engine management light and glow plugs

[georgemckee999]

hi all i have a question i cant seem to find on here or online without getting help from someone.
My engine management light is on and has been for some time now because one of my glow plugs (number 2) has stopped working. Now i brought 4 new plugs with the hope of changing them and did everything everyone has said to do, eg spray them up 3-4 times in advance with wd40 and undo them wile the engine is hot, but.... it snapped. now its still in there completely and only the head is sheared off and turning so ive been using it fine for months, but the engine management light is really annoying me and i think it will fail MOT. Now i can turn it off with the free version of Vagcom but it keeps coming back on again after a few miles. Is there a way to keep it off? apart from fixing the problem of course as that will require taking the head off and somehow drilling the plug out which i don't wanna do as that will be like opening a can of worms.
i hope someone can help, and hope there is a way i can disable the ecu checking number 2 and stopping it noticing its ****ed. lol any help would be great

 

[georgemckee999]

Thanks for the quick reply, I did think that was the case but thought I would ask the question in case there was a way in vagcom to stop it. Fixing it really isn't an option for me at the moment as funds are low and a new turbo is needed first. But if anyone does know a way it could be possible I would be very greatful.
Cheers

 

[georgemckee999]

Cost mostly. Wouldn't that be more expensive in the long run? And how much trust can you put in a engine from a scrap yard? I'm open to ideas though, so I can i will consider it.

 

[georgemckee999]

Really you think that cheap? I'll have to have a ring around and see if I can find one if that's the case. Have you ever changed one on a leon? I'm sure a few hours are involved though. I've changed heads on a v8 tvr, but there an old car, not sure it's quite the same

 

[georgemckee999]

Nice one cheers I'll give them a ring and see what I can find. I also look and how easy it is to do. Cheers for your help

 

[Muttley]

This problem has come up before, and there are places that will extract the broken plug using a special tool.

Googling for "diesel car glow plug extraction" found me this link straight away - admittedly it is a bit far from you.

http://www.midlanddieselsolutions.co.uk/specialist-diesel-centre/broken-glow-plug-removal


Or if you're brave you can have a go yourself with this toolset
http://www.lasertools.co.uk/item.aspx?cat=1083&item=7119
(but this is a pro toolset meant for garages so is a bit expensive)
video here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee6sfgIhfT4

 

[georgemckee999]

Hi Muttley thanks for the reply. I have seen loads of tools online that are for removing broken glow plugs, but I'm really not that confident with my ability to try. After watching videos in the past about how to do it, looks very complicated and likely for me to make it worse. If I was to drop any swarf or bits in the cylinder I would be ****ed!
In regards to a company doing it, I did phone around when I first snapped it and was quoted silly figures to get it out and still couldn't find anyone near me who had any good reviews or had a sensible price. I just phoned midland diesel solutions who said £200 plus vat which isn't too bad realy, but they can't guarantee they can get it out and once they try and fail I can't use the car until I've had the head off and removed the plug. So not sure what do do now as that could leave me stranded two hours from home. He did say success rate is high though.
Also been looking for a head from a scrappy's, but £175 is the cheapest I can get so far

 

[sockpuppet]

Just found this online
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Glow-Plug...-Damaged-/301637192185?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

and this for any DIYers

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GLOW-PLUG...d=100204&rk=3&rkt=30&mehot=pp&sd=281165769994

 

[georgemckee999]

Wow it is cheap. £60 per broken plug. I will phone later to ask the success rate and may go for that. And yes that diy kit looks like the one I looked at before, but would rather pay someone who knows what they are doing to remove it. I can see it going wrong if I attempt it. Cheers

 

[georgemckee999]

Yeah I've got a few places searching for me but so far that's the cheapest they have come up with. Cheers I'll sort something out. Thanks for the help guys

 

[Kambo]

The problem may be the glow plug but it also could not be, changing the head is IMO OTT and not the way, as above there are places that can extract the plug for you just incase you don't fancy trying and making it worse yourself, just take a set of plugs with you, I find smearing some copper grease on the threads before popping them in helps for next time

However-

Changing all the glow plugs might not fix the fault so although you will having a running car with new plugs where none are welded to the head! the fault could be with the wiring loom itself that hooks up to your plugs - that black plastic loom you pop off to access the plugs

Look in your engine bay at your passenger side suspension strut, see that 90 degree shaped plastic cover to its left?



