Glow plugs for 2006 sprinter 3500

statman29

New member
Okay, here is my question, I have a 2006 Dodge sprinter 3500 with 90k miles got a check engine code for the first glow plug needing to be changed. Dealership quoted me about 550.00 which isn't covered under warranty.. However they called back the next day said they couldn't remove the glow plug as it was spinning or whatever and the only way to repair was a new head which is 4500.00 which is under my 100k 5 year warranty.

They went on to say that I would still have to pay the 550.00 for the glow plugs he said he had to be careful on asking the warranty person about the head which is under warranty because he said if he asked about the glow plugs and they were the cause of the head to be changed then it wouldn't be under warranty..

That makes no sense to me, has any one had a glow plug seize up or spin and that it couldn't be removed and the only way to repair it is a new head and if so was it ALL covered under warranty? Seems to me like the guy is trying to make an extra 550.00 out of the deal.

please help.. I'm glad I'm getting a new head for free but don't see why I'd be responsible for the 550.00 if they can't remove it anyway...
 

abittenbinder

Doktor A (864-623-9110)
I'm glad I'm getting a new head for free
At 'only' 90k miles I would not be overly excited about getting a new cylinder head considering the same people who broke the defective glow plug will be doing the extensive engine work. This engine work will demands skill and patience. Your down time could be painful as well.

Doktor A
 

statman29

New member
At 'only' 90k miles I would not be overly excited about getting a new cylinder head considering the same people who broke the defective glow plug will be doing the extensive engine work. This engine work will demands skill and patience. Your down time could be painful as well.

Doktor A
Well I'm suppose to be getting it back by Monday, not really too happy with the Sprinter overall I use it for courier work and I'm an independent contractor, once my payments are done next year, I'll be getting something different Sprinters are horrible..
 

icarus

Well-known member
Sounds like instead of getting anew head, I would consider getting a new mechanic (dealer?) I would make noise and get them to pick up the tab for the glow plugs and install as well, considering you have more down time.

Icarus
 

statman29

New member
Sounds like instead of getting anew head, I would consider getting a new mechanic (dealer?) I would make noise and get them to pick up the tab for the glow plugs and install as well, considering you have more down time.

Icarus
Trouble with that we have two Chrysler dealers in my town and they both stink.
 

abittenbinder

Doktor A (864-623-9110)
At 'only' 90k miles I would not be overly excited about getting a new cylinder head considering the same people who broke the defective glow plug will be doing the extensive engine work. This engine work will demands skill and patience. Your down time could be painful as well.

Doktor A
The point I was trying to make is that at 90k your cylinder head is likely in very good condition and except for the broken glow plug there is little service life advantage to replacing it with a new head.

The work involved in changing the cylinder head is fraught with pitfalls especially in a rushed dealership environment.

Doktor A
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
There are threads in the forum describing removing broken/jammed glow plugs.

A shorted glow plug may also have caused the glow plug relay to blow an internal fuse... the dealer fix is to sell you a new relay, but they're fairly easy to repair (and to give external fuses-in-a-clip) if you've got the time and/or inclination (one group member sells a reworked relay with fuses for $100, if i remember correctly).

Where are you? Other members may know of better resources in your area.

good luck
--dick
 

statman29

New member
There are threads in the forum describing removing broken/jammed glow plugs.

A shorted glow plug may also have caused the glow plug relay to blow an internal fuse... the dealer fix is to sell you a new relay, but they're fairly easy to repair (and to give external fuses-in-a-clip) if you've got the time and/or inclination (one group member sells a reworked relay with fuses for $100, if i remember correctly).

Where are you? Other members may know of better resources in your area.

good luck
--dick
I'm in Omaha Nebraska Performance Chrysler is doing the repair, Baxter I think is now a Ford dealership but they are just as horrible.

At any rate my question was if anyone in a similar situation needed a new head because of the glow plug seize up were the glow plugs covered in the warranty when replacing the cylinder head? That's all I want to know.

I'm sure the head was in good condition, I've did regularly scheduled maintenance.

For future repairs though we have six other guys in our fleet that drive sprinters for courier work and we are all disappointed with the Performance and Chrysler in Omaha any suggestions on a better place to go would be appreciated.
 

statman29

New member
The point I was trying to make is that at 90k your cylinder head is likely in very good condition and except for the broken glow plug there is little service life advantage to replacing it with a new head.

The work involved in changing the cylinder head is fraught with pitfalls especially in a rushed dealership environment.

Doktor A

Dok, I'm sure you are right about that, but at this point I don't see what choice I have. I guess I could just tell them to forget the whole thing not get the cylinder head repaired or the glow plug. These vehicles are stored inside when not in use in a warm environment so trouble starting in a cold environment wouldn't be an issue except for fuel efficiency. All I know I'm getting rid of this piece of wasted metal in 14 months. I don't know what do you think?
 

sprintguy

16+ yrs Master Commercial technician
I would say ... Bring it to a competent, repair facility that Knows how to remove glow plugs. Or bring it to a MB sprinter dealer that have the tools to remove the broken plug and repair the bore.

P.S. The glow plug bore repair tools do no exist at Chrysler. Only MB and Freightliner dealers have them. (or access to them).

