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-   -   Is it necessary to wait for Glow Plug light to go off before cranking a Diesel? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/92191-necessary-wait-glow-plug-light-go-off-before-cranking-diesel.html)

Sorry for using sms language in Title. I could not complete my question. So I had to use it.

My former mechanic advised me not to wait for Glow Plug Light to turn off before cranking a Diesel Engine when the Engine is hot. He told that it is not necessary to give Heater when the engine is hot.

How truth is this statement?
Please help on this.

I searched 'Heater Plug' and 'Glow Plug' but no results were found. So created new thread.

Corrected.

This is just one of those situations where I prefer to take the safe way out. Yup, I do wait for the glow plug light to go off at all times. Not that it's necessary when the engine is warmed up. But remember, the starter crank is the biggest strain on your battery. If you crank when the battery is still supplying juice to the plugs, it could put undue load on the battery.

Net net, no harm in waiting. Sometimes, it helps in being conservative. How much of a difference would 1 - 3 seconds make to your schedule anyways?

And I thought that glower plug does not go on unless it is required. Like in my Figo TDCi, it never turned on so far!

I always prefer to wait till the Glow Plug Light turns off before cranking.

The most important function of the glow plug is to help warm the engine during cold periods. The diesel engine requires a lot of heat to operate consistently, as the diesel fuel will only fire if it is compressed heavily. This isn't a problem during warm periods or if the engine has been running a while.

BTW-let us know what is your ride.

When the glow plug indicator turns off they still are powered for some more time, in my indica they are on almost 30 seconds even after the indicator light turns off, only during the mornings or when the engine is cold i wait for the light to turn off but when starting a warm or hot engine i just wait max 2-3 seconds before cranking.

always allow the glow plug to go off before starting the Diesel engine
it has a purpose - that of enabling easy start in colder conditions
whether or not you use your vehicle in colder conditions, it makes sense to allow each component to perform the function it was designed for. also helps to follow the manufacturer's recommended procedure at all times.

In my case its not really about the schedule. Almost every morning I'm stuck at a traffic signal and it takes 3-4 green lights for me to pass it. During this time I turn off the ignition of the car (Swift Diesel) as it takes about 150-180 seconds between every green light.

However, as soon as the light turns green and even if there is the slightest movement of vehicles ahead of me people start honking but I have this habit of waiting for the light to go off and only then proceeding with ignition. The 3 seconds at such time feels like ages to the people behind me if you know what I mean but I would avoid this wait if it doesn't harm the engine in any way. :) (I'm one of those who change engine oil/filter religiously at 5k intervals so engine is the top-most priority in the car for me)

So for an engine already heated up is it ok to directly crank the engine i.e. not allowing even half-a-second for the light to come up and going all the way to ignition, just a thought.

:OT Is it advisable to turn off swift diesel in a wait time of 150-180 seconds or rather let the engine running?

I have the same issue as you in terms of traffic and stop - start etc.
But I pay no mind to the mad honking which we are rather prone to I may say - I would rather protect my vehicle first and if it means a three second delay, then so be it.:)

On the other hand, just because the light in front of me has turned green and I have a number of vehicles between me and the light, I dont use the horn to hurry them up or indicate my own urgency. Unless the chap (s) in front of me are guilty of a clear breach in lane discipline or try and barge in or something of the sort that is!

My daily ride is a 1942GPW with a Peugeot engine.

I use to face the same problem when i switch off my Jeep at signals, people behind me honk continuously.However,now i turn my ignition switch 6-8 secs before the signal turns green.

Sorry for my ignorance- Can't we keep the key in such a position that it is crank ready? I keep my car key in crank positon 2, so that I dont need to wait till my car completes the compulsary OBD before the ignition which generally takes 3-4 seconds (and should include the glow plug too). Am I doing anything wrong here?

Not sure about your rides. But in my ride, after I switch off at signal stop, I keep the key position at ON. This way both the the Glow Plug and ABS check light goes off and I am ready for the crank.


:OT. Two suggestions for you to not hold the traffic at such situations..

1. If you are the first vehicle at the signal, watch the other signal (the signals horizontal to you). The moment they turn Yellow, you should crank.

2. If you are way behind and stuck amidst vehicles, then keep tab of a vehicle atleast 2 rows before you. The moment they move, you should start cranking. I usally pick a bus standing 2-3 rows before to keep this check.

stupid:. I usually switch off my Santro at signals without a thought. However before switching off my new Safari, I had visions of her reliability coming to my mind. So far she has not let me down and hopefully she wont.

i use a scorpio - i have no other vehicle. and your suggestions as below are exactly what I normally do.
However, our dear nation appears to have large numbers of some rather impatient vehicle users, who start honking indiscriminatelyl.
They appear always in a hurry and they seem to think their time in particular, for some reason, is more valuable than either yours or mine!:)


:OT. Two suggestions for you to not hold the traffic at such situations..

1. If you are the first vehicle at the signal, watch the other signal (the signals horizontal to you). The moment they turn Yellow, you should crank.

2. If you are way behind and stuck amidst vehicles, then keep tab of a vehicle atleast 2 rows before you. The moment they move, you should start cranking. I usally pick a bus standing 2-3 rows before to keep this check.

>>>

Agree completely with shankar balan's and GTO's views. The glow plug and the indicator are there for a specific function; I won't be rushed into damaging my engine simply because of the lack of civic sense by our esteemed countrymen, unless it is an emergency such as a fire engine or an ambulance.


<<<Also, I engage gear after the diesel engine has been running for 45-60 secs each time I start and also do the same before I shut her off, after disengaging gear.>>>

Is that the right practice? I think I read GTO's post recommending that somewhere in the forum, but I might be wrong.

Regards, drive safe

point on emrgency services duly noted and am in complete agreement.
ref keeping the engine on idle mode for 30-40 seconds when one starts and again for 40-60 seconds before shutting down once one stops at the destination is recommended, especially for Turbocharged engines - gives the Oil cooled Turbo a chance to cool down a bit.

What I can say is the Railway Traction diesels used to come equipped with a 'Shorting Switch' which permitted starting the engine without waiting for the the glow plugs to get heated. So obviously it was possible. How a modern high strung diesel will react to this is a different matter?