200tdi Glow Plug issues

Hi all

I've been having a hard time starting in the cold, battery is new so I thought I would change the glow plugs.
I should have known nothing is ever easy!

Problem 1:
So I've changed 3 of them but the rear one that the feed connects to is broken, the tip of it appears to have come off and is stuck in the engine.
How do I get it out?

Problem 2:
The 2 middle plugs were covered in oil - I assume that isn't good?

Problem 3:
No voltage to glow plug feed. I don't have a light on the dash either but then I don't know if I ever have? It was originally a TD and now has a defender 200tdi in it. There are no fuses or relays after the wire comes out the bulkhead it just goes straight to the 1st plug.

Any ideas?

Right so there is voltage to the glow plug feed I found that on TDs there is no relay you hold the ignition in a certain position and then a light comes on. Which it does.

But now for some reason when I try and start it just clicks and all lights go out as if someones pulled the battery out. Turn ignition off and back on again and the lights are on but as soon as I try and start it clicks and all goes out. :censored:

Might just torch it :5bbanghead:

you don't need glows in this weather anyway for a good engine.

sure it's not an air leak making the fuel drain to the tank and your cranking is just priming the pump?

gallaghb said:

Right so there is voltage to the glow plug feed I found that on TDs there is no relay you hold the ignition in a certain position and then a light comes on. Which it does.

But now for some reason when I try and start it just clicks and all lights go out as if someones pulled the battery out. Turn ignition off and back on again and the lights are on but as soon as I try and start it clicks and all goes out. :censored:

Might just torch it :5bbanghead:

Click to expand...

a short? you fiddled with the wires going into the ign barrel?

does it do it when you discon the glow plug wire?

Flat battery or poor connection,as for broken off tip it's either head off or take a chance and run it without plug in that cylinder,be VERY careful and cover motor with a strong sack or similar to catch tip and keeping well clear yourself.
I once used this method to free stuck injector forgetting to restrain it and like Elvis it left the building! leaving an injector shaped hole in the roof.

one of those magnetic things for the broken tip?

if the bat is new and dead, then you need to check your alt is working. multimeter on it and check voltage.

Update,
glow plug still stuck :frusty:
But its running now, it was a loose live connection to the starter causing it to cut out when it tried to draw any power.
Well I did have it running without the plug in and it didn't fire the tip out so think it is a head off job! How is easy it? Looks easy...but Haynes manual makes it sound quite complicated with the amount of stuff that needs to be disconnected.

trax said:

one of those magnetic things for the broken tip?

if the bat is new and dead, then you need to check your alt is working. multimeter on it and check voltage.

Click to expand...

Yeah I've been thinking about a telescopic magnetic thing, I think the tip might be wedged though but thats worth a shot first. Might nip to homebase

do you mean it's fell in or stuck in the head?

if it's stuck, the magnet probably won't help and if you ran with it in the head, then be careful it doesn't shoot out, or when it cools, drops into the head.

always a chance of it getting sucked in as well if you run it.

It's still in the head, I didn't realise at first and tried to put the new plug in and it didn't push it through so I think it is wedged. Don't think a magnet will work but it is still worth a shot first I think.

Head removal looks simple enough....

Heater pipes off, manifold off, exhaust manifold undone and moved to the side slightly, injector pipes off, leak off pipes off, injectors out (optional), cyclonic breather off, plug leads off, plugs out (optional), rocker cover off, rocker shaft off, remove rear lifting bracket, undo the head bolts IN ORDER according to book, lift off.....

Think you need to get the head off, if the remainder of the plug fell in you could end up with bent valves, damaged head / piston, scored bores, damaged turbo. A lot of cost versus the cost of head/intake/exhaust gaskets and some coolant to have a look (and hopefully drift the remnants out).

What if you tap the tip into the head with a punch, take injector out, turn engine over by hand until piston at the top and try fish it out with telescopic magnet thing, taking head off is biggish job

Being a lazy sod I would just ignore it and keep running it until the bit blows out which it will do sooner or later.
Head removal is not a big job just time consuming

Just had the same issue. Magnet didn't work at all as it was stuck fast. Not a big job, just a pain on the arse when all you wanted to do was change the plugs. Might as well do a few checks while you are in there. I found a couple of bent push roads and knackered valve stem oil seals. Really cheap to do and easy to do.