Glow plug help please

[jseeley]

finally did my glow plugs, just thought I would share here. I have a 1.6 NA in a Mk2 Golf and it was getting harder and harder to start lately (and it's not that cold, only 40-50F). I opted for removing the fuel lines because it seemed like that would leave a lot more room. I was able to get everything out and all the new glow plugs installed in fairly short order (minus the nuts re-installed). The left most nuts are definitely a pain to get back on behind the pump; I used a magnetized flat head screwdriver which helped a lot to hold the nuts in place and be able to spin them on. Starts right up now with 4 new bosch duraterms. 

Tested out my old glow plugs after I got them out, three were bad. None of them looked bad (burnt off tips) as I have seen in the forums. I had been running "Prothe" injectors for quite some time so I expected som might be that way. I'm on freshly rebuilt bosch injectors from Giles now though.

[hillfolk'r]

Welll back in the day i can remember these cars as dailys. And sure enough when the weather turned colder no doubt in a month or 2 you are gonna lose one. Guaranteed. I remember pops every fall cursing at moms 81 chaingin plugs in the driveway. Anyways we learned. Itll start on 3. Smoky but it starts. It may not start with 2 out. If so u crank the crap out of it. Sometimes to get the nuts on what can be handy is a piece of safety wire with a bend on the end.
hold the wire against stud and slide the nut on. Oh and this sounds silly but test fit and lightly lube the nuts before installing the plugs. That way you wont be fighting a buggered thread in the car, or put it on a easy one. Yea 1and 2 stink.
Yes removing the lines is the easiest. Sometimes too if the planets are aligned you can just tighten the lines and itll start without priming and having them loose. Hey the injectors have fuel so does the pump.
Anyways since its just a nasty job we always just replaced them all and kept the good ones for a pinch. But a pinch stinks cause you know they will burn out next week. Ok happy plugging in your idi vw.  
I was used to tdis for a little while but ive returned

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

Bosch Duraterms were not available in the 80's. They have dual coils which makes them less likely to burn out even if left on for extended periods.

I got rid of the copper bar and nuts and made wires with quick disconnects that I can get on/off easily w long nose pliers. I also have manual glow relay to minimize on times. Three years now on the Duraterms with no burned out plugs.

[wolf_walker]

I've had good luck with duraterms as well so far.  I too can remember hillfolk's experience with them back years ago.  It was clockwork to replace one at least every season.
I seem to get two years or so out of a set of duraterms at least, but that's just a so-so guess still.

[vanbcguy]

I've had good luck with duraterms as well so far.  I too can remember hillfolk's experience with them back years ago.  It was clockwork to replace one at least every season.
I seem to get two years or so out of a set of duraterms at least, but that's just a so-so guess still.

I'm very surprised to hear you are only getting 2 years from Duraterms, especially in CA!!  I've had the same glow plugs in Jezzie for 5 years now, and they weren't new when I bought her either.  They all work perfectly fine...

There are a few things that can cause glow plugs to die early:

- using 'fast' non-duraterm plugs with a 'slow' relay
- having a defective relay that is keeping the plugs on way more often than they should be
- overtightening the plugs on installation
- bad injector spray

Duraterms take care of the first two points as they are self-protecting.  If you are eating plugs that fast then I'd check out your installation procedure and your injectors - there really is no reason for them to be failing that quickly.

[8v-of-fury]

I've had the same glow plugs in Jezzie for 5 years now.

Duraterms take care of the first two points as they are self-protecting.  If you are eating plugs that fast then I'd check out your installation procedure and your injectors - there really is no reason for them to be failing that quickly.

Word.

I have a set of Duraterms that have lasted 4 cold winters up here, and have been in three different engines! (I enjoy engine swaps... lol)

[745 turbogreasel]

I think my Prothes were 4 years old  when I replaced them with duraterms.  All 6 still test good.  Curiously, the Prothes show ~1000F on the pyrometer, while the Duraterms stabilize at about 580, but heat more of the tip.
Both start equally well.

[hillfolk'r]

Im a religious fanatic with my torque wrench. New nozzles. Battery new/wiring ck ok. That wasn the only car. Only saw one burned tip once ever in 20+ yrs and it was in a boneyard. That wasnt the only idi vw that i knew of that liked glow plugs. My dad always got them at the dealer too.
Even the bosch ones you used to get at good foreign parts stores same thing.
  Yea ok maybe 2 seasons you would get if lucky before one dying. I guess ill look for those durawhatevers next set i need

[745 turbogreasel]

Rockauto almost beats Prothes on price.

[vanbcguy]

The duraterms basically have internal temperature regulation, so they won't burn out.  They'll heat up to a certain point and then they stabilize - basically they have a clever "resistor" in series internally that increases its resistance as the temperature of the plug increases, sort of like a variable thermostat.  Bosch has a patent on it so none of the other plugs on the market have that feature.

Bosch also sells "regular" plugs, so just looking for the Bosch name doesn't actually guarantee you are getting duraterms.

http://www.boschautoparts.com/dieselparts/pages/glowplugs.aspx

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

I think my Prothes were 4 years old  when I replaced them with duraterms.  All 6 still test good.  Curiously, the Prothes show ~1000F on the pyrometer, while the Duraterms stabilize at about 580, but heat more of the tip.
Both start equally well.

You're lucky the Prothe glow plugs lasted 4 years without dropping a tip and wreck your engine. How were you measuring glow plug temp. From what I remember reading, a glow plug tip goes much higher than 1000 F, more like 2500 F. (don't quote me on that)

[745 turbogreasel]

After years of using audio analysis of fingertip sizzling sounds, I got a laser that figures it out for me.  Seems pretty accurate, except dry ice goes off the scale around -45F


IIRC it was the ...008 PN from Rockauto got me glows in duraterm boxes at least.

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

After years of using audio analysis of fingertip sizzling sounds, I got a laser that figures it out for me.  Seems pretty accurate, except dry ice goes off the scale around -45F


IIRC it was the ...008 PN from Rockauto got me glows in duraterm boxes at least.

You may want to check your laser (didn't know laser is used to measure temp).

1120 C (max temp of the Duraterm) is 2048 F

[CrazyAndy]

I think he means IR laser; those can measure temperature w/ the right equipment.

Nice Duraterm graph.  Didn't know that's how they worked.

[8v-of-fury]

I after-glow my duraterms for up to three minutes in my AAZ and 1.6 TD, both manual setups. (weather dependent)