Seized in glow plug 2 litre diesel engine

Wonders

Wonders

Joined
Aug 17, 2020
Posts
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Location
Leicestershire, UK
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Advice please Skoda Octavia 2 litre diesel seized glow plug. 2014 model.
Anyone have experience of removing or having removed a "seized in" glowplug.
The car has done about 120 K and one of the glowplugs is failing and won't come out. The intention is to replace all 4.
Local garage don't want to know because they say they are notorious for breaking off during extraction leaving a very expensive problem to solve. Recut thread etc.
Wondering if Funsters know anything about this. Are glow plugs so notorious and indeed suggestions on where to go to get them extracted by someone who knows how to do it without writing the car off!. I have seen companies on the Internet claiming to be expert but wonder if anyone has experience of this field or using a company.
Car lives in Sheffield but travelling to get it sorted is not necessarily a show stopper.

Thanks for you help.
Chris
 
I have a broken glow plug, snapped near the top and hopefully will be removed on Tue at local garage. Changing glow plugs is straight forward but carries the risk of a glow plug breaking upon removal. It is not uncommon and there are plenty of people out there who are experianced in removing broken glow plugs. There are dedicated tools for doing this job and in the vast majority of cases the head does not have to be removed to extract a broken glow plug and it does not cost an arm and a leg. I would search around on the internet and find a garage who has experiance of dealing with changing glow plugs and take it from there.
 
There are firms that specialise in removing stuck/broken glow plugs. A quick Google brings up this one but no doubt there are more if you care to look.

Broken Glow Plug Removal service - Midland Diesel Solutions

Problems with stuck, seized or broken glow plugs? Midland Diesel Solutions have a very high success rate for removing diesel engine broken glow plugs.
www.midlanddieselsolutions.co.uk www.midlanddieselsolutions.co.uk
 
If you want to try yourself and the plug is in a hollow spray a lot of release spray in the hollow and leave for a day or two....plus gas is better than WD40.
Put a box spanner over the plug and let it rest on the head.
Apply some force to the spanner and hit it on the end with a heavy hammer at the same time.
It needs shock, not torque, to crack the thread free.

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Glow plugs can be very difficult to extract. In my experience, if they don’t want to move after soaking in release fluid with a warmed engine etc it’s best to leave to specialist. Even then it can be a problem. I have an old Isuzu. Even a specialist firm told me they wouldn’t touch it without having a replacement cylinder head on standby!
 
This stuff is way better than WD40.
Spray around the glow plug for A few days to let it really soak down.

I used it on fuel injectors and it did the trick,admittedly the vehicle hadn’t done 120,000 miles though.

BLASTER CHEMICAL COMPANIES 16PB PENTRATING CATALYST (2 PACK) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BNUED3U/?tag=mhf04-21

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dunnah01 said:
Just leave it where it is. One bad glow plug won't bother starting. If it was an injector then that's a bigger problem..
Click to expand...
dunnah01 beat me to it..
Leave alone if still starting ok..
One glow plug won't make any differance..
 
dunnah01 said:
Just leave it where it is. One bad glow plug won't bother starting. If it was an injector then that's a bigger problem..
Click to expand...
I was told the fact that there is an engine warning light on the dash led the local garage to say it is an Mot problem? So need to get it fixed if that is the case.
 
Wonders said:
I was told the fact that there is an engine warning light on the dash led the local garage to say it is an Mot problem? So need to get it fixed if that is the case.
Click to expand...
Not an expert by any means but I do not think "all" warning lights are an MOT failure.... Yes ABS, Emission etc then yes..
If it was me I would present vehicle.. if it falls then you have no choice.... if it passes... "Then Happy Days" and you saved yourself a possible big Bill..
 
Ps to above..present 1month minus 1 day before the MOT is due, and if it fails you still have 4weeks to get it fixed and you can still use it... win win..👍👍👍
 
Wonders said:
I was told the fact that there is an engine warning light on the dash led the local garage to say it is an Mot problem? So need to get it fixed if that is the case.
Click to expand...
If the eml is in then it would be an MOT problem. Such is the way with modern electronic bits.
If you have a code reader just warm the engine prior to MOT then delete the code. It's not a safety issue so should not be an MOT failure but hey ho.

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dunnah01 said:
If the eml is in then it would be an MOT problem. Such is the way with modern electronic bits.
If you have a code reader just warm the engine prior to MOT then delete the code. It's not a safety issue so should not be an MOT failure but hey ho.
Click to expand...
Sorry..
sonny said:
I think not
The mot fail is immediate
Click to expand...
Unless the failure is deemed to be of a "dangerous to use vehicle" nature then the vehicle can still be used under the original MOT Certificate!
 
