Glow plugs, such thing as "service interval or .....

[BongoBongo123]

estimated life span" ?

As I gather in the Bongo they last less long than ????

I gather they stay glowing longer meaning they break earlier, they drain high current off your starter battery longer because in Japan they see this as reducing pollution.

Any further details of interest. Do people normally change glow plugs regularly on diesels these days ( a regular service item) or are they something people only bother changing when there engine does not start well in the cold.

Coming from a petrol engine person historically I am keen to know more.

cheers

[Gasy]

Not a service item
If there working leave them be

You could check each service but no need

[scanner]

estimated life span" ?

As I gather in the Bongo they last less long than ????

I gather they stay glowing longer meaning they break earlier, they drain high current off your starter battery longer because in Japan they see this as reducing pollution.

Any further details of interest. Do people normally change glow plugs regularly on diesels these days ( a regular service item) or are they something people only bother changing when there engine does not start well in the cold.

Coming from a petrol engine person historically I am keen to know more.

cheers

Where do you hear these things.

My Bongo is up to over 170,000 (MILES!) and I have had it for 8 years and over half that mileage - the glowplugs have never been touched and look to be original.

It starts first time.

My daughter's BMW has just needed it's glowplugs replacing at half the age and half the mileage.

So ???? certainly isn't BMW.

[helen&tony]

Hi
Mine were in 9 years...Just a slight bit slower on starting...nothing to worry about, but changing them did make a difference. It starts in less than 1/2 second.
Cheers
Helen

[BongoBongo123]

I hear it on this forum Scanner. That the Bongo glow plugs stay on longer than most vehicles to reduce pollution whilst the engine cylinders warm. Starting is a non issue, always starts but this winter I have had 3 out of 10 starts roll on with a lumpy idle till warm.

First diesel I have had so how are you to know without enquiring ? Most drivers have probably never even heard of glow plugs.

[scanner]

I hear it on this forum Scanner. That the Bongo glow plugs stay on longer than most vehicles to reduce pollution whilst the engine cylinders warm. Starting is a non issue, always starts but this winter I have had 3 out of 10 starts roll on with a lumpy idle till warm.

First diesel I have had so how are you to know without enquiring ? Most drivers have probably never even heard of glow plugs.

Where?

I have never read that Bongo glow plugs don't last as long those in on any other car. My experience is quite the opposite*.

I have never read that for some reason they stay on longer than in other comparable engines and I cannot see any reason why they should. As the Bongo is an indirect injection diesel it's glow plugs do stay on longer than in direct injection diesels, but not any longer than other indirect injection engines.

Yes there are some posts from those who have had glow plug problems, but no posts from the many many more who haven't had any.

Nothing wrong with asking questions, but scare stories based on misinformation (or misreading information) do not do anyone any favours. In my experience Bongo glow plugs are no better and no worse than those in any other engine.
Don't worry about it unless and until you have any problems.
As gasy said earlier if it's working OK, leave it alone.

*I have owned and driven diesels almost exclusively since 1988 had many types and only ever changed any glow plugs once in several hundreds of thousands of miles.

[Diplomat]

Glow plugs cost more than enough as it is, without replacing them while they still work.

You'll know when they've all gone, it'll be an absolute pig to start (maybe needing an aerosol) instead of merely being a pain to start, as with only one plug still working.

Best to get some new ones bought ready to fit as soon as the really difficult starting day comes along


Frank

[Northern Bongolow]

i think the original poster may have been referring to the sometimes early failures of some of the cheaper glow plugs.

bongos are fitted with 2 types of plugs, its dependent on age but not always accurate, long and short plugs,
it seems harder to buy good quality long plugs, most short plug users use the ngk plugs, these are generally long lasting.

one of our bongos has long plugs, the other has short plugs. the one with short plugs was fitted with ngk 7 years ago when we got it and has had no failures since.
the one with long plugs i converted to use short plugs (ngk) about 5 years ago and has also been faultless.
hope this clarifies things a little.

[scanner]

i think the original poster may have been referring to the sometimes early failures of some of the cheaper glow plugs.

bongos are fitted with 2 types of plugs, its dependent on age but not always accurate, long and short plugs,
it seems harder to buy good quality long plugs, most short plug users use the ngk plugs, these are generally long lasting.

one of our bongos has long plugs, the other has short plugs. the one with short plugs was fitted with ngk 7 years ago when we got it and has had no failures since.
the one with long plugs i converted to use short plugs (ngk) about 5 years ago and has also been faultless.
hope this clarifies things a little.

Then they should not extrapolate problems with crap parts into a problem that doesn't exist.

As I said misinterpretation of information.

I have been on this forum for almost 10 years now, yet BB123 managed to find a "problem" I didn't know existed.

[Simon Jones]

According to the factsheet: http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/member ... hedule.pdf
the replacement schedule is 50,000 km. As with most service items, you can leave them until they fail or cause problems or replace them as a preventative measure. Having said that, the glowplugs in my previous Bongo lasted at least 6 years / 30,000 miles but the next owner did replace them at the next service.

