P38 2.5dse double heater plugs

Hi all my rangie has the cold start relay fitted to it and has worked well but lately I have had to give it double heat and it starts instantly but will just crank over if I only give it the once but i think the battery is'nt the best any idear's thanks in advance great site

sounds like your heater plugs are worn or more seriously low compresion

it pulls very well when it's started

Has your in-tank fuel pump ever been changed?
My DSE used to take three heater cycles to start but have just changed the pump and it now fires up first time every time.
Opinion seems to be that the pump is knackered at about 90 - 100k.
You can check the pump by seeing what sort of flow you have at the filter, with the ignition on!
If you want to do the pump see Canyon's excellent thread on it.

griffo said:

Hi all my rangie has the cold start relay fitted to it and has worked well but lately I have had to give it double heat and it starts instantly but will just crank over if I only give it the once but i think the battery is'nt the best any idear's thanks in advance great site

Click to expand...

Surely you mean the hot start relay? Your battery needs to be tip top or you will have problems. You may have some failed heater plugs, you can have upto three duff ones, as long as the three good ones are sequential it will start, if they are not sequential it will struggle. Also check the spill pipes on the injectors they crack and leak air allowing fuel to run back into tank. The hot start relay will cause heater plugs to fail sooner than normal because it uses them even when engine is hot.

wammers said:

Surely you mean the hot start relay? Your battery needs to be tip top or you will have problems. You may have some failed heater plugs, you can have upto three duff ones, as long as the three good ones are sequential it will start, if they are not sequential it will struggle. Also check the spill pipes on the injectors they crack and leak air allowing fuel to run back into tank. The hot start relay will cause heater plugs to fail sooner than normal because it uses them even when engine is hot.

Click to expand...

spot on warmers hot start rely!!! if i charge my battery it's fine for a few days but because I am only doing short trips daily to go visit my man I dont think it's charging back up enough I will invest in a new battery 1st I think many thanks

dogsbody said:

Has your in-tank fuel pump ever been changed?
My DSE used to take three heater cycles to start but have just changed the pump and it now fires up first time every time.
Opinion seems to be that the pump is knackered at about 90 - 100k.
You can check the pump by seeing what sort of flow you have at the filter, with the ignition on!
If you want to do the pump see Canyon's excellent thread on it.

Click to expand...

it's had a new pump but if i get in the jeep somtimes and just want to have the radio on and but the ignition on I can here a pump runing under the back seat if i then turn ignition off then back on it stop's

griffo said:

spot on warmers hot start rely!!! if i charge my battery it's fine for a few days but because I am only doing short trips daily to go visit my man I dont think it's charging back up enough I will invest in a new battery 1st I think many thanks

Click to expand...

If there is enough in the battery to spin the engine there should be enough to make the plugs glow. I think you will find if you check there are a few not working. As i said sequential. Firing order 1 5 3 6 2 4. If any three are ok sequentially Eg 153, 536, 362, 624 and so on the car will start. If the good ones are 132, 564, Etc it will struggle.

wammers said:

If there is enough in the battery to spin the engine there should be enough to make the plugs glow. I think you will find if you check there are a few not working. As i said sequential. Firing order 1 5 3 6 2 4. If any three are ok sequentially Eg 153, 536, 362, 624 and so on the car will start. If the good ones are 132, 564, Etc it will struggle.

Click to expand...

whats the best way to test these???

griffo said:

whats the best way to test these???

Click to expand...

Only way to test them is to disconnect the wire to each one in turn and continuity check them terminal to block. This is a ball ache to do as they are difficult to get to without removing manifold. So just get six new plugs and take off inlet manifold and replace the lot. Get good quality ones though. If any are found good save them as emergancy spares.