'97 TDI 62,000 miles :My check engine light came on a month ago after a hard start (knocked heavily as if skipping a cylinder), then drives normally once warm. Background: glow plug light has behaved the same since I bought the car, meaning that it always stays on the same amount of time for any given temp. I had a timing belt break (at 54,000!) this summer so I had a new head and intake manifold installed.
--1st time I brought it in (Fault for glow plug intermittantly inoperative) dealer said they thought is was a faulty temp sensor (even though glow plug has always acted the same - they considered it plug time short) which they didn't have, and they found a bad glow plug fuse which was burned, worn, & cracked. They replaced the fuse but I had to come back for the temp sensor.
--I read through this forum and suggested the dealer check for shorts, bad relays, or bad grounds,
--but the next time I brought it in they changed the temp sensor (they said readings were out of spec) but faults still kicked out saying "glow plugs out of range". Then they changed "cont module" (gplug relay?) and said everthing was reading fine. Next morning the glow plugs were on for a shorter time than I expected, had a hard start, then the CEL came back on !@#!%*
What can I do? $$$ are adding up.
--1st time I brought it in (Fault for glow plug intermittantly inoperative) dealer said they thought is was a faulty temp sensor (even though glow plug has always acted the same - they considered it plug time short) which they didn't have, and they found a bad glow plug fuse which was burned, worn, & cracked. They replaced the fuse but I had to come back for the temp sensor.
--I read through this forum and suggested the dealer check for shorts, bad relays, or bad grounds,
--but the next time I brought it in they changed the temp sensor (they said readings were out of spec) but faults still kicked out saying "glow plugs out of range". Then they changed "cont module" (gplug relay?) and said everthing was reading fine. Next morning the glow plugs were on for a shorter time than I expected, had a hard start, then the CEL came back on !@#!%*
What can I do? $$$ are adding up.