It is standard for glow plugs in diesel engines to stay on for a while after the light has gone out to ensure proper running until the temperature has increased sufficiently.

[BongoBongo123]

Thanks Simon that pretty much sums it up, if one is not heating quite as efficiently it could possibly be a cause of an occasional rough idle. I just like my vehicle running at optimal efficiency and reliability. It is just a nice feeling when everything is running perfect and is less likely to let you down, that is a good place to be. In the main it is running perfect just this one small issue I have noticed.

I will only bother posting on here when I have a problem as opposed to being inquisitive. I read this forum a lot and have of course taken info from a wide variety of different problems as that is where you find things out. If I have misinterpreted information it is probably because I am not a mechanic but neither a person who sends every small problem to the garage. I am 100pct convinced I read that the Bongo engine is designed in such a way that the plugs remain on considerably longer than other diesel engines due to Japanese pollution rulings.

There is no invoices for glow plug changes from previous owner so my guess is it could have been a long time ago and preventative maintenance is on my mind. I will need to get one out to find out if it is long or short (should be short in theory but best to check before ordering) For those who have changed glow plugs is it possible to retrieve just the one plug as a size check without me taking the driver seat out in order to see what size you need ? (supposedly driver seat needs to be removed if you have narrow side conversion)

[scanner]

Thanks Simon that pretty much sums it up, if one is not heating quite as efficiently it could possibly be a cause of an occasional rough idle. I just like my vehicle running at optimal efficiency and reliability. It is just a nice feeling when everything is running perfect and is less likely to let you down, that is a good place to be. In the main it is running perfect just this one small issue I have noticed.

I will only bother posting on here when I have a problem as opposed to being inquisitive. I read this forum a lot and have of course taken info from a wide variety of different problems as that is where you find info out. If I have misinterpreted information it is probably because I am not a mechanic but neither a person who sends every small problem to the garage.

There is no invoices for glow plug changes from previous owner so my guess is it could have been a long time ago and preventative maintenance is on my mind. I will need to get one out to find out if it is long or short (should be short but best to check before ordering) For those who have changed glow plugs is it possible to retrieve just the one plug as a size check without me taking the driver seat out in order to see what size you need? (supposedly driver seat needs to be removed if you have narrow side conversion)

I was simply interested to know where you had read about a problem that I was not aware (and am still not aware) exists.

[Simon Jones]

Don't be put off posting queries on the forum

You will often get a mixture of facts, opinions, views, micky taking and sometimes mis-information. On the whole, you will find a lot more accurate technical information on here than on some other online sources.

[BongoBongo123]

I edited the post to say I am convinced I have read Bongo diesel engine design keeps the plugs glowing longer than other designs to reduce emissions, something to do with Japanese environment laws.

A 1 second search brings this back:

http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/myb ... 683&page=2

"Hi, 1st post so be easy on me Cool

The Mazda Bongo, like many Jap imports has an extended relay system.

The glow plug light is simply an indication that the air is warmed enough for starting but the plugs stay glowing for around 15 seconds more before the relay cuts off - that\'s if the engine isn\'t started.

If the engine is started within the 15 second time interval the plugs can stay glowing for up to 6/7 minutes! Mad, especially if driving along at light throttle in traffic.

The system is overidden by a pressure switch detecting turbo boost and this cuts the plug relay when driving.

I fitted a switch in series with a bulb in the circuit. This way I can switch the relay/plugs off at will but I can also see how long the plugs are on for. Wink
The extended glowplug operation is to do with cutting pollution in Japanese cities. "

Also:

http://www.bongoforum.co.uk/cgi-bin/for ... 322304839/

So thinking they may not last as long as in other diesel engine designs is not that far off the mark.

Given I do not have any starting problems but a rough idle 3 in 10 starts this winter might just be a warning that it is the very start of some kind of glow plug problem. If what that chap said about the potential for 4 glow plugs to stay on for 7 mins. That is not going to do starter batteries much good. It must take a lot of current drain to glow 4 plugs red hot for 7 mins.

Sure there is always a bit of conjecture and uncertainty involved in trouble shooting as symptoms might differ a little from issue to issue but I am very impressed at the methodical approaches people have to diagnosing smaller problems in the format "Check if X is happening and if not it is probably something going wrong from point Y." I am probably worrying about nothing since summer is coming. There is a balance between preventative maintenance and the saying if you look hard enough for problems you will find them.

[scanner]

I don't know where anyone gets the idea that such operation is peculiar to Bongos. That is just the same system that I have known on European diesels (Fiat, Citroen, Peugeot and Renault, amongst others), it is common in diesels with indirect injection.

Also if that is how the glowplug is designed to work, wouldn't you think they would be designed to cope with it?

Perhaps that is why people who use good quality (e.g. NGK) glowplugs don't appear to have as many problems as people who fit cheap glowplugs to save a few quid?

I am still not aware that glowplug life is a particular problem for Bongos.