I have a 1993 1.8 turbo diesel VW passat. whilst driving yesterday the glow plug light came on and stayed on. car started ok after switching off but i think this was just because the engine was still warm as this morning it wouldn't go. when i turned the key i had no glow plug light showing, however on the second turn the light came on and stayed on. the car turned over fine and everything else seemed ok - i just seemed to have no working glow plugs. i had these replaced recently so i don't think it's the plugs themselves that are the problem. eventually got it going by taking off the air filter and spraying some kind of 'emergency start' spray down the air inlet. by no means did it start easy though and i was lucky that someone was able to give me a jump because the battery went completely flat. i don't want this palaver every time i start the car. my instincts tell me it's probably something simple but i don't know what it is. the main 50amp fuse under the bonnet looks ok - is there another one somewhere dedicated to the glow plugs that i can't find?
Yes you have a defective glow plug relay if you have your owners manual you can find it and replace it, the unit also has a timer on it, if you don't have a book look for the glow plugs and follow the wires from the glow plugs to where they terminate there you will find the relay unit and replace it, to test the glow plugs you remove the wires and test each plug by pulling off the wire and with a cheep ohm meter touch one end to the glow plug and one end to ground if it swings almost al the way over it is ok, if it dos not move then that glow plug is bad. if you find 2 or more bad then replace them all, and if a glow plug has shorted and caused this problem you will have to replace the glow plug relay. Good luck.
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