Can glow plugs be tested with a multi meter, if yes then how ??

[Fastlife91]

car - 2006 1.8 TDCI Focus

Smokey (white) after overnight park and shakes when press the gas, clears after  1-2 minutes, then runs great all day and night. sometimes fires up instantly, other times take a little longer.

put 4 new glow plugs in, was okay for 2 days then problem started again. I noticed I over tightened the ends of 2 of the plugs (were the glow plug wire connects) and the top bit was crumbled. I have about 9 used glow plugs that somebody gave me ( condition unknown) so I swapped the 2 crumbled ones, however it still has problem, I tried swapping them again with the other of the spare plugs, still a problem. 

I have a digital multi meter, Don't really know how to use them or if I used it right but I set it to 200 and put the red wire touching the nut (hexagon shaped thing) and the red touching the top (threaded part) and each plug shows around 00.9 so does this mean all plugs are okay ?

 

I put each plug in rather tight (had to guess as have no torque wrench) but I'm sure they are in tight enough.

 

NO ENGINE LIGHT ON DASH

What could be the problem, if not the glow plugs ?   thanks 

 

 

Oh, and the glow plug relay light comes o n every time when cold so I do not suspect the glow plug relay

[dezwez]

try here 

 

[Fastlife91]

11 minutes ago, dezwez said:

try here 

 

 

I have, this is the video ( I think) that I watched, and every plug I tested was 00.9 the ones in my car are all 00.7 (I tested them before putting them back in )  so are these good glow plug readin gs and if so what else could be the problem ?  I DO NOT THINK IT IS THE  GLOW PLUG RELAY BECAUSE THE  GPR LIGHT COMES ON EVERY TIME WHEN COLD SO DO NOT THINK IT IS THE GPR

[jeebowhite]

Check voltage at each plug on key turn it should be I think 9v for a happy plug

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[Fastlife91]

22 minutes ago, jeebowhite said:

Check voltage at each plug on key turn it should be I think 9v for a happy plug

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Hi

How does one check ''voltage on plug with key turn'' with a multi meter , also what does key turn mean ?

 

 

cheers 

[jeebowhite]

So you would find the glow plug, attach the red end of the multimeter to the glow plug, the black end to an earthing point.

If you don't understand what a key turn is then I think you have bigger worries than the glow plug voltage....

Turn the key from ignition off position 0 to ignition on (position 2) and note the value of the voltage.

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[Fastlife91]

44 minutes ago, jeebowhite said:

So you would find the glow plug, attach the red end of the multimeter to the glow plug, the black end to an earthing point.

If you don't understand what a key turn is then I think you have bigger worries than the glow plug voltage....

Turn the key from ignition off position 0 to ignition on (position 2) and note the value of the voltage.

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so attach the red lead to the top threaded (top bit) of the glow plug and the black to say the car battery ?

key turn, how can I turn the key inside the car when I will be outside the car watching the multi meter ? do you mean take a reading with ignition off then with ignition on ?

 

please reply and as always much appreciated

 

[jeebowhite]

Yes, red lead to the connector tip to the glow plug, where the thick red power cable runs to, black to any metal part of the engine, iirc correctly I just tapped it onto one of the engine cover mounts. You should be able to do a Continuity test if you are really uncertain.

Then just lay the multimeter on the windscreen facing you as you turn the key. It's best to use crocodile clips for this job.

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[jeebowhite]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Video+-+%20glow+plug+voltage+test

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[Fastlife91]

13 minutes ago, jeebowhite said:

Yes, red lead to the connector tip to the glow plug, where the thick red power cable runs to, black to any metal part of the engine, iirc correctly I just tapped it onto one of the engine cover mounts. You should be able to do a Continuity test if you are really uncertain.

Then just lay the multimeter on the windscreen facing you as you turn the key. It's best to use crocodile clips for this job.

