Glow Plugs replaced...well, mostly, cough

Rickstah

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2002
Location
Yukon, Oklahoma
TDI
NB, 2002, green, Eurotek STG1
Hi all. I've never had any problem with glow plug replacements on Christine. They always came out and went back in with no binding. The Bug turned out to be a different animal. I replace 1, 3 and 4 no problems, threaded down to the bottom, torqued 11 pds. Number 2 started to come out ok, then the torque required to continue removing it increased. It still came out but it was definitely taking more torque, although it never reached a danger point. So, before putting the new glowplug in, a liberal coating of anti-seize, then it started threading in ok but then started requiring more torque to turn. It started going well past the 11 pds setting on the torque wrench, so I set the wrench to 24 pds, a tad less than the max torque for these plugs (so I read). I kept turning it slowly, and it stayed less than the 24 pds level until it got almost down flush like the rest, and then the torque jumped past the 24 pds. I tried a couple of more slow turns and it moved just a bit more and then the torque wrench kept letting off. It is probably 1/16 " from flush but I had chills those last two attempts, lol.

Long story short, is that close enough to work effectively at its appointed purpose? I didn't get anymore plug codes (there were intermittent codes on 2 and 3) when I cleared and restarted. Guess I will wait until it gets cold again to see if it works better now. Crossing fingers, lol.
 
Last edited:

burpod

teh stallionz!!1
Joined
Nov 27, 2004
Location
cape cod, ma
TDI
82 rabbit vnt ahu, 98 jetta vnt ahu, 05 parts car, 88 scirocco.. :/
you're post is a little confusing... but if i read it right, you're wondering if the glow plug is far enough in that it might throw a code? as long as it has a solid ground, it doesn't care where it's stuck into :D

and by that, i also mean, if it's not solid, you'd see/hear something come out of it when the engine is running
 

Rickstah

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2002
Location
Yukon, Oklahoma
TDI
NB, 2002, green, Eurotek STG1
Yeah I was sleepy when I posted, lol. Basically it went back in, but not quite as far as the original plug...maybe 1/16th of an inch from flush with the surface. No codes, and I assume it will perform better on cold mornings again now, but will have to wait...this morning was 54 degrees. Two of the plugs had black coatings as normal but two also had a yellowish color to them and number four, or I think number four as I didn't pay too much attention to their order when removing, had a small groove worn in it. It looks deep in the picture but it was actually quite shallow. I was able to clean up the discoloration but could still feel the pitted section.
 

rwolff

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2002
Location
Lesser continental mass, Tosev 3
TDI
None yet
I recall reading somewhere on these forums that the glow plugs sealed on an angled surface, rather than the threads (would be consistent with the other 3 plugs - note how the fat part below the threads is shiny?). If this is leaking (see the soot on the fat part of the suspect plug?) it could force soot into the threads (hence the hard removal/installation). That thread said to clean the threads with a tap (foam earplug pushed in first, in order to keep crud out of the cylinder), then use a special tool (screws into the threads) to clean/resurface the sealing surface. I'd suggest doing it SOON, before the hot gases have a chance to erode the sealing surface on the new plug (which would then need replacement, so that its eroded surface doesn't allow hot gases to go past the newly resurfaced bit on the head, eroding it and requiring it to be resurfaced AGAIN).
 

79jasper

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2014
Location
Skiatook, Oklahoma
TDI
2010 jetta
Glowplugs seal at that bottom end of the shiny part.
^what that guy said. For whatever reason, it may not have been in tight, carbon will get up there and build up.

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