Author Topic: -35 and car wont start (Read 3956 times)

Diesel Fumes · « **on:** February 09, 2008, 12:13:10 am »

Car has been rock solid reliable up until just few hours ago. I did a quick search but never found much so i\ll make a new thread.

Im almost certain its my glow plugs, but maybe someone can chime in here. I forgot plug the car in and left it for about 3 hours. I went outside and glowed the engine. Turned the key and it turned over decently well and even coughed a bit of smoke so I figured it would go. But just the one cough and then nothing. turned over slow and eventually it ran out of juice.

Called my brother and he came by with his truck. boosted it and it turned over completely fine but wouldn't fire. I tried this a number of times. Glow plug light comes on and goes out. Seemed to stay on for longer than normal and I think this is what happened to me before. It would not cough this time. Just turned over fast.

if the glow plug light comes on, does that mean at least one glow plug works? Could one bad plug cause the engine to not start? any ideas for getting it going? I really need the car tomorrow and I don\t think its going to warm up much

jtanguay · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2008, 12:34:51 am »

the glow plug light does not indicate if the gp's are good or bad...

if you're in a jam and need the car to start, pull the glow plug relay so that none of them turn on, and use some quickstart. she'll fire up :wink:

Diesel Fumes · « **Reply #2 on:** February 09, 2008, 12:55:11 am »

oh, I tripped the breaker for the plug in, thats why it would not work, i bet. i just plugged it in and will try to start it here in about an hour.

you can likely ignore this thread.

Op-Ivy · « **Reply #3 on:** February 09, 2008, 02:28:47 am »

Quote from: "Diesel Fumes"

oh, I tripped the breaker for the plug in, thats why it would not work, i bet. i just plugged it in and will try to start it here in about an hour.

you can likely ignore this thread.

Haha! Been there, done that.

Diesel Fumes · « **Reply #4 on:** February 09, 2008, 04:07:47 am »

haha, started like a charm this time. Fired on the 2nd or 3rd crank, just as it should.

somolovitch3 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 09, 2008, 01:23:43 pm »

I would still invest in new glow plugs! :twisted:

Light in dash just means the timer section of the relay works, says nothing about the rest of the relay or the glow plugs themselfs.

saurkraut · « **Reply #6 on:** February 10, 2008, 08:06:18 am »

Quote from: "jtanguay"

the glow plug light does not indicate if the gp's are good or bad...

if you're in a jam and need the car to start, pull the glow plug relay so that none of them turn on, and use some quickstart. she'll fire up :wink:

If "quickstart" is either, this stuff is a good way to crack the swirl chamber covers. Too much down the hole while cranking will wash the oil off the cylinder walls and send your compression into the dumper too.

I heard that WD40 works, but I haven't tried it.

jtanguay · « **Reply #7 on:** February 10, 2008, 02:12:52 pm »

wd40 washes away oil too... and its pretty thin. i would only resort to ether/wd40/brake parts cleaner if it was an emergency... at least it would start :wink:

Diesel Fumes · « **Reply #8 on:** February 10, 2008, 07:40:49 pm »

haha, i know about using flmables to get the car started. I drenched my instake with half a bottle of cologne once. It was truly an emergency. Never hurt the car it seems, but i would like to avoid doing it again