Glow plug preventive maintenance

On my previous ride, a 1983 Mercedes-Benz 300CD I pulled the glow plugs every Fall, inspected, tested and reamed the seats. I now have a 2014 TDI and the manuals I have say nothing about preventive maintenance for the glow plugs.
My question is: Do the glow plugs in this engine need the same sort of attention? On the Benz, if you let the plug maintenance go too long the build-up of carbon on the tips made pulling them very difficult.

Nope, my old 2011 JSW ran 3 original glow plugs for 300k miles, one went bad at 120k-ish miles. Drove her into the shop and got it replaced and back on the road for until 300k miles.

What the signs are? Misfiring and CEL lights up, drive-able but a bit slower and go easy unless you can replace it yourself if your car is out of the warranty. If under warranty, let them replace it themselves.

Interesting to know about old Mercedes Diesels, my grandfather had 2 of them, 1976 Mercedes 240D with 450k miles original owner, also 1984 300SD. Don’t recall him doing the glow plugs besides blow by valve or EGR? failure and oil changes himself. I have to look around for a picture of it as I was a young boy that time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

These plugs are generally reliable, the bit that goes is the combustion sensor. But since the ignition pulses are paired, if one goes you won't get a MIL until both fail.


If you have one fail near the end or post warranty, FCP Euro warranties every part for life.

FCP Euro? Cool! Good to know. thanks for your tips.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

PRY4SNO said:

These plugs are generally reliable, the bit that goes is the combustion sensor. But since the ignition pulses are paired, if one goes you won't get a MIL until both fail.


If you have one fail near the end or post warranty, FCP Euro warranties every part for life.

Click to expand...

That's interesting. Under warrenty the CPO replaced only #1 G.P. I believe it was po13ce & po13do? I recall it was noted as pressure sensor.