I was informed a mot failure is exactly that failed even if it was the day after a pass when I took my car car in 1week before the end of its current mot it passed and the mot carried forward to continue the existing mot👍
 
If a mot is given warning it’s not the same as a fail

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sonny said:
I was informed a mot failure is exactly that failed even if it was the day after a pass when I took my car car in 1week before the end of its current mot it passed and the mot carried forward to continue the existing mot👍
Click to expand...
Screenshot_20231210_143712_Chrome.jpg
 
poppycamper said:
View attachment 843003
Click to expand...
Re the mot stuff. It's due April and we want to get the glowplugs sorted if possible.
I have a couple of trusted garages near me in Leicestershire who I use.
I will ask them what they think but it strikes me that if we want it fixed we should start a period quality extraction fluid and find a specialist from the Internet ( failing a specific recommendation off here.)
I am reassured that's its doable with care and skill and not as doom laden as the original garage indicated.
Thanks all for help so far.
Chris
 
poppycamper said:
Ps to above..present 1month minus 1 day before the MOT is due, and if it fails you still have 4weeks to get it fixed and you can still use it... win win..👍👍👍
Click to expand...
Technically yes, but theoretically wrong.
Regardless of length of current MOT if it fails it's deemed unroadworthy so should be off the road.
The MOT is technically only valid at time of test.

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pappajohn said:
Technically yes, but theoretically wrong.
Regardless of length of current MOT if it fails it's deemed unroadworthy so should be off the road.
The MOT is technically only valid at time of test.
Click to expand...
So how can an MOT failure for defective Glow Plugs make it unroad worthy.
See #21 above!
 
If you get the engine hot and can get a battery impact driver in with a socket on the glow plug, apparently the impact effect will sometimes release the glow plug whereas a hand wrench applies direct force and sometimes leads to snapping of the plug.
 
Changed mine recently. Took 3 out, no problem, the 4th looked like it was coming out too, but sheared level with the head. Tried all sorts to remove it, WD40 - rubbish, easy outs - rubbish, glue - rubbish. Even brought a kit for removing broken glow plugs - rubbish, so in sheer desperation, I brought a set of extra long drill bits and ran a 6mm down it and just at the end it bit the shaft and it came out, clean as a whistle. Run a tap down the threads, just in case and then used a grease on assembly and really pleased with it and breathed a sigh of relief 😅

Here we go, these are what I ended up buying.
Amazon product ASIN B07MXB7HK1
IMG_2871.png


Amazon product ASIN B0B188SHTL
IMG_2872.png


Amazon product ASIN B07JP4RV7J
IMG_2873.png


Amazon product ASIN B0068NKZEE
IMG_2874.png


Amazon product ASIN B07QWY5NTB
IMG_2875.png


Wow, that took some research through old orders and posting, so hope it helps. Oh and mine was on my 2006 SAAB 1.9 TiD.
 
PP Bear said:
Changed mine recently. Took 3 out, no problem, the 4th looked like it was coming out too, but sheared level with the head. Tried all sorts to remove it, WD40 - rubbish, easy outs - rubbish, glue - rubbish. Even brought a kit for removing broken glow plugs - rubbish, so in sheer desperation, I brought a set of extra long drill bits and ran a 6mm down it and just at the end it bit the shaft and it came out, clean as a whistle. Run a tap down the threads, just in case and then used a grease on assembly and really pleased with it and breathed a sigh of relief 😅

Here we go, these are what I ended up buying.
Amazon product ASIN B07MXB7HK1View attachment 843134

Amazon product ASIN B0B188SHTLView attachment 843135

Amazon product ASIN B07JP4RV7JView attachment 843138

Amazon product ASIN B0068NKZEE
View attachment 843139

Amazon product ASIN B07QWY5NTBView attachment 843140

Wow, that took some research through old orders and posting, so hope it helps. Oh and mine was on my 2006 SAAB 1.9 TiD.
Click to expand...
Great job
Came across a you tube video earlier doing a similar thing. No commentary so your description is very helpful and reassuring if we end up with a breakage.
Chris
 
Sue and Rick said:
If you get the engine hot and can get a battery impact driver in with a socket on the glow plug, apparently the impact effect will sometimes release the glow plug whereas a hand wrench applies direct force and sometimes leads to snapping of the plug.
Click to expand...
Yes good tip did a bit of engineering 40 odd years ago and impact on a seizure was a tactic just not sure I have the confidence to tackle it myself after all this time.
I may end up with a seizure myself:eek::giggle:

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