Glow plug replacement questions

b1mmuo27

New member
Have you seen carbon on the bottom of the plugs? I can't figure out what is holding them in once totally unscrewed. I used WD 40 squirted into the well of the plugs to loosen them & drove it for a day to help work the threads loose. This appears to have worked but I just can't pull them out.
 

mean_in_green

>2,000,000m in MB vans
I have a glow plug fault on mine on number five.

They seize in place over time, and the risk in removing them is the huge bill you'll face if they break during the removal process. Especially galling when the glow plugs themselves are so cheap.

My glow plug indicator light goes out after about fifteen seconds, instead of after the warm up procedure. It's been doing it now for about two years or so, but the plug feels so tight there's a good chance of a bad outcome if you see what I mean...

I'm not too worried: the engine's being swapped soon.

Simon
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
I have a glow plug fault on mine on number five.

They seize in place over time, and the risk in removing them is the huge bill you'll face if they break during the removal process. Especially galling when the glow plugs themselves are so cheap.

My glow plug indicator light goes out after about fifteen seconds, instead of after the warm up procedure. It's been doing it now for about two years or so, but the plug feels so tight there's a good chance of a bad outcome if you see what I mean...

I'm not too worried: the engine's being swapped soon.

Simon
siomon ...How far off are you from reaching the Big 1:popcorn:
Richard
 

b1mmuo27

New member
I just managed to split the first plug. Pulled the stem from the body. Still have threads sticking out. Deciding what to do next. It's a clean shot to drill it out from the top. I don't think my easy out's are long enough to reach nor strong enough. Is it me or is the head aluminum? Put in steel with no anti seize & this is what you get.:yell:
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
Just a passing thought on the Glow plugs, as some owners may take quite some time to get to the use- by- date of the glow plugs, the longer they are in the more likelihood of one or two may freeze into the threaded bore.
it may pay to change them every two years or at the 50 thousand mark.
If one breaks! then the only way to fix them, is remove the head and drill them out with specialized tools, and thats an expensive exercise.
My suggestion would be to use Anti-Seize Lub, prior to installing the plugs, as a preventative cure to a big headache.
Richard.

I just managed to split the first plug. Pulled the stem from the body. Still have threads sticking out. Deciding what to do next. It's a clean shot to drill it out from the top. I don't think my easy out's are long enough to reach nor strong enough. Is it me or is the head aluminum? Put in steel with no anti seize & this is what you get.:yell:
Doctor is our master:bow: and on previous page My suggestion! but learn from the good Doktors advice
Richard
 
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abittenbinder

Doktor A (864-623-9110)
I just managed to split the first plug. Pulled the stem from the body. Still have threads sticking out. Deciding what to do next. It's a clean shot to drill it out from the top. I don't think my easy out's are long enough to reach nor strong enough. Is it me or is the head aluminum? Put in steel with no anti seize & this is what you get.:yell:

Lets back track-How many miles on your Sprinter? Is separation/split of the glow plug the reason you could not pull it out initially? How many are affected (broken)? How many are turning but unbroken and won't come out?

Glow plugs are not very different from spark plugs when it comes to extraction difficulties.

First, the glow plug threads are not quite "steel" against the aluminum head threads but are nickel plated to help prevent seizure.

I have seen anti-seize treated, new, nickel plated spark plugs, correctly torqued, seize in an aluminum head-then break when removal was attempted. Anti-seize can help but it is not the "cure". Exercising or replacing spark plugs periodically is critical to helping prevent seizure-glow plugs may require similar attention.

The cylinder head must be at operating temp when first attempting to loosen glow plugs. If a glow plug won't break loose try again at the next heat cycling of the cyl head- patience is extremely important as is lack of brute force.

Liquid penetrate will not go where you need it if the plug is still seated-threads must be partially exposed for penetrate to help. Doktor A
 

b1mmuo27

New member
My Sprinter has 135K on it. It's an '05 bought in December '04. Starting not an issue until this winter. Only on really cold nights, -15C & colder did I find it hard to start followed by smoke. I tried putting my CANOBD2 reader on it to read the code but it wouldn't communicate. I have had several diesels in my life so figuring on the glow plugs was not too hard. Reading different forums helped as well. I had sprayed the wells 2 days prior to attempting to removing the plugs. The engine was at normal operating temperature & brute force was not needed. The front plug almost was finger tight. But now I know that it was just turning in the sleeve. Thinking carbon was the culprit I poured a little combustion chamber in the well to break up the carbon. I managed to get a long nose needle nose pliers on the nut portion of the plug & wiggled it back & forth just like a loose tooth. I was surprised when it came out & though I had pulled it out. To my surprise I just pulled out the core. What was left was 2 threads out of the head. I am contemplating what to do next. I will try to remove the plug before I try & remove the head. Any other idea's would be appreciated. :thumbup:
 

abittenbinder

Doktor A (864-623-9110)
Just a passing thought on the Glow plugs, as some owners may take quite some time to get to the use- by- date of the glow plugs, the longer they are in the more likelihood of one or two may freeze into the threaded bore.
it may pay to change them every two years or at the 50 thousand mark.

My suggestion would be to use Anti-Seize Lub, prior to installing the plugs, as a preventative cure to a big headache.
Richard
Good advice Richard, though 2 years/50K may be a bit premature. I have had little trouble removing glow plugs up to 100K and a few beyond that mileage. BTW- Thanks for the compliment- we are ALL but humble students in this grand Sprinter experience. Doktor A
 

abittenbinder

Doktor A (864-623-9110)
My Sprinter has 135K on it. It's an '05 .

