You may have bought a diesel-engined vehicle for its proven reliability. If so, you may use your car or truck a great deal or on a commercial basis and simply can't afford any downtime when you need to get on the road. Yet you may have encountered a problem trying to start the vehicle. Does the issue seem to become particularly pronounced during cold weather? If you're extremely busy and cannot afford to schedule a visit to a repair shop, what can you do to overcome this challenge?
Identifying the Culprit
When the operator of a diesel-engined vehicle encounters a problem during a hard start, it can typically be traced back to bad glow plugs. These particular components are unique to a diesel engine and are not found in petrol engines, and if they do go bad, they can cause a number of symptoms.
Glow Plugs in Action
A glow plug sits in each engine cylinder and is designed to preheat the air to a certain temperature so that combustion can take place. As you may know, a diesel engine will rely on pressurised air in this situation and not an electrical spark, so if the glow plugs cannot warm up the air to a sufficient temperature, it will very hard to crank the vehicle into life.
Developing Problem
You may get some advance warning of a problem if you notice some black smoke coming out of the exhaust or find it difficult to accelerate past a slower car when out on the road. Eventually, it will become very difficult to start the vehicle in the morning when it is cold, and if more than one glow plug were to fail, it might prove to be impossible.
Mobile Assistance
If it is difficult for you to get away from your current location due to work or some other commitments, why don't you call in a mobile diesel repair specialist to help out? They will be able to come to you, diagnose the issue and change the glow plugs quite easily, as this is a very commonplace problem.
Regular Service
At the same time, make sure that you schedule a regular service as well. When you do, the technician will be able to look at the condition of the glow plugs during such a visit, and this could head off a repeat of your current challenge in the future.
To learn more, contact a company that offers mobile diesel repairs.
