The Citroen BX 17 turbo has become increasingly difficult to start at lower temperatures and I have done considerable internet reseach on the different makers glow plug application charts and "equivalent items". All in attempt to find some cheap, but Branded, Ebay bargains. I have most of the summer to complete the task.
Different sites all give widely conflicting equivalence information. Since the engine is effectively an old design, does it really matter if the replacements are not identically specd provided the tip length, thread length, and diam are the same? and rated at 11v? The newer designs are generally for engines with post start heating, but if the power is removed once the engine is started does it matter? Some show a rated current of 15A (I think Haynes quotes - 11A as a guide for the OEM plugs) but presumably this just affects how quickly the tip will heat up, (and maintain temperature during starting phase). I appreciate that this is also affected by the tip design and thermal capacity etc. Presumably a lower rated plug could be used , if I manually allow an increased (ie double) preheat period?
I had a quick look at the Halfords application sheet today, and according to that, the Bosch Type 1 replaces a wide variety of different Champion items. Next time I am there I will write out the list. Beru appear to have change
How can a (reputable) manufacturers single type be so compatible?
The Bosch web site does not even list a Type1, and all other web sites list Bosch as having a 9 digit part number.
Beru appear to have replaced the old designation of nnnMJ with Bxnnn to cover a range of new technology products.
Am I missing something here, but why should there be so many marginally different glow plugs available that would appear to be able to do the same job? Can anybody find a reverse application sheet on the web? Some of the american sites are good but confine themselves to exotic american machinery.
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pmh (was peter)
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AFAIK, the post heating ones have two coils, a heater coil and a regulator coil. They are designed to reduce power once they're hot so that they dont burn out. These are backwards compatible but the regulator will be redundant.
Also, newer ones are made of a new material and are designed to heat up in under a second, so if you fit these to an older car, you won't have to wait until the glow light goes off, you could just start like a petrol in theory. I suppose it is just consolidation by the plug manufacturers into fewer part variations, but the BERU ones are excellent, and they also make post-glow retro-fit kits for many older vehicles.
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For some time now, glow plugs have had a ballast coil in the body and a heating coil in the tip. Beru plugs are superior to any others in terms of thermal cycling performance and heat up time - don't waste your time with cheap plugs, just fit the recommended Beru type. You probably know that the glowplugs stay on after the panel lamp extinguishes, and most engines use post heat. My PSA diesel will post heat for up to 5 minutes if the block is very cold.
Use copper grease on the threads, but not on the taper, and tighten with a torque wrench. Don't over tighten the terminal nut and check that the controller eventually switches the plugs off.
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The Bosch Type 1 (Duraterm) is VERY versatile, for different vehicles it can be used where the following Champion Glow plugs are specified.
CH 63,65,68,87,137, 147,163,170,173,174,176,181,184,185,189 (all taken from the Halfords application list).
Does this mean that in a simple old style diesel, (ie no post start heating) ANY of of these plugs can be interchanged/used with satisfactory results?? Or is it just that the Bosch item meets the basic physical characteristics and exceeds the requirements of all of these items eg in terms of heat up time and the LCD in terms of current consumption? Hence examination of the charecteristics of each of the Champion Glow plugs is required.
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pmh (was peter)
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