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Glow plug issue?

D

dcm1971

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Messages
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Location
Cardiff
Car
Accord Tourer
Driving home today and had a little issue, rolled on the throttle on a dual carriageway and the car had a little cough and the glow plug warning light came on (flashing). Car was down on power and didn't want to rev past 2,000rpm.

Limped it back to the garage I bought it from but they had closed for the day. Jumped back in, turned the ignition on and had a beeping noise and a flashing glow plug light, started up and car drove OK and would rev past 2,000 rpm. Need some idea's what it could be.

Thanks,

Steve
 
Hi Steve... it's almost certainly a fuel filter issue, either well over-due for a change OR (more likely) you have a cheap aftermarket filter fitted instead of the correct OEM part. For some reason, the glow plug light flashes when the fuel pressure available at the injectors (from the fuel rail) is below the target value. Many aftermarket filters present too great a flow restriction, even when new!

EDIT - I see in your profile that you have a 2005 diesel, so it needs to have a Bosch fuel filter (part number ending in 442), you should be able to check the filter make by lifting the bonnet and looking at the filter clamped to the bulkhead on the passenger side, just below the fuel hand priming pump (see owners manual if unclear) and the word 'BOSCH' should be seen. Despite being visible, it is a bit of a pig to change (at least the first time you do it)!

There are other (more serious) reasons for low fuel pressure, so do make sure the garage fix it properly. For example, a replacement fuel pump is over £1k +VAT.
 
Would the lack of fuel flow cause it to go into what is a 'limp home' mode, as when I test drove it I thought it felt like it needed a good service and it just feels generally a little 'soft' on acceleration?

Filter says Bosch on it.
 
Yes, lack of fuel flow (and the resulting low fuel pressure) would result in 'limp mode', plus stored diagnostic trouble codes in the ECU, probably P1065 and/or P0087 (which could be read with a suitable and cheap OBD2 scanner).

I don't see why a routine service should make a significant difference to performance (unless neglect has left you with a blocked air filter?).

Despite being a Bosch filter, it may be well-overdue for replacement, Does the service record tell you when this was last done? As I said, there are other reasons for fuel pressure problems and they are mostly quite costly to put right!
 
Thanks for the advice, it is hard to tell if it is old, most def isn't shiny new and it doesn't look like the bulkhead and rear of the engine guts grubby in normal use either so it may well be blocked, I have it lined up to get a service as I do that with all cars I buy, but if I can get the dealer to do the fuel filter for free, even better. If it is old and restricting flow then as you put extra demand on the throttle to move the car faster, fuel flow will be increased and if it is struggling then it might present as a little bit of a soft throttle maybe?

Dealer is attached to a garage, they are going to pop it on diagnostic when I get there, I shall take a note and view the codes.
 
These ECUs permanently store any DTC arising, so they may find many stored codes (which can be quite confusing). Best to get all stored codes deleted, then see which ones come back and therefore directly relate to the current problem.

Maybe this is why the previous owner got rid of it. Personally I'd be threatening to return it... at least make sure that the proper Bosch filter gets fitted if it does get replaced as a first stab at the problem.
 
Yes, they can. But apparently someone on TA found there's had been previously fitted wrongly without any obvious ill-effect!
 
Yes I had a pre facelift with the correct bosch filter fitted the wrong way round and didn't know until I went to change it. The car drove fine.
 
Dropped into the garage, there were a couple of stored faults but none mentioned above. Garage is going to change the glow plugs and fuel filter at a local garage tomorrow.
 
Ask them if they are going to fit a genuine fuel filter, if not I would offer to pay the difference
 
Non genuine filter fitted but right at the moment I want to get the fault located, had to trigger limp mode to read the fault, came back with low fuel manifold pressure, garage reckons that is the injector. If it runs fine I will get genuine parts for the service.
 
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