I'm having troubles starting this car. It tends to sit for a while between use, but I don't think waxy diesel is the issue. Even with a good battery, you can usually crank it on and off for a good few mins before it will go. Once running, its fine and does charge the battery. Often you will need to jump it as the battery will be flat before it starts.
Someone mentioned it maybe glow plugs. I am of an electrical rather than mechanical background. Do I just need to meter these out and if so, should they be any particular resistance?
Do I just buy some new ones (I've no idea how old they are)
Am I barking up the wrong tree all together?
Your help/advice is much appreciated.
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If it makes loads of smoke after starting 90% sure its the plugs. As a new set is only about £30, why not just try changing them?
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My 205 1.8 TD is not the best starter in the world even with new glowplugs - these would be the first thing i changed to try to eleviate the problem.
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Try pumping the fuel primer. You may have a fuel leak - bubbles in the fuel line.
madf
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Glow plugs are the most likely.Try turning on the ignition until the glow plug light goes out,then turn it of and do it again,then again after 3 heats of the plugs,if it starts easier then your glow plugs are at fault. If it makes no difference then its almost certainly air in the fuel.You can try priming the balloon and if that improves things then you will need to check all the fuel connections. If they look ok put grease on all the unions and then wipe off the grease one at a time until the problem reappears,then tighten or replace the offending joint.
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You will need a substantial meter to check the voltage to the glowplugs. I would replace the glowplugs as a first job. The it's time to inspect the injectors, they can dribble a bit at higher mileage causing difficult starting and rough running.
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I think you mean that you need a substantial meter to check the current flow through the glow plugs.
A quick check can be made by taking the bus-bar off, and connecting one end of a test lamp to battery positive. As you touch the other terminal of the test lamp to the glow plug terminals, the test lamp should light brightly as the low resistance of a good glow plug is negligible compared with the resistance of the bulb in the test lamp. Or, another way of saying it is that at typically low test lamp currents, the potential drop across a good glow plug is next to nothing. If a glow plug is burnt out, the test lamp won't light at all.
Number_Cruncher
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Thanks to you all.
Took busbar off, got vaying resistance measurements from 35 ohms to less than 1, practically a short from across the glow plugs to earth.
Spend £35 for 4 new ones, strapped them in and had a new battery to boot.
Started first time after not running for around 3 months.
FYI, turning ignition on and off a few times to run the plug heater a few times made no difference to its starting, but upon testing old plugs when they were out, one managed "orange", one only vaguely got warm and the other two (the really high resistance ones) didn't get notably warm at all.
I didn't have an ampmeter to hand that would read in the 10+ amps range so couldn't actually do a current measurement. But none were open circuit oddly...
Anyway thanks to you all!
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If after following NC's advise above you find no faulty glow plugs, you need to check if the plugs are getting any power.
Connect your volt meter or test lamp between the bus-bar & earth, switch on ignition & quickly check for a voltage, 11 volts or thereabouts or lit bulb, before the control box timer cuts the power off. If no voltage or light check the main glow plug fuse.
If ok check the glow plug control box. Not sure exactly where that is on this car but usually in the vicinity of the battery/ behind the headlamp area. Hope this helps.
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