VW-Beetle TDI - Glow Plug Question?

I went through this confusing maze on my 99.5 jetta tdi about a year ago. It's the one you need but do yourself a favor and replace all four. Then put diaelectric grease on the contacts before you plug the harness back on. f you check the size wrench required to remove them is 10mm. If you have a stick shift, the three on the end of the head are bigger, 12mm as I recall. The other three are for the heater when the engine is not warmed up and you want heat from the heater. I would have called them "Heater glow plugs".

Joe

Personally I would not go to thrid party glow plugs. Just too much trouble to change them.

What's third party about BOSCH????? (they just so happen to be what came in my 99.5 jetta tdi) Also using the correct wrench they were very easy to replace.

Joe R

FWIW, I usually opt for replacing all of the glow plugs... they always seem to fail within a fairly short period. Did you look at

--TW Wow, it starts when it's below 0F when you have 4 working glowplugs.

If you can get Bosch same original part number, nothing wrong at all. As for easy, my 76 Rabbit diesel was a bear to get to the glowplugs. I don't know what my current NB TDI is like, every thing is so hidden I have not found them yet.

Yes they were a Bitch! But things have changed.

They're right under the big black cover! Also the wires have push on connectors, no little nuts! The circutry also knows when one has too high of resistance and is going bad and light the check engine light. I found that after replacing them I had to clear the error with my VAG-COM!

I just completed this after running 30k miles on 3 plugs, it took all of 20 minutes. You do need a 'deep socket' 10 mm wrench though, $3.99 from sears. It's simpler than an oil change, and cleaner to boot. AutoZone may reset your codes for you if you talk nice, buy something, and gently remind them that you would have bought glow plugs from them if they in fact carried them.

Good to hear.

Thanks to everyone for their advice. I thought you might like to hear how my glow-plug problem played out. Last evening I pulled the cover off the top of my NB-TDI and disconnected the wires from glow plugs. I then took my circuit tester and checked for a complete circuit between the top of the glow plug and the side of my motor. To my surprise all the glow plugs had a complete circuit. I was expecting to fine one that would not have a complete circuit. Not knowing which glow plug was bad I reseated the wires on the top of all the plugs and put the cover back on the motor. I then drove to my local AutoZone and ask the lady if she would print and clear the code for me. She did just that. The code read:

"P0380" The PCM has determined that a malfunction exists in the electrical circuit for Glow Plug / Heater Circuit "A".

After the lady at AutoZone cleared my code the check engine lite never did come back on. I drove the car all last evening and to work this morning and still no check engine lite . -Go Figure- I don't know if I have a Glow Plug that is on the verge of going belly-up or if I just received a rouge reading.

-Dave-

Dave Amunds>

Figure less than 1 hour to change all 4 unlike the older diesels.

Another problem area is the short wiring harness that goes to the 4 glow plugs. Matter of fact I replace more harnesses than glow plugs! The glow plugs are pared in 2 sets and the relay compared current draw of each set. If they aren't close to each other then the fault is set. A better way to check each glow plug is with an amp meter and what the current for about a minute in which the should start high and settle down to about 9amps for each.

Not the way I work. Maybe only an hour if you know what you are doing.