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checking glow plugs on a B5...

Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 9:29 am
by swalker
was out last night checking a few things with my B5 AFN.
one of the things being the glow plugs.
Al i had was a pocket DMM from durite, this has always done the job for me, but this time round the battery light came on, and fore anyone who knows DMMs this means the ohmage is goes up the left.

so how to check without a DMM???
Being a mini (not BINI) man I always have a bulb and a bit of wire in my tool box, its a marker light screwed onto a croc clip used for GND and a wire with a spade terminal hanging out the other end.

connect one side of the bulb to the +ve of the battery and remove the wire from the glow plug and connect the other side of the bulb here.
If the glow plug is good there will be a current path and the bulb will light.

if the glow plug is faulty it will be open circuit and there will be no light.

I have seen 1ohm mentioned (for a PD), but this did not ring true for me as the plugs that did work the bulb only produced a dim glow. when i replace them i will try again and let you know.

Stewart