Glow Plugs - B180

[B180CDI]

Hello

The 'coil' indicator light was staying on a few minutes longer after starting the car...took it to Kwik Fit who diagnosed that the 4th glow plug needs replacing....they advised to replace all 4 but job too big for them!! Have spoken to a few independent Merc specialist in my area and I am astonished by the cost they are quoting!!! Glow plugs cost 30 quid but they're costing supply and fit at nearly 500 pounds!!! This is the first time glow plugs needs changing since we bought the car...we have a 2007 B180 CDI and we're shocked at the cost to do this!! Is this right??

I have not called main dealer yet (for obvious reason!!)

Thanks
Graham

 

[citrus]

hi .. can I ask what you did in the end .. I have the same car and have exactly the same problem.

Is it safe to ignore it ... guess when its cold you have to wait a bit longer for the glow plugs to do their thing?

 

[wongl]

We have the glow plug light staying on in one of my W169. Star diagnostic computer says Glow Plug 1 is open circuit. Not desperate to replace it since the engine is starting normally, but have purchased 4 new glow plugs from Mercedes online for less than £20 each. Waiting to see if we are going to replace them at the next service as have been qoute circa £300 labour to replace all 4 glow plugs on the W169 owing to having to remove the air filter housing, EGR valve and draining the coolant!

 

[Lit91]

Someone on here mentioned that MB supply & fit for £20 per plug...

 

[citrus]

ok so you think I can get away with carry on driving the car and it wont cause any damage ?

after a few mins the glow plug light goes out ... but its a bit worrying ..

guess I get the plugs and then see if I can hold out to the next service to save some costs.

 

[nb_racing]

ok so you think I can get away with carry on driving the car and it wont cause any damage ?

after a few mins the glow plug light goes out ... but its a bit worrying ..

guess I get the plugs and then see if I can hold out to the next service to save some costs.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/engine/181504-glow-plug-question.html

It won't damage anything, but if there a several or all of them out, come very cold weather you might find it difficult to start the engine.
Any decent garage can do them. If they say they can't then they're best avoided anyway.

 

[wongl]

Someone on here mentioned that MB supply & fit for £20 per plug...

Sadly no - prompted by this, I just rang my local MB dealer who initially gave me an over the phone price of £230 inc VAT to supply and fit 4 new glow plugs to my year 2006 W169.

I asked for a firm quote, and after taking down my details, they came back 30 mins later with a firm quote of £709 to supply and fit four new glow plugs to my 2006 W169. Apparently the MB book time is 4 hours labour! So nearer £200 per plug than £20.

Back to my indie...

 

[bob6600]

Someone on here mentioned that MB supply & fit for £20 per plug...

It as me and it wasn't MB it was Mercland, an Indy based in Nuneaton


Servicing & MOTs - Mercland

 

[bob6600]

hi .. can I ask what you did in the end .. I have the same car and have exactly the same problem.

Wouldn't hold my breath, that was the OP's one and only post

 

[wongl]

It as me and it wasn't MB it was Mercland, an Indy based in Nuneaton


Servicing & MOTs - Mercland

Just rang Mercland and sadly their web price of £20 per glow plug does not apply to the A-Class! They also mentioned that it takes four hours to change the glow plug so £££.

 

[t-dawg1]

I watched my tech replace 4 plugs on my last w203 in under 30mins! It didn't look that complicated watching him do it and he confirmed that too? Can't see how Merc charge £200 per plug

 

[citrus]

normally use AMC in tooting .. will ask them what the score is .....a mate said tho that it wont damage the car running with a missing glow plug .. just come winter you are trying to start the car on 3 cylinders it might not be so good ...any view on that ?

 

[jaymanek]

A & B Class are different to the W203.. Most MB models are easy (as long as they arent seized)

A&B class is a big job and access is awkward...

 

[WG M-B]

A and B class glow plugs take a few hours of labour time to change. On top of that its not easy to get them hot for removal. On top of that if cylinders 1 or 2 snap its very hard to drill them without lowering the engine in order to remove the inlet manifold!
It's a headache for the garage, and its costly for the customer
If the probe through the centre shears when going through the 'broken removal process' then its even more of a pita!

 

[Click4]

I know it's an old thread and apologies for dragging it up.

Just wanted to share my experience.

This was a customers a class and I came across this thread while looking for info on the procedure. Now I've done the job just want to share my experience of broken glow plugs.

