Glow Plugs
Last year my check engine light went on. Went to dealer and was told I had a bad glow plug but it was not necessary to fix it right away and when I did I should just do all 8 since if I had one bad o...
Forum Discussion
Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Sorry but a burnt out glow plug does not swell like has been reported by a few on here.
Let me clarify: Damaged glow plugs can swell or break off and it does happen more often with non-OEM in the Ford Powerstroke.
I did not intend to imply that glow plugs that are DISCONNECTED swell while disconnected (from being in the cylinder or some other reason?), though I didn't specifically state that part.
Notice I didn't use the term "burnt out," rather disconnected. There are a number of reasons a glow plug may stop working in a particular cylinder. Glow plug physical damage, electrical harness, connectors, etc.
That being said, I'm not an expert on Duramax, either.
At a MINIMUM, if pulling the cover to replace ONE glow plug, I would ABSOLUTELY replace all the ones on that side. Is it necessary to pay (DIY time or service labor) to remove the other valve cover to replace them...it depends. I probably would, since I usually DIY. If it wasn't too much in service labor, I'd have it done, too.
Why?
Well...on the Powerstroke, the glow plugs and injectors use the same Under Valve Cover Harness (UVCH), which use the same wiring harness connectors. It is wise to replace the UVCH at the first sign of trouble, including glow plugs (easy and cheap). Usually around $200 for all glow plugs and both UVCH. No brainer.
The Duramax may be different ;)