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hello

okay think I get where the cables go, I shall connect the black to the battery or something.

do I need to watch the multi meter as I turn the key or do I get 2 readings, one when ignition is on and when when ignition is off ?

 

what are crocodile clips ?

 

EDIT: could it be the glow plug relay despite the glow plug light showing when cold ?

[sotonstuart]

*cough* Google *cough*

1 minute ago, Fastlife91 said:

hello

okay think I get where the cables go, I shall connect the black to the battery or something.

do I need to watch the multi meter as I turn the key or do I get 2 readings, one when ignition is on and when when ignition is off ?

 

what are crocodile clips ?

 

[jeebowhite]

Given the relay is only active during key turn and whilst the glow plug light Is on the dash, I would recommend that to be the primary voltage reading to use. Test every glow plug and ensure the reading is the same.

As for crocodile clips

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Multimeter+crocodile+clips+use

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[Fastlife91]

16 minutes ago, jeebowhite said:

Given the relay is only active during key turn and whilst the glow plug light Is on the dash, I would recommend that to be the primary voltage reading to use. Test every glow plug and ensure the reading is the same.

As for crocodile clips

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Multimeter+crocodile+clips+use

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hello

what does'' given the relay is only active during key turn (still not completely sure what key turn means? lol) and whilst the glow plug light is on the dash ''   supposed to mean ?

are you suggesting that the glow plug relay may be the culprit despite seeing it on the dash when engine is cold ?   and what does  '' primary voltage reading to use ''  mean ?

 

if each glow plug gives the same reading does that mean the glow plugs are fine and if so what else could cause this problem?

 

thank you very much

[jeebowhite]

I thought I had explained it pretty well....

The glow plugs get their power from the relay, which is only on when the ignition key has been turned (key turn) from position 0 to position 2 (car off to electrics only). The glow plugs stay lit for up to 20 seconds depending how efficiently they have worked and how up to temperature the car is. The glow plug light on the dashboard directly shows how long the relay is on for, so if it's - 10 outside then it's going to take longer for the glow plugs to do their job, so the light might be on for 20 seconds. When the light is off the glow plugs are off.

If the glow plugs all get the correct voltage maintained then the relay is working as it provides power to the glow plug.

Since the glow plugs, their relay and the light on the instrument cluster all work at the same time, then that's the only time there is a voltage.

If you take a reading before, it will be 0v, if you take a reading after it will be 0v, so you need to take the voltage reading whilst the glow plugs are active.

If you don't understand still the process, you need to take your car to a mechanic and have them do the work for you. I honestly cannot explain this in any way simpler.

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[Fastlife91]

10 minutes ago, jeebowhite said:

I thought I had explained it pretty well....

The glow plugs get their power from the relay, which is only on when the ignition key has been turned (key turn) from position 0 to position 2 (car off to electrics only). The glow plugs stay lit for up to 20 seconds depending how efficiently they have worked and how up to temperature the car is. The glow plug light on the dashboard directly shows how long the relay is on for, so if it's - 10 outside then it's going to take longer for the glow plugs to do their job, so the light might be on for 20 seconds. When the light is off the glow plugs are off.

If the glow plugs all get the correct voltage maintained then the relay is working as it provides power to the glow plug.

Since the glow plugs, their relay and the light on the instrument cluster all work at the same time, then that's the only time there is a voltage.

If you take a reading before, it will be 0v, if you take a reading after it will be 0v, so you need to take the voltage reading whilst the glow plugs are active.

If you don't understand still the process, you need to take your car to a mechanic and have them do the work for you. I honestly cannot explain this in any way simpler.

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You did it explain it well but as I said before, I have dyspraxia which is a learning difficulty and it can take longer for me to process information, I don't like being discriminated of because of my disability ( not saying you are being discriminating ,lol)

you're saying if all the plugs get the same reading then the glow plug relay is working good but that is incorrect, if a plug gives a different reading than the rest said plug may be faulty not the relay itself.

what do you mean if I take a reading before and after,  before and after what ?

