Repeated Glow Plug #1 Failures

Well I have replaced 3 #1 glow plugs in one year! I have had no problems with the other 3 glow plugs.

I have been using only Bosch glow plugs.

2006-2007 VW Jetta BRM TDI with the wonderful 6 speed automatic, 1.9 liter engine.

When I replace the glow plugs, I notice that much of the end of the glow plug seems to have been removed by what looks like erosion, melting, cracking, etc.

Anyway it's annoying because I get a CEL every morning when I turn on the car for the first time. And since I have a 70 mile 84 mph commute every day, I want all my CELs cleared just in case I have a real emergency and I want the CEL to light during my commute.

Any suggestions about keywords to search here in the forum?

Thanks for your support. Your good ideas are helping me to get 50 mpg!
Allen.

I have had similar issues with Cyl# 1 Glow Plug. Could not diagnose at this point.

Hi QuickTD : You are absolutely right! The Ebay seller sent me glow plugs for the BEW not the BRM. See the chart from Bosch : Thank you!

http://jhdiesel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Bosch-VW-application-chart.pdf

GLOW PLUG PROBLEM SOLVED!!! IT WAS A SIMPLE FIX!

Either smut or corrosion had increased the resistivity of the connector that attaches to the glow plug end. The increased resistivity was sensed by the VW computer, causing the car to throw a code.

I simply took some thin metal probes and scraped at the connector interior for a few minutes. And voila! No code.

I suspect that there is a little blow by in the glow plug port, which has been spraying smut upwards for the past 200K miles.

Thank you to the TDI members who responded to my question! Allen.

Glow plugs from ebay? Wrong GPs installed? Blowby at GP port?

I'd suggest asking a professional mechanic to check your setup as each fact mentioned above sounds like a disaster to me

The BRM uses NGK plugs, not Bosch. Although Bosch may make a drop in replacement for them, I have never seen one.

I would compare your replacement plug closely to the original NGK you removed for both length (of all the parts) and the voltage (printed on the plug).

aheng said:

GLOW PLUG PROBLEM SOLVED!!! IT WAS A SIMPLE FIX!

Either smut or corrosion had increased the resistivity of the connector that attaches to the glow plug end. The increased resistivity was sensed by the VW computer, causing the car to throw a code.

I simply took some thin metal probes and scraped at the connector interior for a few minutes. And voila! No code.

I suspect that there is a little blow by in the glow plug port, which has been spraying smut upwards for the past 200K miles.

Thank you to the TDI members who responded to my question! Allen.

Click to expand...

It sounds like you replaced the glow plug because the computer told you that there was a problem in the #1 glow plug circuit. If I'm reading this right, you never put a multimeter to the glow plugs to see if any were actually bad.