Glow Plug problem - what have the garage done to my car?!

[jamesr]

Okay, can't wokr this out so hopefully somebody else can, I'll try and keep it short...

Engine management light came on last weekend, had the fault code read by a mate who's a mechanic and he told me that the no1 glow plug had failed. That's what the logged fault was about and he confirmed by doing someind of test that one of the four plugs was indeed dead.

Phoned up my dealer and got the car booked in, I told them over the phone of my findings.

Car went in for the day last Thursday and when I dropped it off I told them again that one of the plugs had failed and would need replacing.

Garage phoned ne up and 4pm and said the car was ready for collection but that they needed to order some parts for it, I asked what and told me they needed to order in a glow plug!

I asked why they hadn't just ordered one in before hand (£6 part) or at least got one in that day. Appartantly they are not allowed to order in parts before tey have run through a list of checks.

Anyway thats the first annoying thing but more importantly since collecting the car its acting a bit odd.

When turn the key the glow plug light now stays on for up to 60 seconds - before it just lit for around 3.

Also it takes ages for the temperature neadble to reach midway - I'm talking a 20-30 minute journey, never used to be like that.

Apart from that it starts and drives fine, just like it alwasy has.

Any ideas? Its going back in this coming Thursday so I guess I will tell them about it then.

[VRStu]

They won't order parts until they've seen the car - That's perfectly reasonable. Imagine if you phoned up and said your bla bla had failed, they ordered one on your say and it wasn't anything to do with that. You wouldn't want to pay for it but the dealer would have to.

Skoda don't have a sameday parts service, infact it's two days in my local dealers.

I don't think the temperature guage not rising would be to do with the glow plug issue.

[jamesr]

strange then because before dopping it off there for the day it was totally normal.

[VRStu]

I'm not saying that they've not done something but I just don't think a glow plug failure would affect the running temperature. It's mainly to do with starting.

[ScoobyChris]

Sounds like coolant temp sensor is buggered....

See VW Diesel Glow Plugs and scroll down to the temperature sensor testing section....

Chris