very sluggish this morning

[firefly]

Hey guys, started the beast up this morn and never ever before had any trouble starting her before, but she was very very slugish this morning to get going, the battery indicator on the dash is showing well above half so does it look like a new set of heater plugs

[phoebelala]

Probably.
to make sure its heater plugs that are on the way out, try giving them 3 goes
i.e turn ign of and on 3 times and wait for heater light to go out each time before you try and start it.
If they are dead this will make no difference, if they are "on the way out" it will make a big difference.

Al.

[davemwaldron]

Hi

I have had the same problem last few weeks. Just had new set of glow plugs fitted this morning, What a difference!!!!!!!! Started instantly tonight after sitting all day in freezing snow and ice, yesterday would have taken several minutes of turning over and pumping pedle till it sparked into life!

[firefly]

cheers guys just a little note its hard for me to judge the heater plug light cos it is litterally on for two seconds and then goes out what i usually do is wait for the central loacking to lock the doors and turn it over as this is a good 10 seconds or so

[openback]

cheers guys just a little note its hard for me to judge the heater plug light cos it is litterally on for two seconds and then goes out what i usually do is wait for the central loacking to lock the doors and turn it over as this is a good 10 seconds or so

not huge expert on electrics, but i thought that when the light goes out the supply to the glow plugs was cut? not sure if this is timed or when glow plugs are hot. but if timed and yours cuts out after such a short time maybe the "timer" is at fault. this of course could be a load of bollox i stand to be enlightend

[firefly]

hi open back,
ive a citroen Xantia deisel aswell and the heater light stays on much longer but the relay doesnt go off for another 5-10 seconds after that you can hear a click if you aint got the radio or heater blower on, the smurf is the same the relay stays on and is still heating the heater plugs i know for sure but it was just sooooooooooo laboured this morning, didnt want to buy plugs and it possibly be the batteries so im getting them checked out tomoz...

[BUSHWHACKER]

The glowplugs do continue for a shot time after the engine has started.
Also diesel engines require a fast cranking speed to get them to fire up, so if you batteries are knackered or low on charge, the engine will take a while to start if it's cranking slowly.

[Tallyman]

I believe the idea of the glow plug light is that you shouldn't try to start the engine until the light is extinguished, as by then the plugs should be hot enough to start the engine, but the plugs will stay on longer than this to allow for the fuel to be ignited by a slow cranking engine. The plugs should cut out after about 8-10 secs, when you hear the relay cut out although I can never hear it on mine.

[phoebelala]

It was my understanding that the relay you are hearing cutting out is in fact the fuel solonoid cutting in!
I did not know that plugs stayed on after light went out either?

What is certain is that new plugs will sort your problem as indeed it did for me.

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