300tdi glow plug destroys engine cylinder

**Taz** · 21st July 2004, 01:29 PM

It happen when starting the engine on a cold morning... it fired up but was rough and noisey with lots of white smoke (probably running on 3 cylinders) . After towing it to the shop I'm told the glow plug tip came away and has damaged the piston and bore such that the block now needs re-sleaving. As the engine was only reconditioned 6months ago, I'm wondering if this is a common fault and if there is anything I can do to ensure it does not happen again ?

**VladTepes** · 21st July 2004, 02:14 PM

Bloody hell :!:

Never heard of this happening before but I'll be keeping a close eye on this thread.

Maybe you should have a "chat" to the engine reconditioners - perhaps there was a mistake on their part ?

**Taz** · 21st July 2004, 03:54 PM

Unfortunately, whilst the new donk is still under warrantee, they will only cover the parts they replaced, and you guest it - they transfered over the glow plugs from the old donk - meaning I'm supposed to wear the cost [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif[/img]
It just seems strange to me that the tip of a glow plug should let go? It may have been damaged during the transfer to the new donk but I cannot prove that.

**Phoenix** · 21st July 2004, 04:12 PM

Make them prove that they didn't damage it in the process of rebuilding it :!:

I'm not a lawyer, but I work in law, mortgages specifically, but i'd be asking the reconditioners some very tough questions. If the injector wasn't good 6 months ago, why didn't they replace it. If it was good, why has it let go in only 6 months. A diesel engine usually lasts, what, 400,000 kilometers??

Food for thought.

**LandyAndy** · 21st July 2004, 07:11 PM

Hi Taz
That sounds like real bad luck.
I was only talking about changing glowplugs at work today with a workmate.He was saying its no different to changing a sparkplug,normaly yes.BUT,you need to be really careful removing them from a sick engine as they can be carboned up,so much so that the tip is larger than the threaded hole,as you unscrew the tip can get broken off and remain in the motor.It could be possible that they fractured the plug in removing it or even droping it on the workshop floor,but as you say how do you prove negligence.
Perhaps in the interest of keeping a customer happy(plus many that may happen to here about their service or lack of it),they could come to some arangement like doing it a cost.
Goodluck
Landyandy

**RoverOne** · 22nd July 2004, 12:28 PM

Originally posted by Phoenix
Make them prove that they didn't damage it in the process of rebuilding it :!:

I'm not a lawyer, but I work in law, mortgages specifically, but i'd be asking the reconditioners some very tough questions. If the injector wasn't good 6 months ago, why didn't they replace it. If it was good, why has it let go in only 6 months. A diesel engine usually lasts, what, 400,000 kilometers??

Food for thought.

I'm with Poenix, make them prove that it was a faulty glow plug, and it was probably damaged when reinstalled.

Talk to legal dept of your road service (not sure what state you in [other than irate] like NRMA). THey are good for this type of advise. I had a good outcome with some warranty work a few years back on the Defender.

**Taz** · 22nd July 2004, 08:11 PM

Thanks for the advice guys - I will ring the RAC tomorrow and have a chat. I also called LR Australia and asked them if there has been a history of glow plug failures. Their response was "no-comment", so I called a large service outlet in Sydney and they said they have never heard of it happening either.
Anyway I dropped into the repair shop tonite to have a look at the damage - the piston has had the crap pounded out of it and the rings had seized. The Bore was badly scored. I couldnt see the head (it was being checked at a specialists shop) but since the pistion top looked like it was made of lego, I doubt the head would be much better! I also learnt that the glow plug tip may have exited in one peice, so the exhaust value and turbo may also be stuffed!
I had a close look at the glow plug - it's kinda like a soldering iron with the heating element being housed in an outer sleeve. Looks like the complete element has come out and to be honest, I was hard pressed to conjure up a way in which it could have been damaged during the transition from old donk to new.
Then again - I asked the repairers if we should replace all the glow plugs now and they said they would 'have a look at them first'. That suggests to me that there is a way to tell if a plug is crook or not and therefore why didnt they do that check in the first place ?
The original rebuild cost $9k. They have offered to do this repare at cost. They dont know what it will cost yet - still waiting on news from the head etc, so I guess I will wait and see what it comes to. I'm begining to believe that I was simply unlucky and that the repairer was not guilty of incompetence or malicious damage. But if the repair costs are very high, then I may explore the small claims tribrunal - I think I may have half a case in terms of 'implied warantee' ie when you pay 9k for a new engine - you expect to get trouble free running for at least the life of the warantee!

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