 

cheers

[jeebowhite]

If all four plugs give a reading then the relay is working... Ideally they should all be the same yes, however, if they are all getting a voltage the relay and the wiring harness is operating properly. If however there is no voltage at all then the relay is faulty.

If one or several plugs read differently then the plug and it's earthing are the likely reason for the problem, not the relay.

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[Fastlife91]

3 minutes ago, jeebowhite said:

If all four plugs give a reading then the relay is working... Ideally they should all be the same yes, however, if they are all getting a voltage the relay and the wiring harness is operating properly. If however there is no voltage at all then the relay is faulty.

If one or several plugs read differently then the plug and it's earthing are the likely reason for the problem, not the relay.

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Hello

if there is no reading at all then it could be the gp is faulty not the relay.

are you suggesting the gp relay is fine ?

what could be the problem if not the GP's ? could an injector cause this or fuel filter but wouldn't an engine light be on if that was the case and would the problem remain via out the day if so /

 

cheers

[jeebowhite]

If no glow plug or part of the wire leading to them has a voltage, the relay is likely the problem. If the glow plugs all have a voltage (same or not) then relay is working, if any of them are at about 9v the relay is working pretty much spot on.

Given you only asked about how to test a glow plug with a multimeter I have no idea what you mean when you ask 'could an injector or fuel filter cause this' (cause what?).

In short... If the glow plugs or the red wire generate a voltage of around 9v then the relay is OK, if none of them have voltage then relay is dead. If you are having problems starting the car take it to a mechanic they can sort the glow plugs. I mean absolutely no disrespect when I say this whatsoever, however, if you are struggling to understand the means of testing these, I worry you may not understand the delicacy and correct method of extracting them and trust me, if they snap you are more done for.

To summarise

Any voltage =glow plugs probably need replacing
Low voltage on wire =relay may need replacing or earth points will need cleaning
No voltage on wire or plug =relay probably dead.

If you have a particular problem please ask questions and provide information to that problem, I nor anyone else can help you if we don't know what's happening... So if you want to know can a fuel filter or injector cause it, tell us what it is, preferably in another thread so the two lines of information are separated for ease of reading.

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[Fastlife91]

2 hours ago, jeebowhite said:

If no glow plug or part of the wire leading to them has a voltage, the relay is likely the problem. If the glow plugs all have a voltage (same or not) then relay is working, if any of them are at about 9v the relay is working pretty much spot on.

Given you only asked about how to test a glow plug with a multimeter I have no idea what you mean when you ask 'could an injector or fuel filter cause this' (cause what?).

In short... If the glow plugs or the red wire generate a voltage of around 9v then the relay is OK, if none of them have voltage then relay is dead. If you are having problems starting the car take it to a mechanic they can sort the glow plugs. I mean absolutely no disrespect when I say this whatsoever, however, if you are struggling to understand the means of testing these, I worry you may not understand the delicacy and correct method of extracting them and trust me, if they snap you are more done for.

To summarise

Any voltage =glow plugs probably need replacing
Low voltage on wire =relay may need replacing or earth points will need cleaning
No voltage on wire or plug =relay probably dead.

If you have a particular problem please ask questions and provide information to that problem, I nor anyone else can help you if we don't know what's happening... So if you want to know can a fuel filter or injector cause it, tell us what it is, preferably in another thread so the two lines of information are separated for ease of reading.

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Sorry not being rude but when I ask could a faulty fuel injector or filter cause this I did clearly clarify it in the original post at the top of this thread and I ask if the glow plugs are not the culprit then could it be either of these, In the above post it gives you the symptoms .I just don't understand how di you not see that ?

 

After overnight park only, first 2 minutes or so the car smokes (white) and car shakes when pressing gas, after 1 or 2 mins from starting it drives great all day/night. there are no engine lights on dash. just the initial problem from overnight start.

