Changing Glow Plugs

[catlin_cava]

How hard is it to change the Glow Plugs on a 1.9 TDI in a 2000 Golf?

[Slave2School]

Piece of piss!

[catlin_cava]

Do I need any special tools?

[jtanguay]

i would imagine it to be slightly easier than on a 1.6 or 1.9aaz due to the fact that the gp harness can simply be unplugged rather than have to be unbolted, and the fact that the injection pump is at an angle to allow access, AND the fact that the glow plugs stick up at an angle, and not pointing straight out.

but then again, theres a bit of extra crap in the way, like the cover... but i'd take that any day over a 1.6 jobber  :lol:

[the caveman]

you'll need a 10 mm deep socket and a wooble extenstion would make it easier not to break your new glow plugs. when you put back the buss bar,
make sure it makes a good contact-push them down till you're sure they are on right, otherwise you may get another glow plug DTC.Basically it's a super easy job. Also mae sure they are all the same brand-either bosch or beru, don't mix ,all 4 must be the same.

[G60ING]

becarefull with that glowplug harness they tend to get brittle after 6+ years. Odds are you probably need to replace the harness or will have to in a year or so.

If you want to make the job super easy on removing the glowplug harness just remove the hard fuel lines off the injectors.

But the glowplugs themselves are super easy to remove one the harness is off. You just need a 10mm deepwell socket and an extension.

[jtanguay]

nobody seemed to mention that you should... wait...  need to put some anti seize on the threads of the gp's.  this will ensure that the threads don't get wrecked, and that the gp's come out real easy next time they go  :wink:.  remember not to torque them as tight as you would without anti seize.  even though it might feel like it can go more, remember that you need about 20% less torque.

a little conductive grease on the contact end wouldn't hurt either

[Smokey Eddy]

i have a 2000 TDI golf that has always gone to the stealership for services. The glow plug light turns off almost instantly when i turn the key to the "on" position. There is no way that they get up to temp in half a second and i recognize that. I checked them all, one was dead - replaced it, but the light still goes off immediately. What is wrong with it the relay? where is the relay?


the check engine light has also come on recently but i knew the glow plug light has been wrong for months. It still starts instantly and only the dead glow plug was sooty.
Is there a common issue with the "check engine light" ? It comes on almost regularly and my parents have always taken it to the stealership for $xxx.xx amounts of money (lots). Any common checks? a particular sensor perhaps? They don't think i can fix anything (even my own IDI TD) and i want to prove them wrong.

this car was made in Germany, not Mexico (if it matters).


Edit: i made a separate thread on this http://vwdiesel.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=123943#123943