repercussions of glow plug error

Hello all,

I am a new owner of a 2008 sprinter with 150k miles on it.

I recently had all my glow plugs replaced and 1 of them is seized in the engine requiring cylinder head removal to fix. The mechanic tried using an extractor tool without success. The glow plug opening is now sealed off.

My question is will using the van with 5 good glow plugs and keeping the 6th unplugged cause any problems down the road? I live in a warm climate 10 months of the year. I have read elsewhere that it effects the DPF?

If so, would doing a DPF delete or rewiring the glow plugs be possible?

Thanks,
J

sprinterownersc said:

Hello all,

I am a new owner of a 2008 sprinter with 150k miles on it.

I recently had all my glow plugs replaced and 1 of them is seized in the engine requiring cylinder head removal to fix. The mechanic tried using an extractor tool without success. The glow plug opening is now sealed off.

My question is will using the van with 5 good glow plugs and keeping the 6th unplugged cause any problems down the road? I live in a warm climate 10 months of the year. I have read elsewhere that it effects the DPF?

If so, would doing a DPF delete or rewiring the glow plugs be possible?

Thanks,
J

Click to expand...

J
I know this problem very well!
I have faced it many times often when a shop has had a "bash" and busted all 6 off!

There are several issues prevalent which will defy extraction by the factory tool and our method is to drill out the rest of the body to a CERTAIN predetermined depth using aircraft precision drills & depth gauges, then using combustion pressure to blow the rest out!
Its basically a machine shop engineering exercise.!
Then maybe use a new threaded sleeve for glow plug location to finish it off like new.

These days its "many head recovered" , DEF systems made operational and E tests passed since there is no CEL on reminding you of an emission problem.
Dennis

I'm not sure anyone really knows the regeneration readiness algorithm for certain, i. e. will a single glow plug being offline prevent regens or not. A proper fix is probably the best solution (and as Dennis outlined above if you go that route be certain that the shop you use has the right tools and the experience to use them) but to answer your question since you have a 2008 model it wouldn't be difficult to eliminate the DPF.

Why not fasten the unused glow plug somewhere so it is earthed and in a position that it cant cause any heat damage and plug it up , I suspect this would fool the controller into thinking all 6 were good ??

nemu said:

Why not fasten the unused glow plug somewhere so it is earthed and in a position that it cant cause any heat damage and plug it up , I suspect this would fool the controller into thinking all 6 were good ??

Click to expand...

Nemu
As a Welshman?
What you are suggesting is an Irish fix by O'Rafferty Motors in Podunk Town, Cty Clair!

Tah be sure in won't work Mickhael; The Glow plug controller is very intelligent like them leprechuans! Doncha know!
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=leprechauns&qpvt=leprecuians&qpvt=leprecuians&FORM=IGRE

Dennis
Sorry had to mention it!
Tis the Irish in meh, Me forefathers!
Three generations of Englishmen married Irish women! FFS

Aah well so it was a daft idea .

Thats a pity - with my basic electrical knowledge i dont see why it would make a diffierence

if the glowplug was in the original hole in the cylinder head or clamped onto the top of head via some metal hardware

Both locations would complete the glowplug circuit to a good earth


It was only a suggestion to fool the system into thinking all glowplugs were good so all systems worked correctly

lindenengineering said:

Nemu
As a Welshman?
What you are suggesting is an Irish fix by O'Rafferty Motors in Podunk Town, Cty Clair!

Tah be sure in won't work Mickhael; The Glow plug controller is very intelligent like them leprechuans! Doncha know!
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=leprechauns&qpvt=leprecuians&qpvt=leprecuians&FORM=IGRE

Dennis
Sorry had to mention it!
Tis the Irish in meh, Me forefathers!
Three generations of Englishmen married Irish women! FFS

Click to expand...

NOt to steal this thread, but I have a glow plug related question for Dennis, and Dennis has worked on one of my Sprinters before...so, I'm hoping...

Dennis,

In my 2009 Navion, '08 chassis, and you have not yet worked on this Sprinter...I did say "yet".

A check engine light came on and my scan gauge gave a code that indicated that my #5 glow plug was at fault. I continued to drive 3 months, because I wasn't in a position to have it checked yet (I was coming out of Alaska). Then, all of a sudden the check engine light disappeared and I never saw it again. Then, about two months ago while driving back from Florida to Dayton, the check engine light came back on and the scan gauge indicated a code for the #5 glow plug again; it last 800 miles then disappeared. It hasn't come back on yet, been gone 2 months.

