W211 - E320 - Glow Plug Light

[David404]

Starting car this morning, key in, ignition on, wait for glow plug light to go off, turn key to start.Engine starts but glow plug light then comes back on again for 15-20 seconds then goes off.

Stopped for fuel restarted all normal.

Just been out again and glow plug light again came back on after starting for 15-20 seconds then went off.

Seems to be running as normal, no EML.

Ideas/anybody else see this???

 

[Steveoz320]

Had the same fault on my 320 w211 after I changed the glow plug module,I then proceeded to replace the six glow plugs and after that all perfect.no lights come back on only to pre start after that good been ok for the last 4 months.changing the glow plugs took about 15 minutes after giving them a squirt of wd40 every day and warming the engine prior to removal.hope this helps I did check my old plugs found two was no good.

 

[zipdip]

Well you have one glow plug that is not working,you need a diagnostic tool to tell you which one, like a icarsoft i980,the glow plug costs about £13 and are not hard to fit,if I remember right looking at your engine from the front on the left side is going away from you 1,2,3 and again going away from you on the right side 4,5,6 you need a 8mm long scocket and long nose pliers and that is about it,you do not need to panic the car will not go into limp mode.

 

[streethawk]

Starting car this morning, key in, ignition on, wait for glow plug light to go off, turn key to start.Engine starts but glow plug light then comes back on again for 15-20 seconds then goes off.

Stopped for fuel restarted all normal.

Just been out again and glow plug light again came back on after starting for 15-20 seconds then went off.

Seems to be running as normal, no EML.

Ideas/anybody else see this???

Just had the same David. Turned out to be one plug but that was after I changed glow plug module! Guess I now have a spare plus 5 spare used plugs. Easy to do just get engine hot and I tightened to 11nm. Be careful taking electric plugs off with pliers. Also use if possible compressed air or a hoover to clear any loose muck around plug before taking it out to avoid possible muck dropping down hole. Use copper grease or graphite paste on threads which I didn't doh. Also change orange turbo seal and engine breather seal whilst you're at it as cheap and you need to take them off when you remove plugs. Using a meter set on 200k ohms and negative on spanner flats and positive and on top of plug you should get .10 ohms on good one and something like 1.4ohms on a duff one.

 

[David404]

Thanks for all the info folks. Lack of time and lots of other stuff on the 'ToDo' list... It's in workshop today. Bit of testing, clearing of codes and retesting and it does indeed look like glow plugs, the relay was changed just before I got the car. Star reports faults on 4 so its getting a set of 6.