E300 td starting problem

[R Phillips]

My E300 td has started to play up on cold starting. From cold it starts runs badly and the glow plug light comes back on after it starts. It stays on for a lot longer than a cold start (long enough to drive a mile or so) Once warm it runs fine.
Could this be a glow plug failure I'm guessing that there is a lamba in the exhaust detecting that it's not firing on all cylinders and trying to get them all going again. Having said that my knowledge on desiels is not good and I could be completly wrong.
If it is a glow pug how on earth do you get to them to change them?

 

[Branko]

Sounds like glowplug issues. My E300TD had the same problem about a month ago. Bought 6 new glowplugs off Ebay and got a local mechanic to change them - £40 labour pus £39 for the plugs. Quite an involved job changing them apparently.

On start up the car sounded rough then up to a minute later all fine. Another contributor (Dr Nick) is well up on the subject - see other postings.

Car now starts perfectly - mechanic told me that 2 plugs had failed. The colder the weather the harder to start the car with failed plugs.

By the way, what MPG do you get in yours? Round town its around 25 and on a good run 30 ish.

 

[R Phillips]

Thanks for that, I have done a search on here and there is loads of info.
I did pick up 1 glowplug on Xmas eve on the way home from work thinking if it was that causing the problem I would have one to replace the faulty one.
It was only after lifting the bonnet and seeing how difficult they were to get to that I thought I had better check here. (one of those Doh! moments)

Branko, I would say mine strugles to make 25mpg in mixed driving and probably 27 to 30 on a run.

 

[silverarrow]

change them all each glow plug gets the same use thus generally when one goes they all go manke sure you or your mechanic has a de burr tool that fits big problem with stuck plugs generally on cdi engines

 

[Dieselman]

If you've only got one plug then just do the one for now. Ideally you should change them all but they do seem to last different intervals

There is a post covering exactly how to do this job if you search. The whole job will take about an hour.

Basically:
manifold off, pull plug connector, change plug, connecvt, manifold on.

Shout if you need more advice.

 

[R Phillips]

Many thanks, all done and running fine. I had found your earlier post Dieselman. I have only changed the one because,
A, I only had the one,
B, the fear of breaking a good one in the head.
C, it enabled me to get it running again
and D, Having seen how easy it was to get the one changed it won't faze me doing another. (the trickiest part was getting the caps off the plugs!)

 

[R Phillips]

well yesterday it was fine this morning it wouldn't start.