Finding auto parts for my 4-wheel drive

Diesel engines usually perform better than their petrol counterparts in terms of extracting more mechanical energy or power from a given amount of fuel. They tend to last longer, are more reliable and efficient, and require less maintenance mainly because ignition tune-ups aren't needed. However, maintenance is still needed to ensure optimum performance. Regular diesel engine service is one way to ensure your engine is properly maintained and it involves aspects such as frequent changing of the air filters, the oils and faulty parts. One major difference between diesel engines and their petrol counterparts in terms of parts is that the former lack spark plugs. Instead, they use glow plugs. Faulty glow plugs will affect the performance of your diesel engine and here are signs that yours are failing.

Hard Starting Engine

Glow plugs play a crucial role in the engine ignition process, which means you may experience hard starting problems when they start failing. Unlike petrol engines that use a spark to ignite, diesel engines ignite by relying on the surrounding temperature as well as the pressure of the cylinder. Glow plugs provide the extra heat or temperature that the diesel engine needs to ignite the fuel mixture. With faulty glow plugs, this will happen inefficiently. In addition, there will be an additional pressure that your diesel engine will have to overcome. Both of these situations will result in the engine hard starting. When it's cold, the problem will worsen and the car may not even start at all because the diesel engine won't ignite at extremely low temperatures.

Coloured Exhaust

Another common sign associated with failing glow plugs is coloured or visible smoke coming from your exhaust. However, this does not only indicate that you have problematic glow plugs. Other engine problems such as an overheated engine, incorrect timing, faulty injection systems and clogged air systems can also exhibit similar signs. Bad glow plugs result in coloured exhaust, usually white or black, because they interfere with combustion processes taking place in the diesel engine.

Engine Misfires

Your diesel engine can also misfire if you are dealing with faulty glow plugs. Similar to hard starting, engine misfiring is a result of an insufficient amount of heat from the glow plugs. Engine misfires are oftentimes associated with decreased fuel efficiency as well as engine power, especially when you are accelerating.

Being keen to spot these problems will save you a significant amount of money in repairs and ensure your diesel engine lasts much longer.