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Glow plug Failures in Sprinter van and how to fix them

GLOW PLUG FAILURES IN SPRINTERS

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Overall, Sprinters are good and highly reliable vehicles. As a result, they are popular among businesses and organizations for commercial use, even being used by emergency services or as RV and camper. Despite their efficiency and reliability, there are issues that befall Sprinter vans. Now we’ll explain a common problem with Sprinter glow plugs and how to overcome it.

 

What is a Sprinter van Glow Plug?

A glow plug is an electrical heating device that helps diesel-powered vehicles reach the required ignition temperature. Compression temperature in a cold diesel engine may not be high enough to ignite the engine, therefore, a glow plug is required.

 

Typically, a glow plug is comprised of a heating coil in a metal tube that is closed at one end and filled with insulating ceramic powder. When a glow plug is electrically energized, the heated portion reaches temperatures of more than 1000 degrees Celsius within just a few seconds, igniting the engine.

 

Glow Plug Failures in Sprinters

It is rather common in T1N Sprinters for the glow plugs to seize into the cylinder head, meaning major repairs may be needed. The engine control module (ECM) does monitor the glow plugs and if a problem arises, it can issue a fault. Inevitably, glow plugs do wear over time, but this can be an easy procedure to fix. However, such a repair does require caution as they can be difficult to remove. Don’t apply too much force as broken glow plugs are expensive to replace, so the best time to remove glow plugs is when the engine is warm (not hot). After driving your vehicle, leave it for around 30-40 minutes before attempting to remove the glow plugs and replacing them.

 

Alternatively, to make the process much easier, you could leave the task to the professionals who are guaranteed to get the job done right. So head on down to Sprinter Gurus to ensure that your glow plug failure is corrected properly by the experts. 

Pricing varies on glow plugs depending on engine & year.

Cost $50-$70 each  (part+labor)

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Glow plugs & module. As with any diesel engine, the glow plugs & modules in Sprinter do not last forever... Also, sometimes the stubborn plugs will break off in cylinder head. 

These  Sprinter glow plugs are rusty, it needs urgent replacement.

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