HOW DO GLOW PLUGS WORK?

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HOW DO GLOW PLUGS WORK?
No matter how you look at it, car technology has come on leaps and bounds over the past decades. And, while some of these advances are immediately noticeable and appreciated, such as electric windows and smoother suspension systems, others, like glow plugs, are hidden under the bonnet and forgotten about unless something goes wrong. This shouldn’t be the case. Heat glow plug technology has significantly improved, with BERU, for example, dramatically improving the time it takes to start your diesel car – especially on cold mornings.

So, let’s appreciate the hidden and take a look at BERU glow plugs – what are they, the different types available and how they compare to the competition.

Glow plug is specialized heating devices used to aid in the starting of diesel engines. They are similar to spark plugs in design; however, they differ in their primary function. Instead of producing a timed spark to ignite the fuel mixture, like spark plugs do, glow plugs simply serve to produce additional heat that aids the diesel engine combustion process during cold starts.

Touch the positive terminal. Take the positive lead of your multimeter and touch it to the terminal on your Mitsubishi glow plugs.

For most vehicles testing the resistance of a glow plug is a pretty simple procedure, granted the glow plugs are in an accessible location. However if they are not, or this task is not something that you feel comfortable taking up on your own, this is a service that any professional technician, such as one from YourMechanic, should be able to perform quickly and easily. If necessary, they can also replace your Isuzu Glow Plugs so that you can start your car like normal.

Engine misfires are one of the first symptoms of an issue with the vehicle’s glow plugs. If the Mazda Glow Plugs malfunction they will not provide the additional heat that aids in diesel combustion, which may cause the engine to experience misfires. The misfires may cause a loss in power, acceleration, and even fuel efficiency.

Using twin-coil technology, Toyota Glow Plugs can be made to heat more quickly and then self-stabilise at the correct temperature. This type of plug is more resistant to misuse, as it will prevent overheating of the main coil and allows longer post glow periods, giving cleaner exhaust emissions.

Each twin-coil glow plug has been designed and tested to 7,000 heating cycles before being approved for production. This means that if the engine is started from cold twice per day, the glow plug could have a life expectancy of 10 years or more.

Glow plugs are probably far more intricate than you may imagine them to be. It takes precision laser welding to join the heating coils, which are then tested for maximum temperature and rate of temperature rise. This is to ensure that the glow plugs reach 850°C within a specified time.