Symptoms of Faulty or Faulty Glow Plugs

Common signs of diesel vehicles include engine misfiring, starting problems in cold weather, and increased amounts of smoke coming out of the exhaust.

Glow plugs are an engine management component found on vehicles equipped with diesel engines. Their purpose is to preheat and help warm up the engine's cylinders so that diesel combustion can occur more easily. They play a particularly important role in warming up the car's cylinders during cold starts, when starting the engine is difficult. Glow plugs use an electrode that heats up and glows orange when current is applied. When problems occur with glow plugs, they can usually cause problems with vehicle handling. Usually faulty or faulty glow plugs cause several symptoms that can alert the driver to a potential problem.

1. Misfire or reduced engine power and acceleration.

A misfiring engine is one of the first signs of a bad glow plug in a car. If the glow plugs are faulty, they will not provide the extra heat needed to burn diesel fuel, which can cause engine misfiring. Misfiring can result in loss of power, acceleration, and even fuel economy.

2. Heavy launch

Another sign of a problem with your car's glow plugs is hard starting. Unlike gasoline engines, which use a spark to ignite the fuel mixture, diesel engines rely solely on cylinder pressure to ignite the diesel fuel mixture. If the glow plugs fail, the engine will have to overcome additional pressure to ignite the mixture, which can lead to difficult starting.

3. Black smoke from the exhaust

Another sign of bad glow plugs is black smoke from the exhaust pipe. Faulty glow plugs can interfere with the sensitive combustion process of diesel fuel, which can cause the engine to emit black smoke from the exhaust pipe. Black smoke can also be caused by a variety of other problems, so proper engine diagnosis is highly recommended.

Glow plugs are found on almost all diesel engines and play an important role in starting and operating the engine. If your vehicle exhibits any of the above symptoms, or you suspect that your glow plugs may have a problem, have a professional technician, such as AvtoTachki, have your vehicle inspected to determine if the glow plugs need to be replaced.