On this persons car, number 1 broke, number 2 came out fine, number 3 broke and number 4 came out fine... I found the cause of seizing as being due to water pooling around the glow plugs and seeping my past the threads corroding the glow plug into the hole rather than a buildup of carbon deposits. So sealing the threads on the new glow plugs would be key to avoiding the problem in future.

In regards to dropping engine to remove inlet on cylinders 1 or 2 it's unnecessary. I had number 1 break and drilled it out (will get to how shortly) same if central electrode (not tip) breaks off flush, this is also not a problem and I developed a technique to get round this problem as cylinder 3 electrode didn't come out complete like cylinder 1, it snapped flush with cylinder head.

Right, so firstly, I advise the glow plug removal kit, it's sold by people like KMS, Laser etc in various forms and prices, you can find them on ebay, in the kit you get a drill extension, various stepped drills, taps, puller, ratchet for taps etc.

On this persons car, number 1 cylinder had snapped.

So here's my advice and technique which I found best on these glow plugs.

Grip electrical connector on top of glow plug with the chuck of the ratchet tool for the taps provided in the kit... If you do the chuck up tight enough it will grip... Then just twist and entire central electrode should come out as a long 3" piece. If you get that out in 1 piece the rest is easy.

Remove broken part it wil just pull off.

Next get the smaller step dril, insert it into the drill extension bar.

Mark on wider part of the drill the depth of the threaded section of the glow plug using new glow plug as a reference.

Then insert drill into central hole of glow plug where the electrode was, hold drill vertical in relation to engine, and engle it backwards towards you at same angle as other glow plugs... You can visually judge this. Then drill down to the mark you made on the drill bit, being stepped it should find its own way and not be far off. No need to drop engine or remove inlet manifold at all, that's what drill extension is for.

Next take the middle sized tap, and carefully use it to clean up the thread in the cylinder head, if it snags don't force it or you will strip the thread.:: just gently ease it back, clean it then screw back down... Use lubricstion, I prefered the wd 40 white lithium grease spray... It doesn't take much force at all to clean the thread as you are only cleaning it not cutting a new thread... So if you end up applying force you are likely to do some damage so take it easy and with caution and it should clean the thread out perfectly. May need to carefully screw it in and out a few tikea to completely clean the thread up.

Next take smaller tap, and tap out centre of the glow plug tube.

Vacuum inside glow plug hole and surrounding area to remove all swarf, a magnetic stick is also handy to get rid of the worst then use some small aquarium air line held loosely in the end of vacuum cleaner pipe to get right inside the glowplug body. No swarf is the important bit as it can do damage!

Next, take a 3/8" 8mm socket insert end of it into the circular recessed area around the glow plug hole... It should fit perfectly, mine did anyway lol. You need that to push against with the puller.

Screw the smaller pulling bolt into the centre of the glowplug through the 8mm socket.

Screw puller onto that bolt and tighten down so it's pressing against the socket.

Then pull away by holding central part with a 12mm spanner and turning the larger 30mm but and within a minute or 2 glow plug should be out.

Find and use a heat resistant non setting sealant for the threads of new glowplug and it should screw in perfectly with no resistance.:. If you encounter resistance you haven't cleaned the thread properly and risk breaking a new glowplug.

Now for a scenario of central electrode breaks off flush, as long as it's not cylinder 1 or 2.

Not a problem either, buy some 4mm brass tubing from B&Q or similar place, insert it into glow plug body with electrode in centre of brass tube, push down as far as it will go, then mark it so there is about half inch above cylinder head sticking out to act as a drill guide. Cut brass tube to length.

Insert back into cylinder head, then use it as a drill guide with plenty of lubricant and a 3mm cobalt drill bit.

Drill down the tube as far as you can, it should guide itself with the aid of the brass tube liner acting as a drill guide.

Once that's been done, proceed as before with rest of the steps using stepped drill bit etc.

It's very difficult to drill central electrode without the aid of the brass tube liner, the drill wanders down the side of the electrode and snaps the end off, and the electrode moves all over the place so you run risk of doing more damage than good... But if you use ratchet tool to grip and twist off electrode via electrical connector on top, the percentages are in favour of a good electrode break wih it coming out as a long piece rather than small piece. But if it breaks flush on cylinders 1 or 2 then unless you can manufacture a drill extension using a piece of steel rod then that scenario would require engine dropped and inlet manifold removed... So depending on if the electrode come out clean as a long piece or breaks flush dictates how the rest of the job will go.