Don't drive this car much only at weekends etc and drove it on Friday with no problems. Came out to the garage on Saturday and the engine would crank over but wouldn't fire up and then the battery went flat. While trying it the engine management light came on and the brake pedal felt hard to press down. I charged the battery and I tried it this morning to find the engine cranking over again but wouldn't start. Any ideas from those with previous experiences like this. I know Iam looking at a battery change now anyway as after a week or so of sitting without driving its more or less on its legs. PLEASE HELP!
I should have tried googling before, but there are plenty of sellers offering special pliers for the job, including my local tool shop, so I'll pop along and have a look. I much prefer to have the correct tool, if available, as no doubt it will be used more than once.
I think most of the tools aren't really made well enough to pull them off from what I've seen.
If you've got the patience and you can manage to feed a single core wire (About 2mm dia) right around the very base of the connector, then twist the 2 ends together you may be able to use the wire wrapped round a screwdriver levering against the head, to pull the connectors off.
Thats Chrysler for you !!!! mine seems to have rectfied its starting issues, its been ok since I discinnected the battery, threatened it with a lump hammer and told it that its going on ebay !!!!
Still waiting to acquire a suitable tool, Jack. All I have to go on so far is P0674 which points to Cyl 4. I believe this is the one on the left bank (looking from the driver's seat) and nearest the rad. Or it could be its nearest neighbour on the same bank, if the alternative layout is believed.
Yes think your right re location. Passenger side nearest Rad. Will be interesting to see if the code is programmed correctly. I wouldn't be confident that Chrysler has got the location right.
I'm sure you will find a faulty plug, just a case of which one.
Will be interested to know how well the "tool" works when you get it.
Still no luck in getting the "tool", Jack. I 'phoned the local shop that advertises them on Amazon, but they only sell them by mail order direct from a warehouse. I would prefer to inspect before buying. There is also a local diesel specialist who I might ask to have a look. They did an excellent job on my Audi, a few years ago, in curing a leak on the injection pump. They didn't charge much, whereas the dealership tried to sell me a new pump.
You can confirm which plug is faulty, (Or at least check continuity and insulation of each plug, which should be enough), by sharpening a multimeter probe and piercing insulation of each glow plug lead with the probe.
Thanks Paul. Might be worth getting one of those. I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities for using one in the future. After browsing various MB forums it appears that the OM642 lump has more than its fair share of problems with glow plugs, perhaps it's to do with their very high current rating? I have never needed to replace a plug in my Audi A4 which is now approaching its 18th birthday. One thing that puzzles me, replacement CRD plugs have a voltage rating of 4.4V and not the 12V you would expect. So were does this 4.4V come from?
Think lower voltage plugs are often used where the supply voltage is controlled via an electronic module rather than just relays. Ours also use quick warm up plugs reaching a high temperature in just a couple of seconds.
It may be possible to manufacture a tool as attached drawing which looks a though it may make the job easier.
Trouble is with that method Jack,corrosion gets in down the line in time then the wire snaps inside the insulation,we get it all the time with the Frenchies,bloody nightmare to find but sometimes you gotta probe......but the wires are so thin today and manufacturers are cutting back in cost's that every bend into the plug is soooo tight and that can cause a problem that's why we do the wiggle test first
Didn't realise that Ray, thanks.
Must admit I've done it for years though and at 70 I'm too old to change. I may rub a bit of silicone in the hole afterwards now though.
Older cars have thicker wiring,new cars with canbus don't need thick wires due to low voltage sensors etc,we do the probe test if we have to but I know it'll lead to corrosion problems later on
I've ordered the pliers and hopefully will commence diagnostics as soon as they arrive. I'm hoping it's just premature glow plug failure and not an issue with the module. 33K does seem a low mileage for glow plug failure.
My Laser pliers arrived yesterday and they certainly do a fantastic job of removing connectors. They actually lift the connector from the underside, without needing any side pressure. If anything, these pliers seem to be over-engineered for the job, but that's not a complaint.