What gives here, and what should I do, anything?

Please don't shoot me for interrupting the thread.

Question
Do you have the cold or the new style glow plug controller installed--Old style rectangular box--new style sculpted body.
Dennis

On my sprinter when i had faulty glow plugs , the glowplug warning light (yellow coil symbol) would light up for approx 1 min after starting then would go out

Has the warning symbol changed ?

( very occassionaly it would come on in the middle of a long trip - i wonder if this was when it wanted to clean the dpf or whatever)

And my scangauge never displayed any error codes, i have read on here that others have had their scangauges displayng these glowplug failures I wonder why mine doesnt ? (Older software version perhaps?)

lindenengineering said:

Question
Do you have the cold or the new style glow plug controller installed--Old style rectangular box--new style sculpted body.
Dennis

Click to expand...

If your asking me, I don't know which I have. How do I tell? Where is it located, I try and look to see?

synergy_58 said:

If your asking me, I don't know which I have. How do I tell? Where is it located, I try and look to see?

Click to expand...

OK easy!
Open the hood and sat on a flat bracket is the glow plug controller under the air cleaner, f'ward of the fuel filter.
Early models attached to the air inlet horn just aft of the fan ./
Dennis

lindenengineering said:

OK easy!
Open the hood and sat on a flat bracket is the glow plug controller under the air cleaner, f'ward of the fuel filter.
Early models attached to the air inlet horn just aft of the fan ./
Dennis

Click to expand...

Just got this. I'll have to check in the am when its light out, and hopefully a tad bit warmer...it's now 12 deg. f.

I'll check and post it tomorrow.

Thanks Dennis!

This might help, showing the old-style controller

Rob S said:

This might help, showing the old-style controller

Click to expand...

Oh man...sweet picture! Thanks! It's 6am, snowing hard...I'll be out there checking in about an hour or so, then I'll post.

Pics works best for me!

Rob S said:

This might help, showing the old-style controller

Click to expand...

Yes, mine is just like the one pictured, tilted at a different angle and the yellow paint dot is a little off.

So what does this mean Dennis?

Its the old style one , superceeded to a new more "intelligent" one, if such a thing exists in glow plug control!!!

If that glow plug light "doth offend thee--Don't cut it off!
Simply replace it with a the latest and greatest!

It will cost you about $200 at a dealer parts counter ------BUT BEWARE!
Verify against your Vin# and ensure you don't get given one for ceramic glows!
Failing to do so will wreck your glow plugs in a short time!
Verify the number against what is in the box--many get mis-boxed!
Dennis

lindenengineering said:

Its the old style one , superceeded to a new more "intelligent" one, if such a thing exists in glow plug control!!!

If that glow plug light "doth offend thee--Don't cut it off!
Simply replace it with a the latest and greatest!

It will cost you about $200 at a dealer parts counter ------BUT BEWARE!
Verify against your Vin# and ensure you don't get given one for ceramic glows!
Failing to do so will wreck your glow plugs in a short time!
Verify the number against what is in the box--many get mis-boxed!
Dennis

Click to expand...

Dennis, THANKS!

Sooooo...you're sayin' that it isn't my #5 glow plug but instead the control box? Strange darn Scan Gauge always tellin' me that its the plug. I can't even clear the darn Scan Gauge.

Well, the light goes away on its own; it's gone now, may come back, may not

Is the controller easy to unplug and install the new one, or am I gonna have a complicated wiring struggle, for which my brain will probably explode!

I can live with the light coming on and off, as long as it ain't hurting anything...just pisses me off when it comes on cuz it makes me think I'm about to go into limp mode or something.
Then the DW lays in on me, about we're gonna be stranded and all this crap. She' Irish too!

I had same issue awhile back. Controller not plugs fixed it!

Is the controller easy to unplug and install the new one, or am I gonna have a complicated wiring struggle, for which my brain will probably explode

Click to expand...

I think your brain is quite safe, you may have to wash your hands afterwards!!

I found this very simple to change, it took a bit of wiggling and pulling to get the two plugs to come off the old controller, maybe due to accumulations of Dust and dirt, but very simple to plug in the new one. You do need a torx socket of the correct size to get the two fastening screws out.

So, unless you have two left feet attached to the ends of your arms, go for it.