Carl
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
Frozen glow plug requires an overnight steamer to be placed on the head rails to penetrate and loosen the thread lock.
Once engine is up to temp no lower than a coolant reading of 61.3c the thread can be cracked by tensional pressure back and forth.
A good mechanic can sense by feel and sound.[Not taught in school this comes with experience.]
Using the correct tool by MB Glow-plug extractor.MB W 001 589 78 09 00
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The fit is 100% perfect no side slack or upwards pressure o cause a slip under-tension
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The said plug internally fits to a taper and the tip of the plug slots through the upper hole .
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Perfect fit fully movable at any angle in tight spots. of the awkward engine bay.
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Reamers are commercially available
Extraction units for broken plugs you seem to have little Knowledge in the States where it involves a Mercedes Common rail .
So send it to the Doctor for repair .
You don't require a new head.

 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
Testing for a glow plug default is a 10 minute star diagnostic test.ECU cost should be under 40 U.S dollars if any dealership charges more then its too expensive ask for a print out from DAS/trees/transp/menus for filter status on all units.Relays can be bought for 100 U.S dollars plus freight.
Set your torque direction for cracking the thread move forward 60 deg to 90% then retract to-40 from center setting repeat process until thread freely rotates.
I have never known this to fail, if done correctly. I have with held torque tension specs as to U.S specs being somewhat obscure,as to to Mercedes-Benz.Andy:bow: Carl :bounce:and Jon:thumbup: can provide these specs.
These Vans run one million k's if looked after,don't despair find the right folk to look after your interests.

Richard
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220629

Well-known member
Richard,
Not to be argumentative, but any universal joint used with a socket can impart side stress on the fastener (or glow plug in this case) if the operator isn't careful to keep everything in as straight a line as possible. That is true no matter how fancy the tool looks or how many MB stars it has stamped into it. Just because it is the factory tool doesn't mean it can't be used improperly. My opinion and worth everything you'll pay for it. vic
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
I am an exsperenced MB Tech , can tell you that the glow plug can be removed with the cylinder head in place with the correct tools. Should be about a 3 hr job.:professor:
3 hour! broken I hope, not just a straight removal of a single glow plug.
Five plugs cost to MB 250 to 260 dollars as prescribed by MB Germany Time sheet.Plus about 27.00 dollars max for each plug,pus relay is 98 U.S dollars plus local tax of course. and the latter is a cop out 99.9% of the time its the plugs signal That does not compute. with injected current quantity as to Duration of glow plug monitoring phase, via string date type glow output.
:popcorn:
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
Richard,
Not to be argumentative, but any universal joint used with a socket can impart side stress on the fastener (or glow plug in this case) if the operator isn't careful to keep everything in as straight a line as possible. That is true no matter how fancy the tool looks or how many MB starsno to slac it has stamped into it. Just because it is the factory tool doesn't mean it can't be used improperly. My opinion and worth everything you'll pay for it. vic
If you could physically see how perfect the MB extractor fits you's understand how Superior it would be over a off the shelf unit such as Snapon for example.
Yes to keeping straight but no to a universal socket bad boy, bad boy.:smilewink:
 

lindenengineering

Well-known member
Guys
We have had a few very tight glow plugs to be removed in the past and I have been "presented" with a 2003 3500 with the rear "glow" stripped in the head due to bonehead wrenching.

In short you have to have some mechanical sympathy when approaching a glow plug replacement on these engines.
Generally with the engine at the right temp we carefully "crack" ther plug loose and then flood the cavity with Penlube a trade supplied penetrant. By judicially turning the plug left to right through ever increasing angles we have been able to avoid the thread sheer experience.

Going back to the ones we have fixed for customers with sheered plugs the worst has to be the back cylinder, so we now yank the power pack, do the insert repair on the floor and pop it all back. Seems to work for us.
Happy new year
Dennis & Crew at Linden in Golden Co
 

220629

Well-known member
...

In short you have to have some mechanical sympathy

...
Dennis & Crew at Linden in Golden Co
Dennis,
Nice descriptive term. On the one tight #2 position glow plug I had, I found at first I was just barely moving the GP back and forth. It seemed I wasn't gaining much. After many back and forth operations it finally started to move more normally. The GP came out with no apparent thread damage in the head. When I re-installed each GP I lightly coated the threads with hi temp anti-sieze, threaded each one in, removed it, lightly coated again and then did the final install. Only time will tell if this my first GP change efforts will pay off.

Thanks for the info. vic
 

statman29

New member
This is all great information guys, I've learned quite a bit from you all. However no one answered my question... Sure I should have probably taken my van to MB in Omaha now that I think realize what is up and I will kindly pass it on the the other 5 drivers in our fleet that have yet to have this problem.

But for now.. Since the head is covered by warranty, shouldn't the glow plugs be covered as well or has anyone gone through this? Please help..

I'm going to put up a major stink like to have some facts to back it up, I've purchased my personal vehicle from this dealership (Dodge Nitro) the other 5 guys in our fleet all go there but are unhappy with them. I'm trying to save 550.00 here. HELP .. anyone please??
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
This is all great information guys, I've learned quite a bit from you all. However no one answered my question... Sure I should have probably taken my van to MB in Omaha now that I think realize what is up and I will kindly pass it on the the other 5 drivers in our fleet that have yet to have this problem.

But for now.. Since the head is covered by warranty, shouldn't the glow plugs be covered as well or has anyone gone through this? Please help..

I'm going to put up a major stink like to have some facts to back it up, I've purchased my personal vehicle from this dealership (Dodge Nitro) the other 5 guys in our fleet all go there but are unhappy with them. I'm trying to save 550.00 here. HELP .. anyone please??
according to the EPA five states cover emissions for glow plugs! Washington is one up to 7 years or 100 thousand miles, the mileage may not be reflective of years???? But basically they are like spark plugs.
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Just use the correct tool not a genetic socket or it will break if frozen.
Richard
 

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