Could be a non starter!

Last winter, "I gave you my heart, the very.....", oh no wrong topic. In all last winters snow and cold yinyang, (my landy), started first time every time.
This year, "no don`t do it......" (sorry all, George Michael just been on the radio),
anyway, i`m gettin a loooong wait before it fires up. It can be up to 3 10 sec long turns of the starter key before she fires up. Good job the battery is strong and shows no sign of faltering, yet!!
And yes, I wait for the pre heat light to go out.
If I try to help it by using the accelerator pedal when its just ready to fire, she cuts out and I have to start again.
I`m thinking new glow plugs are in order, do you agree?
Prices for new range from £11.50 to £40 odd.
Is this an item that you get what you pay for, or is a plug a plug?

No you get what you pay for, been there done that bought the cheepo ones that just lasted 4 months! buy a decent brand like NGK. Look at it like this, if you fit cheap ones and it lets you down and costs you a days wage then they will have cost you more than the dearer brand!

chico929 said:

Last winter, "I gave you my heart, the very.....", oh no wrong topic. In all last winters snow and cold yinyang, (my landy), started first time every time.
This year, "no don`t do it......" (sorry all, George Michael just been on the radio),
anyway, i`m gettin a loooong wait before it fires up. It can be up to 3 10 sec long turns of the starter key before she fires up. Good job the battery is strong and shows no sign of faltering, yet!!
And yes, I wait for the pre heat light to go out.
If I try to help it by using the accelerator pedal when its just ready to fire, she cuts out and I have to start again.
I`m thinking new glow plugs are in order, do you agree?
Prices for new range from £11.50 to £40 odd.
Is this an item that you get what you pay for, or is a plug a plug?

Click to expand...

Definitely sounds like the glow plugs, try giving them 2 goes on the timer, but i'll bet that at least a couple of plugs are U/S

You can roughly test them. Once out, hold the screw bit in pliers with the neg -'ive wire from a battery coupled to the pliers, then touch the contact on the plug with the pos+'ve wire from the battery, in a VERY short time the bit that is normally inside the cylinder will glow red hot. DON'T leave the pos +'ve wire connected for any length of time.
Obviously, if it doesn't go red hot, then it's for the bin.

As for the prices....................no idea, except that I wouldn't buy anything that has Britpart on the box!

chico929 said:

If I try to help it by using the accelerator pedal when its just ready to fire, she cuts out and I have to start again.

Click to expand...

well it would do - don't touch the go faster pedal until it's been ticking over for 10 seconds or so or you'll upset the cold start setting

heater plugs.you can rough test in situ.- remove wire set multi meter for resistance. if you get res. its prob ok, if no res. odds on nacked

chico929 said:

I`m thinking new glow plugs are in order, do you agree? ?

Click to expand...

no - get a voltmeter on their terminals one at a time and make sure there's at least 12v volts between them and a good earth

even news plugs won't get hot if they have zero volts on them

Do you know what enjun you have???

My 200tdi starts fine under 3" snow in -2 temp with no glow plugs

Thanx all. I`ll do the logical tests before splashing out on the plugs.
Ian...its a def 300tdi. (It does say just under the post ).

chico929 said:

Thanx all. I`ll do the logical tests before splashing out on the plugs.
Ian...its a def 300tdi. (It does say just under the post ).

Click to expand...

I guess you have got a problem then

My 200 tdi needs no preheat, just jump in turn the key and away I go no matter how low the temperature drops. I would have thought that your 300 tdi would have been the same. Maybe the problem lies elsewhere.

Possibly.
Although today it started first time, with preheat, no problems.
A bit warmer today tho`.
Anyway, thanx all for the info. A few little jobs to check, to go on the growing list of other little jobs to check

I`ve carried on with this thread so folk can see the history
behind the post.
Whilst deliberating re glow plugs, it began starting easily again with no dramas. So I rubbed my hands with glee, thinking `ha, saved a few bob there!`
Unfortunately, 2 days ago same symptoms. but battery didnt last this time
Now, i`m looking at a couple of batteries. One is from carbatteriesdirect(90ah/800CCA) £73, and the other is a marine Numax at 130ah/1000CCA £73 inc p&p.
Right, 2 x questions peeps
a) Is the numax gonna burn anything out?
b) My current battery is halfrauds but 87ah/700CCA.
Is it worth charging my battery up as it seems it started life as a decent one, (ie can discharged batteries be saved?), or is it f***ed?

ps tivster said he heats glow plugs for 30 secs? My light on dash goes out after 7 secs. Are they heated by then?