virgil

Following a service yesterday BMW has told me that 4 of the glow plugs would require replacing. I've done 83000km on my '06 530d. How long should they last?

Cheers

virgil

msevestre

Hello

I don't know if there is a mean life duration for glow plugs. On my E61 530D mid-2005, I have one glow plug that has a failure.

Do you have start problems or not ?

Matt

Ballistic

i got 4 failing too. when its a few degrees below freezing, which is rarely is here, i get a sputter or 2 on startup but thats it.

If your not driving in colder then -10 weather i wouldnt worry much about it.

davidmleckie

Hi Virgil,

Had the same on mine 4 plugs out at 60000mls, there is no set time for them to fail but they are used more than you think, most people think they are used only when the light shows on the dash but At coolant temperatures below 25 °C, there is a preheating period of 0.5 seconds. The preheating period increases as the temperature falls, reaching a maximum of 2.7 seconds at a coolant temperature of less than -25 °C.
Activation of the glowplug system on the instrument cluster only occurs at coolant temperatures below 0 °C.
There is also a Afterheating stage At coolant temperatures below 30 °C, there is a temperature-dependent after-heating period to improve idling and exhaust emission characteristics.

Personally i would change them and while your in there (as you need to remove the inlet manifold to change the glow plugs) it gives you the chance to clean out the EGR valve and remove the swirl flaps if not all ready done.
Hope this was of help.
Cheers.
Dave.

davidmleckie

Hi Virgil,

Had the same on mine 4 plugs out at 60000mls, there is no set time for them to fail but they are used more than you think, most people think they are used only when the light shows on the dash but At coolant temperatures below 25 °C, there is a preheating period of 0.5 seconds. The preheating period increases as the temperature falls, reaching a maximum of 2.7 seconds at a coolant temperature of less than -25 °C.
Activation of the glowplug system on the instrument cluster only occurs at coolant temperatures below 0 °C.
There is also a Afterheating stage At coolant temperatures below 30 °C, there is a temperature-dependent after-heating period to improve idling and exhaust emission characteristics.

Personally i would change them and while your in there (as you need to remove the inlet manifold to change the glow plugs) it gives you the chance to clean out the EGR valve and remove the swirl flaps if not all ready done.
Hope this was of help.
Cheers.
Dave.