Glow Plugs are an essential aspect of your diesel engine, and faulty plugs can go unnoticed for quite some time. At T&A Truck Specialist, Inc in Tampa, we want you to know what to look for, and why you should be concerned with a bad glow plug.
Obviously, diesel engines don’t use spark like a gasoline engine to achieve combustion. A combination of heat and compression does the work instead, which is a huge part of what makes diesel engines so reliable. However, a diesel does need help getting started, before the engine has had time to warm up; that’s where glow plugs come in. Glow plugs heat the combustion chamber, allowing your truck to start, and turn off once the temperature at which the truck can run on its own has been reached.
There is typically a glow plug for every cylinder. What this means, is that if only one or a few plugs as failed, the truck will still start. Symptoms of one or more faulty glow plugs include difficult cranking, low power upon startup, and poor idle. You’ll also likely notice an excessive amount of smoke until the engine warms up.
Failed plugs are an issue for a variety of reasons. They tend to be ignored until enough of them fail that the truck will no longer start, since typically the truck can be started with just a few of them working. But even if the truck starts, there are still adverse effects you want to be concerned with. Unburnt fuel washes into the oil, contaminating it and dramatically decreasing oil life and bearing reliability. Poor combustion also promotes carbon buildup, reducing efficiency and damaging components, from valves to catalytic converters. Bad glow plugs can eventually cost you an engine, or at least some very expensive and time-consuming engine work. Keeping the glow plugs in shape is essential to a reliable, long lasting, smooth running truck.
If you are experiencing glow plug issues, or have any other maintenance or repair needs, look no further than our team of expert mechanics. Our technicians have the knowledge and equipment necessary to keep your truck reliably on the road for years to come. For the best fleet and commercial truck service shop in Tampa, call or stop by T&A Truck Specialist, Inc today.
