The glow plugs are to your diesel engine what the spark plugs are to a gasoline engine for the most part. The reason why we said for the most part is that glow plugs only operate when you first turn on the engine. They do not continue to fire as spark plugs do and this makes them last longer. They will wear down eventually, however, and United Diesel Repair lists the signs that your glow plugs are going bad below.
Difficult Starts
Diesel engines need more heat to fire up and start running, and the glow plugs are mini heaters inside the combustion chamber. If your glow plugs are starting to go bad, you may find it more and more difficult to get your diesel engine to fire up, especially if it’s cold outside. If all of the glow plugs are completely bad, you probably won’t be able to get your diesel engine started at all.
Misfiring Engine
As we just mentioned, diesel engines produce much more heat, and if your glow plugs are faulty, your diesel engine may misfire. Usually, engine misfires are caused by problems with the fuel injection, your diesel fuel’s quality, or engine compression. This being said, if the glow plugs are not producing enough heat, you may end up with a misfiring engine.
Idling Roughly
Perhaps only one or two of your glow plugs are bad. If this is the case, it will cause your engine’s temperature to drop a little bit and your vehicle will idle roughly. This can also cause white exhaust smoke to come out of your diesel vehicle’s tailpipe. You will have these engine problems until such time as the faulty glow plugs are replaced.
Low Fuel Mileage
When one or more of the glow plugs are faulty, your diesel engine will not run efficiently. Consequently, this will cause a reduction in your fuel mileage. One of the great things about diesel engines is they produce more energy out of diesel fuel all the while using less of it. If you notice a reduction in your fuel economy, there’s definitely something going on with your diesel engine and it could be the glow plugs.
United Diesel Repair is an expert diesel shop in Flowery Branch, GA. If you suspect there is something wrong with your diesel vehicle’s glow plugs, call us today to schedule an appointment. We will inspect the glow plugs and test them to see if they have gone bad. If they have, we will replace them. If they haven’t, we’ll get to the bottom of your engine performance issues.