 

[Stoney871]

White smoke and a shaking engine on start up is caused by a damaged head gasket or a warped cylinder head allowing coolant to seep into the cylinders when the engine is cold.
It definitely needs checking in a garage.

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[jeebowhite]

 
Sorry not being rude but when I ask could a faulty fuel injector or filter cause this I did clearly clarify it in the original post at the top of this thread and I ask if the glow plugs are not the culprit then could it be either of these, In the above post it gives you the symptoms .I just don't understand how di you not see that ?
 
 

My error, however when your working on a phone and trying to type a reply to a message on page two its not easy to flick over also to page one to re-create everything then re read thr last message.

With regards the problem though, I would agree with Clive, it really depends how white the smoke is.

If it's a light whiff of white then it's probably condensation, if it's almost fog white then your head gasket is gone like Clive said.

Either way a garage test is the way to go. However for the shaky symptoms, this could be as simple as a clogged fuel filter, injectors I don't think are as much the problem, as this would cause a shakey engine all the time.


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[Fastlife91]

1 hour ago, jeebowhite said:

 

My error, however when your working on a phone and trying to type a reply to a message on page two its not easy to flick over also to page one to re-create everything then re read thr last message.

With regards the problem though, I would agree with Clive, it really depends how white the smoke is.

If it's a light whiff of white then it's probably condensation, if it's almost fog white then your head gasket is gone like Clive said.

Either way a garage test is the way to go. However for the shaky symptoms, this could be as simple as a clogged fuel filter, injectors I don't think are as much the problem, as this would cause a shakey engine all the time.


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assuming it was the head gasket, how much typically should I expect a backstreet garage to charge to replace head gasket, timing belt e.t..c on a 2006 ford focus sport 1.8 tdci ?  thank you

[TomsFocus]

I'm almost certain it's not the headgasket.  The problems have been going on for so long with 'potential headgasket' on this car there would be far more significant problems with it by now lol.  

White smoke is usually unburnt diesel and the shaking would indicate it's misfiring on one cylinder until it warms up.  Both symptoms usually caused by a broken glowplug.  I don't know why anyone would remove glowplugs unless they were knackered, let alone give them away so the plugs you've been given probably don't work well if at all.  For all this hassle you could have just bought 2 more new ones and fitted them.

[Fastlife91]

2 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

I'm almost certain it's not the headgasket.  The problems have been going on for so long with 'potential headgasket' on this car there would be far more significant problems with it by now lol.  

White smoke is usually unburnt diesel and the shaking would indicate it's misfiring on one cylinder until it warms up.  Both symptoms usually caused by a broken glowplug.  I don't know why anyone would remove glowplugs unless they were knackered, let alone give them away so the plugs you've been given probably don't work well if at all.  For all this hassle you could have just bought 2 more new ones and fitted them.

Hi

yeah, it's been like more than a year and still losing water, no symptoms of HG failure other than having to replace leaking radiator and 2 coolant hoses and metal pipes.  seems to be High pressure in cooling system . However no oil/water mix, no power loss, no smoke (until recently when start up after overnight park) 

When car has been parked overnight, for about 1 minute or so I start it and quite a lot of white smoke comes out the exhaust for about 30 seconds - 1 minute. car also vibrates/shakes when press the gas on initial start up, after a minute or so it clears and car drives great all day and night.

The glow plugs I was given are all giving a reading of about 00.9 on the multimeter, does this mean the plugs are okay ?

 

if it was the head gasket allowing water into the cylinders would I be seeing oil/water mixing e.t..c  ? 

 

thank you very much for your help

[Fastlife91]

12 hours ago, Stoney871 said:

White smoke and a shaking engine on start up is caused by a damaged head gasket or a warped cylinder head allowing coolant to seep into the cylinders when the engine is cold.
It definitely needs checking in a garage.

Sent from my SM-G930F
 

Would that not cause the oil/water to mix though ?