Thats how far you need to pull the wiring back to get to the connector and replace it, its not as bad as you think once the battery and its holder is all out

Now I don't condone cowboy behaviour but until your fund status is better you could just replace that part of the wiring loom, it costs about £40 from the dealers

Problem is if your single glow plug is at fault the above is useless as it will stay at fault until its pulled out, if it is your loom then at least you can drive on without any light on, more often than not that loom will play up

Above is on an 04 PD150, not sure what you have but should be similar

 

[Kambo]

Must be comedy night in here

Ur never gonna get the light off mate, you really need to fix the problem first, if the car even sniffs a fault it will come on, really sorry to tell you this but ur just gonna have to fix it.

Your first post was very helpful, that is some bona fide really helpful advice there and I applaud you BUT you've should've kept it as your only reply, but no...

Why not go to the scrapies and get a new block save all the polava?

If you just taking the top block you should be ok, obviously look for cracks a stuff first, I'll prob pick one up for no more than £30-£40 I would think, if you stayed closer I would have helped you. I think ether try get the plug out or just by one out scrapies, least you can clean it up and maybe spray it a nice colour befour you instal it on ur car.

Ur not wanting the whole engine anyway you should only need the top part.

Yeh shouldn't take to long mate, I've changed a few on other cars but not on ur car, should all be standard anyway, ring a few scrapies and see what they say.

Once I picked myself off the floor after laughing so hard I had to worry about what the block you told the OP to get has got to do with the glow plugs!

But no not the whole block you meant the top block! what I always thought was called the head!

I also wondered about the last time I changed a head on a car but not this car but they should all be the same that it should be standard anyway

Don't get me started on buying the top part of the engine and spraying it a nice colour! Preferably a colour that prevents future glow plug problems!

OP has told you what the problem is and you have pretty much told him to go buy another block or at least the top part of the block! I don't know if you care or just don't care about someone spending money they don't need to, least of all the hassle involved?

You sound like a chav and have gave chav advice, please don't think as you mentioned earlier, you probably are a closet chav but you are wearing your burberry cap as you type!

Your first reply was the right advice, after that no, do yourself and people around you a favour and save them the polava and don't post anymore on broken glow plug problems! Bellend!

 

[Bigjohn84]

If I've replied with the wrong wording for something then I apologise, this is a site for trying to help people not for causing arguments or for acting like a little child, how old are you???? Act your age, all you needed to say was mate I think ur getting things mixed up, that's all you needed to say, so ur the BELLEND, grow up and start acting like an Adult not an immature little *****!!

 

[georgemckee999]

Sorry to cause a argument gents, I only wanted some advice and some feedback on what steps to take. All feedback is welcome and everyone has different ideas. I think I will pay a company to extract the plug as don't want to do it myself and then if that doesn't fix the problem the wire loom is my next step. Thanks for the picture of where the plug is, it helps more than words can In showing where it is.

 

[Bigjohn84]

Sorry mate if I said the wrong stuff, like I said he's just immature he can't just talk like a normal adult, anyway good luck mate

 

[Kambo]

No one cares if you don't know the terminology but coupled up with the advice of getting a whole head to save yourself the polava and spraying it up while your there then brings your terminology into it

OP has already said he doesn't have funds for this and that and yet you think you can get a head for £30-£40 then either put it on yourself or get someone to do it for little money!

Offset that against getting someone to extract the broken plug for you then buy the replacement loom and fit it yourself. OP has told you he doesn't feel confident trying to use the tool to extract the plug incase he makes it worse and you want him to replace the head when you haven't even done one yourself on this car?

You are a bellend and have given bellend advice, this is NOT the way to sort this and you are getting the OP to spend a lot of money. I don't know him nor should I care but you replying to apologise to him just because I replied does not help the OP if he he gone ahead and bought a head nor anyone else who had come across the topic on a search

The only person I'm replying to is the OP, you can get back to your maccy d's car park

 

[Bigjohn84]

Ignore list on this site is brilliant!!
You always get one immature little ***** on these sites.

 

[Kambo]

With your username you are obviously a big *****

Ignore all you want, in fact stay the hell away from people with broken glow plugs who don't need to buy the top part of the block, to you it's just a reply to someone else it's money and a lot of time wasted

Idiot