I tried putting my CANOBD2 reader on it to read the code but it wouldn't communicate.

The front plug almost was finger tight. But now I know that it was just turning in the sleeve.

What was left was 2 threads out of the head.
Sprinter diagnostics is not via the CAN Bus but rather K lines.

Kindly clarify-"turning in the sleeve"? and "what was left was 2 treads out of the head"? Doktor A
 

talkinghorse43

Well-known member
My Sprinter has 135K on it. It's an '05 bought in December '04. Starting not an issue until this winter. Only on really cold nights, -15C & colder did I find it hard to start followed by smoke. I tried putting my CANOBD2 reader on it to read the code but it wouldn't communicate. I have had several diesels in my life so figuring on the glow plugs was not too hard. Reading different forums helped as well. I had sprayed the wells 2 days prior to attempting to removing the plugs. The engine was at normal operating temperature & brute force was not needed. The front plug almost was finger tight. But now I know that it was just turning in the sleeve. Thinking carbon was the culprit I poured a little combustion chamber in the well to break up the carbon. I managed to get a long nose needle nose pliers on the nut portion of the plug & wiggled it back & forth just like a loose tooth. I was surprised when it came out & though I had pulled it out. To my surprise I just pulled out the core. What was left was 2 threads out of the head. I am contemplating what to do next. I will try to remove the plug before I try & remove the head. Any other idea's would be appreciated. :thumbup:
Is it possible that your socket never reached the hex of the glow plug jacket and that you have not loosened the jacket at all? If you're lucky, maybe you need a deeper socket and that will succeed? If the engine will run and if there is no leak of exhaust around the glow plug jacket, then I would be encouraged about this possibility.
 

b1mmuo27

New member
I'm not too sure where you are located Doktor A, but here in Canada the owners manual does NOT mention glow plugs in the owners manual any where or for regular schedule maintenance. Again clearly marked under the hood is "OBD2 Compliant" I throughly understand CAN bus. I am an electrician with a communications license. This van was broken into the first week I owned it & I had 23K worth of tools stolen from it. It took me 2 years from that to devise a time delay switch that could be placed taking the drivers door lock circuit "out" to fool the Canbus but to make the van act factory. I also brought an alarm in from Norway which was suppose to talk to the canbus. Only thing was Mercedes changed the code when they shipped it to Canada so that didn't work. They also stopped the factory alarm with no explanation on the 2004-05 Sprinters sent here. Yes I have had my share of experiences with this van, glow plugs was not in my plans.
As the nut portion on the glow plug spins with the ratchet so does the impression that is was loosening. In fact it was just spinning. I have in my hand a replacement plug from champion. The treaded portion looks solid with the hex head. On the factory plug the hex head spun inside the shaft of the glow plug, thus giving the impression that the whole thing was turning. Wiggling it & pulling up also gave the impression of "pulling " the plug out. All that pulled out was the inner stem of the plug which the hex head was part off. The only thing left was the threaded portion of the glow plug including what you had show in your picture which was poking out the cylinder head. So what is left sticking up in the plug well is 2 threads from the body of the glow plug.
 

abittenbinder

Doktor A (864-623-9110)
Again clearly marked under the hood is "OBD2 Compliant" I throughly understand CAN bus.

I have in my hand a replacement plug from champion. The treaded portion looks solid with the hex head.

All that pulled out was the inner stem of the plug which the hex head was part off. The only thing left was the threaded portion of the glow plug including what you had show in your picture which was poking out the cylinder head. So what is left sticking up in the plug well is 2 threads from the body of the glow plug.
Regarding "OBD2 Compliance", Only '08 and newer vehicles are required to have OBD via the CAN Bus(which 07 and '08 Sprinters use). Your '05 is OBD2 compliant but again, it is accomplished via K lines.

The treaded portion of the Bosch glow plug is also "solid with the head". Your glow plug sheared at that "2 thread" point.

And you're correct-no mention of glow plug preemptive replacement in maintenance pages. Doktor A
 

b1mmuo27

New member
glowplug.jpg
Thanks for you idea talkinghorse but the socket was the correct depth. Doktor A, here is what mean. The new plug is champion. The old plug that broke or sheared off is beside it. The hex portion was on this but must have dropped off in the garage. When I was turning the plug to remove it I was in fact shearing off the hex portion of it. When I pulled it out what was left was top 2 threads in the plug sticking up from the plug well. I can take a picture of it tomorrow in the light.
 

b1mmuo27

New member
Not really sure. The threaded portion would be the last line of defense. I suppose looking at the plug that the tapered end with just the electrode exposed would be the "sealing" point.
 

mean_in_green

>2,000,000m in MB vans
...How far off are you from reaching the Big 1
Still some way Richard, I think it's at 730,000kms or thereabouts at the minute.

Once out to Italy, Switzerland and France last month straight after New Year (snow chains tested) then we went somewhere warm for January. We're off to Canada for ten days next week so the wheels aren't turning much at the minute. I expect a quiet start to the year and take full advantage!

Will be different in a few months time: not enough hours in the day then...

Simon
 
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Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
How are you going to drive over the pond:smilewink: 730.000 KM:clapping:
If your in Vancouver my son is there for a liitle longer so let me know and he'll take you on a little snow trip with a sKadooooooooooooooo:rad:
Richard
DSC00407.jpg

DSC00867.jpg
 

sikwan

06 Tin Can
Geez! :eek:

I hope it's not the case, but it looks like you're going to have to remove the head.

Guess I'll be looking at mine at 50k.
 

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