No Glow.... poor cold starting

[Ja1983]

i notice my 2.5td takes a lot of turning, hope and finally fog to  start up first thing. i also note there is no glow plug light on the dash, however a yellow light with a choke symbol lights when the key is turned.

have i got one thats been converted to diesel?

...and how do i know if the glowplugs are wired up and functioning properly?

....whaich fuse do i need to check?

`89 defender 90 2.5 TD

Cheers

[Litch]

The same cold-start warning light is used on both pertrol & derv models.

First question is how long do you let the plugs heat before you turn the engine and when the engine has started and the key in the normal 'on' position I take it the light goes out ok?
I found with my old 2.5NA D (which is pretty much like the TD when it comes to starting) that pre-heating of anything between 8-seconds in warm weather to 15-seconds in winter was needed to let the engine start first time. When it got to 20-seconds (in winter) I replaced all the glow-plugs (£15 and 30-mins work) and everything was fine again. I tested the old plugs on the bench and indeed found that one was U/S.

The TDi's are a different matter, mine needs no pre-heating in summer and although it would probably start easy enough in winter I do wait until the light goes out (they have a timer relay fitted).

[Ja1983]

the only light i get is the choke light which comes on as the starter motor turns, will invest in a set of plugs and see if theres any improvement!

still a mystery tho. tried tracing wires the other night, but not an easy task after 7-8 cans... :lol:

maybe a faulty relay? - where are they, how do i test it?

cheers

[BigBlue90]

The 2.5td does not have an automatic glow plug. If you turn the key halfway between position two and three the choke light should come on (without the engine turning over). This indicates that the glow plus are on. Give it 10 seconds and then turn the key the rest of the way.
Sorry if I have stated the obvious but it was not explained to me when I first bought mine. I was so used to the glow plugs being heated automatically that I took a while to work it out.

Hope that helps.

[dew1911]

W had that problem - if you hold it for 10-15 seconds before starting it should crack up no problems. Also try the battery, ours had been given a car battery and so didn't have the grunt to turn itself to fire.

[Ja1983]

The exact conclusion i came to at dinnertime today, will see how it goes tommorrow morning!

anymore oddities like this i should know about? Very odd technology on these motors!! :lol:

[Litch]

I'm getting the impression you aren't pre-heating before turning the motor.

You need to hold the key in the pre-heat position for the time I said in my previous post before turning the engine and I don't think you are doing this.
You should have two sprung positions on your ignition switch, the first one brings the glow-plugs in (and lights the dash-light) and the second one turns the engine, you have to hold the key in the first position before turning it all the way around to the start position.

It is of course possible that someone has fitted a petrol ignition switch without the pre-heat position, is this the case?
By the way, if you buy an owners handbook (about £12 brand new) all will be explained.

[davidlandy]

on my old TD it needed 20-25 seconds when cold to get it to start

It would never start on 10 seconds or so.

[Litch]

20-25 seconds!
I take it the battery was in good condition and the glow-plugs were functioning correctly? When my 2.5NA D started wanting up to 20-seconds in winter I replaced the glow-plugs and that cured the problem.

[dew1911]

20 seconds is a lot, mine will fire in 10 95% of the time.

[Ja1983]

20 seconds is enough to cut the fog/turning time down to reasonable...

new glow plugs in next order from paddocks!  

[parksie]

I've got the same problem with mine, I can leave the ignition in the II position but the choke light doesn't come on until I actually turn it over. When you turn her over she'll start then cut out straight away, then after a few tries of this she starts (smoking like a chimney). I've tried replacing the plugs but still the same, what should I try next?

[graham2306]

That sounds like a wiring problem to me.  Have you tried putting a test light on the glow pugs and seeing if there is any power going to them?  If the yellow light only comes on whgen you turn the key the ignition switch may be wrongly wired.

The position to turn the glow plugs on is not easy to find as it is halfway between off and on and requires an iron wrist to hold it there if you have the military ignition switch and key.  I had a key cut with a larger head to make it easier to hold, but the leverage it gave me snapped it off in the ignition!

Graham

[Litch]

I've got the same problem with mine, I can leave the ignition in the II position but the choke light doesn't come on until I actually turn it over. When you turn her over she'll start then cut out straight away, then after a few tries of this she starts (smoking like a chimney). I've tried replacing the plugs but still the same, what should I try next?

Sounds to me that you might just have a petrol ignition switch fitted.

[parksie]

So should my ignition not have a II position or is there a place between II and III position that I need to hold the key before turning it into the III position?

Forgive me for sounding stupid (never had a diesel before) but how do I test the glow plugs?

Someone also mentioned before that this could be an injector problem, any more thought on this one?

[Litch]

Position 1 is the normal on/running position.
Position 11 is sprung loaded and is used for pre-heating (i.e. the glow-plugs are operating).
Position 111 is also sprung loaded and turns the engine over.
When the engine has caught and pressure released the key will return to position 1 and the engine will (should) idle happily.

Before looking at possible injector faults I would check the most simple thing which is the glow-plugs. Starting proceedure is clearly explained in the owners handbook which costs about £12 brand new and is available from (amongst other places) the LRE bookshop.

[parksie]

That could explain it!  My ignition isn't spring loaded for position II just III is spring loaded and it returns to position II for normal driving.

[Litch]

Sounds to me like the problem has been solved.
Was your vehicle originally a petrol model by any chance? If it was then it is just possible that the person who did the conversion didn't bother with the correct ignition switch but may have fitted a switch for manual pre-heating, have you noticed an odd switch which has no apparent use?

[Ja1983]

That could explain it!  My ignition isn't spring loaded for position II just III is spring loaded and it returns to position II for normal driving.

we all seem to have this issue...

trn the key right up to JUST before the starter motor turns over, here the choke light should be on, if you release the key now, it will go off, if you hold it here for about 10seconds, then fully turn  it it should fire up.

position 1
steering lock off
position 2
normal running/electrics etc
MID WAY
glow plugs
position 3 (sprung)
starter motor  

[parksie]

Just about to post a reply and I noticed someone else had done it for me.  It turns out it is the right ignition switch I is steering lock II driving and mid way between II and III the choke light does indeed come on and if I hold it there for about 10 secs she fires straight up (still smoking like a chimney though, lol). Thanks lads.

[graham2306]

(still smoking like a chimney though, lol). Thanks lads.

Hey  it's a real Land Rover then.  Bet it leaks oil all over the drive too.

Graham

[parksie]

yep, she's got more leaks than the titanic, lol.