All 4 glow plugs shows error

[tjunction]

Car: e46 320d

i just did a scan using inpa. It shows all 4 glowplugs having error.

Can this even be possible? One would expect maybe 1 or 2 plugs to be faulty. I do have a suspicion that something else might be the cause.

What could it be?

Ps.
I do sometimes find it difficult starting my car in the morning. when i crank it the battery will be dead or almost.

 

[Ratslaaf]

That's an older car bud. I've seen gloplugs fail from 80k km already.

 

[DieselFan]

Are you saying you have to keep cranking it until the battery is almost dead before it starts?

Is the battery healthy? Diesels need a good battery.

If the battery is good then maybe the glowplugs. But mine are all out and starts in a second or two.

 

[tjunction]

Are you saying you have to keep cranking it until the battery is almost dead before it starts?

Is the battery healthy? Diesels need a good battery.

If the battery is good then maybe the glowplugs. But mine are all out and starts in a second or two.

Hi DieselFan

I think the battery might be bad, but I do find it strange that all 4 glowplugs shows faulty at the same time . Are u saying that it would be best to replace battery and not bother to replace the glowplugs?

 

[francoishensen11]

Thinking out loud here, could it be the pre heating control unit that's messing about? Hence picking up all 4 glow plugs as faulty, then again the diagnosis would've/should've picked it up, just my 2c. Note my 'knowledge' on diesels are slim to none so don't take my word for it.

 

[DieselFan]

Are you saying you have to keep cranking it until the battery is almost dead before it starts?

Is the battery healthy? Diesels need a good battery.

If the battery is good then maybe the glowplugs. But mine are all out and starts in a second or two.

Hi DieselFan

I think the battery might be bad, but I do find it strange that all 4 glowplugs shows faulty at the same time . Are u saying that it would be best to replace battery and not bother to replace the glowplugs?

If the battery is bad then that is more than likely the issue. Remember these cars are designed for all conditions, including the freezing cold temperatures of Europe.

Do you run diagnostics on your car fairly often? Ie are you certain they all popped up at once? If it were my car I would get a GOOD new battery.

If it were my car I would not worry about the glowplugs. I know the e90 has a fuel preheater which sits on the fuel filter, not sure about the e46s.

 

[francoishensen11]

http://www.bmwforums.info/3-series-...low-plug-controler-e46-320d-m47tud20-diy.html that's the link for the e46 320d diesel control unit if that's your fault.

pics of the unit for e46.

 

[Nikhil]

you shouldnt have an issue, every diesel i have worked on had glow plug errors either just one or two or all! this sounds like a battery problem