Vauxhall Corsa B (1993 - 2000) - 1993 1.5D Glow plug timing

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Mon 2 Feb 2009 20:55
1993 1.5D Glow plug timing - Cornish Lass
Please can someone advise how long the glowplugs should stay on for at cold start?

Hubby's Corsa has been a pig to start from cold for a while, but this morning with the sudden cold temperatures, it flatly refused. We checked the glowplugs and all are OK, but they do not stay on for long. At switch on, they are glowing hot by 5 seconds, but the relay switches them off at about 8 seconds, so you only have an optimum 3 second period to start it.

My Astra glowplug circuit stays on for about 30 seconds before the relay can be heard to click off.

We changed the relay in the Corsa, but it is no different. Could it be the timer (green box behind drivers footwell kickpanel)? Also found reference to the engine temperature sensor which controls the timer - where would we find this and how to we check it.

All advice much appreciated.

Thanks!
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Mon 2 Feb 2009 21:26
1993 1.5D Glow plug timing - Number_Cruncher
The common problem is that the inlet valve clearances close up tight. The engine then loses compression, and starts poorly from cold.

It's probably also worth taking the bus bar off the glow plugs, and checking that the plugs themselves are OK. If you have an Ohmeter, you can check their resistance values.

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Tue 3 Feb 2009 07:45
1993 1.5D Glow plug timing - topbloke
the glow plug circuit on these are a bit perculiar they glow as normal then once the vehicle has started they have whats called after glow for anything up to a minuite depending on alternator output or road speed that said they can be a bit of a mare to diagnose but agree with previous post about valve clearances poor compresion is the most likely or you have one or more glow plugs that have gone open circuit
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