I cold start?

 

[Big Dunc]

Did you get it out OK in the end, and is there a way to fool the ECU so it does not bring the engine management light up for glow plugs?

On mine, the light came on, for no.3 glow plug (every one I have read about has been no.3). I bought a set of four, The first three came out easily, but no. 4 just span straight away. It looks like it is broken off in the same as the one in the photos on that other thread.

Obviously, I dont want to take the head off, but neither do I want to make matters worse by buggering it some more.

 

[BEOWULF]

My mate head this trouble he just bit the bullet and took it to main dealer and they did it.
They changed all four where he was scared of snapping them.

 

[Big Dunc]

Yes, but I am sure since no. 4 is spinning, it is already broken, and therefore the main dealer will take off the head at great expense.
I think I will have a go tomorrow at using the torx socket trick. The way I see it, the worst that can happen is that the head has to come off, so I have nothing to loose by "having a go".

If the "glow plug" fault code could be disabled, thereby meaning that the light was not permanently on, I may ignore the problem, as it starts fine on 3 plugs.