Glow plug replacement needed?

[g-man]

just changed them on mine......starts straight away

[winterheating]

How did it start before.

I've noticed my focus 1.8tdci won't start normally without waiting for plugs, in this cold. Not like a normal direct injected diesel.

[Keithm]

I fitted a set of genuine ford ones to mine in February £35 for the 4.

Over the last few days mine has been a rite pig t start, turning and turning after giving loads of heats, thought the plugs must have been faulty and was ready to take them out to test, put a voltmeter on this morn and there was no current to them. So swapped relay over with one from Heated windscreen still nothing, traced all wires back looking for breaks- still nothing. Finally checked fuse box again and found 60amp fuse had blown and someone had wrapped 1 strand of copper wire between the pins and shoved it back in by his over time had broken. Swapped fuse with Another and van started 1st time with 1 heat New fuse on order £5

[g-man]

How did it start before.

I've noticed my focus 1.8tdci won't start normally without waiting for plugs, in this cold. Not like a normal direct injected diesel.

been a b*stard to start last few days with a lot of smoke on start up

[lightning]

That is the same as mine.

Poor cold starting and loads of smoke.

I just tested the glow plugs with a meter and THREE are faulty (open circuit) while the other is showing 40 Ohms, which I don't think is correct either.
So four defective glow plugs with three completely U/S.

No wonder it was struggling to start in very cold weather.
But once running it was fine after about 10 seconds, surprisingly
The van has done 56,000 miles.
I just ordered a set from my local motor factors and will fit them later today, if the old ones come off OK.

They are easy to get at on the TDCi, it only took me five minutes to remove the electrical connectors so I could test the plugs.

[winterheating]

Could you check the voltage after its started when cold, I can't imagine that there is no afterglow phase there is on transits and mondeos.
I know someone said they don't.
I can't be bothered to read the ford TIS to check.

But anyway my point is, if there is an after glow period it will be disabled after revving engine over 3k or the cht sensor reads certain minimum temp, as you'll know the cast iron head takes a while to warm, so after starting give the engine a rev up past 3k straight away, and will disable the afterglow phase, which in turn Will prolong the life of the glow plugs.

[winterheating]

Also as you've pointed out one of plugs is 40 ohms so this one will be working but not very well which proves the point that plugs do range in performance, not just not work.

[lightning]

I checked again and the one still giving a reading was 40 thousand ohms and not 40 ohms....so dead then.

The engine has been starting with no working glow plugs at all, I don't know for how long! It's only been an issue since the cold weather started.

I just replaced them, all four came out with no problems at all and after loosening them they all unscrewed by hand.

I fitted NGK ones, £10 each.