Installing new glow plugs, got a question

nctrailseeker

Active member
I am needing to replace the glow plugs in my Sprinter and would like to know if all glow plugs are the same. I found a set of 6 on Ebay, 20 miles from home, for $120. They are Mercedes-Benz / Sprinter 6 pcs Glow Plug Set - BOSCH - 0250403008 / 80050 OEM MB
Bosch # 0250403008 / 80050 - OE # 0011595001 0011597101
Just don't want to purchase the wrong ones. I plan to do the work myself.


.... or these..also on Ebay for $18 each MB
BRAND NEW! Sprinter 3.0 Diesel Glow Plugs 07-10
A0011597101

Also, when installing, do I need to put anti-seize on the threads as I would a spark plug?
 

nctrailseeker

Active member
It's the best maintenance step sense sliced bread particularly with aluminum cylinder heads. Race car mechanics have been doing this with cast-iron or aluminum heads for 50 years. The secret is moderation. Brush a very small amount from the first thread back toward the taper or gasket then wipe with a paper shop towel. Don't get any never seize on the porcelain or electrodes.

The reason for the never-seize is to protect the threads in the cylinder head. The spark plugs will never stick if you apply the never-seize correctly. You will have a better "feel" for tightening the plugs also.


The anti-sieze is to keep the threads from siwzing or galling so that the plug can be removed without any damage to the threads. It is not for sealing. It is not a necessity, just adds some extra protection.

It is a must with aluminum heads. Corrosion can occur (electrolisis) between steel and aluminum, anit seize keeps that from occuring......If corrosion occurs bad enough you will pull the threads out of the head when removing the spark plugs.....If that occurs then thats what heilicores are designed for!!!.
Best to use anti-seize compound to be safe.........It has nothing to do with the performance of the engine..

But other than those reasons, cannot think of why anyone would. :laughing:
 

Oilburner

2004 2500 140"cargo l/r x 2
OK, I understand racing vehicles, but normal street vehicles does not need this. I had many many gas vehicles and never had problem to remove spark plug. As a example, my former cargo van Chevy Express 2005 had original plugs with 160K. When I removed it, was nothing to do, just put it back.
 

Dingo

New member
I have done this for over 30 years on many different kinds of engines , for all the reasons given by nctrailseeker .

I used to work on french cars & jap super bikes ( Stop laughing ! ! ! !) fitted with alloy heads and have lost count of the number of times i have removed & helicoil inserted a cylinder head due to a spark plug galling & tearing threads out . Most of these were engines that only got serviced when they died & we recovered them . 70's /80's french alloy was not the greatest product ever & jap "bendy" alloy was much the same for the same time period , but plugs used to feel like they had welded into the head .

Nowadays , i use the Febi ceramic grease as meant for use when fitting injectors . As it does not use copper as its barrier material , it is unlikely to contaminate any high voltage insulators or poison the catalytic converter either . One worth bearing in mind for any cat equipped vehicles
 

Pepperalbert

New member
Europarts has the O.E.M. glow plugs and aftermarket glow plugs for very reasonable prices. There is a 4.4 volt and a 7.0 volt glow plug be sure you purchase the 4.4 volt plug. And yes a little anti-seize would be advisable. I ran an automotive machine shop for years and we specialized in Mercedes and Euro engines always used anti-seize!
Best of luck in your repair
 

Tom9054

Member
AND, well 2 things really, could the drivers side glow plugs be any harder to get at? Also, what's up with the small size? Probably no answer to these, whiney snively statements. Just went looking for mine today and soaked them in some liquid wrench. Put everything back together. Will have more to complain about tomorrow after going for a ride and attempting to replace them.
 

sailquik

Well-known member
Copper based anti-seize on a steel glow plug shank being screwed into an ALUMINUM cylinder head casting?????
Probably far worse than no anti-seize at all.
I've heard that new Beru glow plugs do not require anti-seize as they are nickel plated.
I like Never Seize brand which has a small amount of copper but mostly graphite/zinc/aluminum and works works far better around aluminum.
Here the composition of Never-Seize:
Ingredients Name CAS Proportion
Grease 60-100 %
Synthetic graphite 7782-42-5 10-30 %
Copper Powder 7440-50-8 1-10 %
Zinc oxide 1314-13-2 1-10 %
Aluminum flake 7429-90-5 1-10 %
I've also heard that a little dab of white ceramic grease on the threads only is recommended for the unplated Bosch glow plugs.
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24060&highlight=ceramic+anti-seize
Hope this helps,
Roger
P.S. To grease or not to grease/use anti-seize is really a hot topic.
Beru does nickel plate their glow plugs and that would seem to be a permanent way to prevent stuck glow plugs,
but Beru also sells kits with glow plug removal and installation tools and the kit includes their special
"Glow Plug Installation Grease"
Here's a .PDF from Beru with everything you might ever want to know about their glow plugs/grease/tools.
http://www.beru.com/download/produkte/TI04_en.pdf
 
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NetDoc

Member
Copper based anti-seize on a steel glow plug shank being screwed into an ALUMINUM cylinder head casting?????
Great emotional response! Copper is less susceptible to heat than aluminum/zinc preparations. Copper was the choice for most mechanics I knew who had to deal with aluminum heads. I was glad to see them discontinue lead which was common 30 years ago.
 