Having removed connector #4 (left bank viewed from driver's seat and nearest rad) I was able to measure resistance as 350 Ohms, so more or less useless. I similarly measured the resistance of plug #5, adjacent on same bank. This was a more plausible 0.5 Ohms and as I was expecting.
I then conducted a voltage check on connector #4. After switching the ignition ON, the volts went up to 12V for a few seconds and then dropped to 2V after the glowplug indicator lamp extinguished. So it looks as if the glowplug module is doing something, but not sure about the residual 2V. Perhaps that's what happens on an open circuit. TIP: a small banana plug makes an ideal connector to the glow plug connector for test purposes.
So now time to remove plug #4, after first warming up engine to 90deg C. This was easy-peasy to remove with a box spanner, although access for the tommy bar was restricted by the adjacent pipework and I had to use water pump pliers. I noticed the failed plug was made by Beru and had the MB logo.
Next, the new Denso plug was fitted. Only problem was lack of a suitable wrench to torque to 10 Nm. However, I was able to fabricate something suitable by stacking two box spanners and using a piece of narrow bore gas pipe as an extended tommy bar. The requisite force on the tommy bar was exerted by means of an airline travellers spring balance.
Only problem now remaining; how to clear the DTC. Torque Pro couldn't do it, but maybe the ECU will eventually cotton on.
I then conducted a voltage check on connector #4. After switching the ignition ON, the volts went up to 12V for a few seconds and then dropped to 2V after the glowplug indicator lamp extinguished. So it looks as if the glowplug module is doing something, but not sure about the residual 2V. Perhaps that's what happens on an open circuit.
For some time, I've been puzzling over the apparent inconsistency between 4.4V glowlugs and a 12V supply. However, I found an explanation on a US Sprinter forum. The glowplug module actually supplies 4.4V using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to downconvert from 12V. Therefore, my initial assumption regarding current consumption (30A) is obviously incorrect, although 30A is mentioned in the service manual. So 4.4V/0.5 Ohm = 8.8A, which does correspond better with the thin supply cable. I'm also assuming that the 12V I measured off load would drop to 4.4V on load. If it doesn't, then I still might have a problem.
Another issue raised on the Sprinter forum was that some ebay suppliers were selling supposedly compatible plugs, but for different voltages; eg 7V.
Did you get the pliers shown in the link? I have also seen some curved ones. I too have a plug down (no 3) which I need to swap but I want to make sure I get the correct tool.
It's now just over two weeks since I replaced glowplug #4, but have been unable to clear the DTC with TorquePro. I keep getting the message that this is a "gray code" which might only be cleared by the ECU itself, after "N" successful starts following rectification. Problem is, I don't know the value of "N". I'm also wondering whether the glowplug module might be at fault and which may have caused the premature failure of the original plug. However, as reported in my earlier post, a simple voltage test on the module appeared to indicate that it was functioning correctly, albeit off-load. Otherwise, I don't have any starting problems and didn't before I changed the plug (although with 5 plugs working correctly, this shouldn't be any surprise). If it hadn't been for a routine scan with TorquePro, I would never have guessed that I had a problem in the first place.
Hi all, I have some wired problems with my CRD. If it's cold outside /0C/, my car is in garage and I can start it. Only once it won't start. BUT after some small driving /e.g. 10min/ to work, my car crank but won't fire it up. Until today no error codes, but today while in drive red bolt appears and all kind stupid errors come up.
Ok, connected with OBD, clear errors. I tried to start and again crank wont start.
So, what I have check: connectors, front, rear, no clue what else I can check.
I can reproduce this:
1. Cold outside
2. Drive to work from garage (10min)
3. Leave car parked for about 10min
4. Crunk but won't start
5. Leave it some time, sun comes up, temperature outside is better 10C, works lik charm.