You're unsure as to whether you might need to replace one or several of your Glow Plugs? Your engine won't start quickly and reliably? This section is definitely for you.
Section 1: Trouble starting your engine? Identify what's wrong
It's taking ages to start your car? It's got fumes coming out of the hood, and frankly it doesn't smell too good? Unfortunately, there's quite a number of reasons that can explain why you're faced with an issue. So take a look at the below, and see from our solution-centric approach how you can best get it sorted.
The problem |
The cause |
Our solution |
Fume during start, Smoke production |
Glow plug with only one coil, too low temperature |
Use Champion® 2-coil technology glow plug (heating and regulating coil ensure that a higher temperature is reached during a shorter heat-up time) |
Knocking during start phase |
Glow plug without limiting effect and without heat reserve |
Install Champion® post-heating glow plugs for a better and quicker heat supply |
Battery-depleting long start phase |
Glow plug only heats up slowly, heat-up time too long |
Install Champion® glow plug that has accurately been adapted to the engine and the 3-phase glow system (pre-heating – start heating – post-heating) |
Difficult and irregular running of engine |
End temperature of glow plug too low |
|
Engine only starts running after several starting attempts |
Glow plug defective |
|
Engine only starts running with production of unpleasant smells |
The electrical values of the glow plugs have not been set appropriately |
|
The glow rod is slightly molten or scaled |
The wall thickness of the heating rod is too small (this is often the case with cheap glow plugs) |
Section 2: Worn out or damaged Glow Plugs? Check them easily
There is a quick, efficient, reliable and low-cost solution for you, most adequately called the Glow Plug Test Device. Test your Plugs without removing them, that's guaranteed quick & easy because there should be a Glow Plug Test Device in every workshop.
With the glow plug tester, you can test or have your car mechanic test steel and ceramic glow plugs on vehicles with varying on-board voltage, easily, quickly, and reliably - individually, and with no need to dismantle them or start the engine.
Tip: Experience shows that glow plugs mostly reach their wear limit shortly after one another – and once the connector leads and the conductor rails have been removed, it is cheaper to change the whole set than to have to replace further plugs only a short time later.
A Glow Plug Quick Tester offers many advantages for practice in the workshop:
Champion®recommends e.g. the BERU Glow Plug Tester that has the below features:
- Reliable, fast and economical testing, because it is not necessary to remove the plugs or start the engine.
- It is not necessary to pre-select the glow plug type (steel or ceramics).
- Automatic reconition of the glow plug voltage rating (from 3.3 – 15 volts)
- Testing under the actual conditions
- Easy to operate
- Possibility for testing each individual glow plug
- Analogue display for heating and current regulation (possibility for comparing individual glow plugs for current consumption and regulation performance)
- Protection against short circuits and polarity errors
- Protection against overload (monitoring of glow plug in addition via independent circuit)
- Test procedure controlled by characteristics curves as in electronics control equipment.
- Detection of loose contacts by processor, then a second check.
- Special microcontroller software integrated into the tester
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