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sailquik

Well-known member
Copper might be less susceptible to heat, but increases the galvanic corrosion potential significantly.
It's not an emotional response....it's based on ~50 years of experience working on Navy ships (diesel and steam powered), marine large and small gas and diesel engines and outdrives, race cars, well pumps, you name it, I've probably worked on it.
I got that education as an apprentice when I was 19 years old, and the master mechanics that taught me had as much or more experience than I have.
Roger
 
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NetDoc

Member
Great, then you know that the galvanic action you refer to requires the vessel to be immersed in an ocean. Some of our Sprinters might resemble land yachts, but they aren't exposed to the same corrosive environment as that found on a marine vessel.

What we do have is heat. Oodles and oodles of heat. If the anti-seize components melt easily (lead, tin and zinc) then it's possible for them to braze components together. We already have that problem with the aluminum alloy head, so why would we want to go even lower?

Tin: 450F
Lead: 621F
Zinc: 787F
Aluminum: 1220F
Copper: 1983F
 

sailquik

Well-known member
I'm done with this!
If you lack the understanding that galvanic corrosion is present in all atmospheres on land, at sea, in the air, I'm certainly not going try to educate you about dissimilar metals and the galvanic series.
Roger
 

NetDoc

Member
If you lack the understanding that galvanic corrosion is present in all atmospheres on land, at sea, in the air, I'm certainly not going try to educate you about dissimilar metals and the galvanic series.
More emotion. It's not working for you.

Galvanic reactions require immersion in an electrolyte. So, where's the electrolyte in the engine compartment? I've worked in the automotive field since 1969. I've also apprenticed in the Chemistry machine shop and most recently have worked on a number of boats here in Key Largo. Granted that for the past 10 years, I have made my living on the interwebs, but you can be sure that I have not been far from my roots.

While there can be some galvanic like corrosion around the battery terminals in the engine compartment, and obvious leaching in cooling systems, I have yet to see galvanism around any head including spark or glow plugs on a land based vehicle.
 

Tom9054

Member
Welp,
Didn't even try the plugs today. The biggest lesson I learnt yesterday was: the farther I try to stick my head under the Sprinter hood, my buttocks was still out in the rain. And it's still raining...
 

Trayscott

Member
So any update on your success. My light just went on, engines stumbles bad starting cold. I assume glow plugs are shot, more than one based on the way it started.
 

Fillinasprinter

New member
Mercedes Uses Beru glow plugs and modules [at least for the 2007+ Sprinters]

The old glow plugs were ceramic and caused problems of breaking off inside the engine
The ceramic glow plugs and modules were 7v and the new ones are 4.4v

The new 4.4v Beru model numbers are:
GE105 = glow plugs
GSE114 = Module

IMPORTANT:
You need VERY HIGH HEAT anti-seize as the glow plugs in a sprinter get up to 1,300°C (2,372°F) -- [Yes, I know that is the temp of for the ceramic ones, and that the GE105s don't go quite that high, but I can't remember how high they go at the moment, but I think it is something like 1,250°C, so close enough]

P.S. You have to replace the module (or fix it) every time you replace a faulty glow plug. (or modify it so you can reset it..., but you will have to find a thread on how to DIY if you are interested in that.)

I know this is an old thread, but thought this info was important for others to know [and those who keep looking it up ;)]
 

lindenengineering

Well-known member
Mercedes Uses Beru glow plugs and modules [at least for the 2007+ Sprinters]

The old glow plugs were ceramic and caused problems of breaking off inside the engine
The ceramic glow plugs and modules were 7v and the new ones are 4.4v

The new 4.4v Beru model numbers are:
GE105 = glow plugs
GSE114 = Module

IMPORTANT:
You need VERY HIGH HEAT anti-seize as the glow plugs in a sprinter get up to 1,300°C (2,372°F) -- [Yes, I know that is the temp of for the ceramic ones, and that the GE105s don't go quite that high, but I can't remember how high they go at the moment, but I think it is something like 1,250°C, so close enough]

P.S. You have to replace the module (or fix it) every time you replace a faulty glow plug. (or modify it so you can reset it..., but you will have to find a thread on how to DIY if you are interested in that.)

I know this is an old thread, but thought this info was important for others to know [and those who keep looking it up ;)]
To clarify.
Not all Sprinters had ceramic glows and controllers, some even were built ex works with steel glows and corresponding controllers. The ML series did have ceramic only, like any passenger car.
Late in 2008 /2009 a revised glow plug controller was introduced being a smaller unit and it had a more sculptured form to it. Its internal feature was the ability to locate(sense) the defective glow plug(s) in question and reset itself once the repair had been completed.
Again the controller was ceramic or steel specific. (You couldn't mix & match)

About a year go ceramic glows went on the short list with huge back orders.
Many dealers and shops like ours simply changed out the whole set up to steel which has been the trend ever since.
Ceramics on Sprinters has mostly been superseded these days by steel.
I bet there is still a few out there though!
Dennis
 

Jtysonwilliams

New member
P.S. You have to replace the module (or fix it) every time you replace a faulty glow plug. (or modify it so you can reset it..., but you will have to find a thread on how to DIY if you are interested in that.)
If I am replacing all the glow plugs on my 2006 dodge sprinter prophylacticly (no error codes), do I still need to replace the module? I have no reason to believe there is any issue, just plan to use my van in the North Cascades this winter and want to ensure it start up nice and easy.
 

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