March 2021

How to diagnose faulty glow plugs in 10 steps “It is important to regularly check and maintain glow plugs and other ignition components,” said Fatiha Laauich, Pan European Strategic Marketing Manager at DENSO. “If a technician, or the customer, has spotted a potential sign that their glow plugs are faulty, or at the end of their lifespan the next step is to accurately establish whether replacement plugs are needed. All that’s need is a multimeter and these 10 steps.” 1: Get to know the multimeter 2: Set multimeter to ohms 3: Find the resistance value of the multimeter 4: Test the voltage of the battery 5: Locate the glow plugs 6: Remove the caps or connectors to the glow plugs 7: Connect the multimeter’s negative lead to a ground point in the engine 8: Connect the multimeter’s positive lead to the top of the glow plug 9: Evaluate the multimeter’s reading 10: Replace all glow plugs Fatiha added: “If the area around the glow plugs has dirt or build-up, clean it first. Some manufacturers offer special tools known as reamers to clean out the bore where the glow plugs are inserted into the cylinder head. These tools clean out carbon build-up inside the combustion chamber or pre-charge chamber, as well as the threads that the glow plug screws into.” To find out more about the DENSO Glow Plug range: https://www.denso- am.co.uk/products/automotive-aftermarket/ignition/glow-plugs/ MARCH 2021 AFTERMARKET 29 www.aftermarketonline.net from new parts programs, workshops can thus offer their customers attractive repair solutions based on the current vehicle value. “The eXchange programme is also a real alternative in terms of protecting the environment and climate. By remanufacturing starters and alternators, Bosch saved around 2,700 tons of different metals in 2019. This translates into a CO ₂ equivalent (CO ₂ e) of approximately 7,400 tons. This amount approximately would have been emitted by producing new metal parts from scratch. It would take an entire forest of around 590,000 beech trees to absorb the CO ₂ e.”