glow plug problem!

[micol]

Hi Guys, Newbie here who knows nothing about mechanics/electrics but desperately needs some help. Sorry in advance for the huge post (please read though!!)...

I've had a problem with my Transporter van for a while now. Sometimes months without a hitch but lately it's been driving me mad!

It all started about a year or so ago when the glow plug light came on whilst driving. This caused the accelerator to stop working and for me to coast to a halt. I could get the van fired up but nothing from the accelerator! I had a recovery lorry take the van back home and as soon as the van was taken off the recovery truck i tried the ignition and "hey presto" it started working!

It would then work fine for months and months until one day the same thing would happen. I then discovered that if i held the accelerator pedal down when turning the ignition, it would work but as soon as i slowed down the light would come on and the accelerator would fail. So i had to do this all the way home until suddenly it kicked into life again!

My garage found a fault with his computer plugged in and changed the accelerator pedal. All was fine again for a few more months until, guess what? Same thing again. This time i was driving down the motorway when suddenly it cut out! I had to turn off the ignition while coasting at about 60mph then back on again and it would spring back to life! this went on for about 30mins down the motorway until it sorted itself out.

The garage said "havent got a clue" I need to see it when it is playing up". Easier said that done. It always behaves in a garage.

about a month ago it simply would not start. The glow plug light would not come on and the engine would turn over but not fireup. So the AA came out, he could not start it, mentioned it could be something to do with the immobiliser (i had tried the spare key though - no difference) and said he would have to tow me to the garage.

I let the handbrake off, coasted the van (engine off) backwards to enable the AA to attach his tow rope, turned on the ignition to begin towing and "hey presto again" the glow plug came on and the van was back to normal (***!) He said "haventgotaclue" and left me to it.

Ok (nearly finished), this was a few weeks ago and over the past couple of weeks i have a slightly different problem. Now the glow plug light flickers on/off while driving which causes the van to "bunny-hop" along the road. VERY annoying, especially when pulling away and in low gear changes.

I have spent hundreds of pounds at my garage to no avail and have joined this forum in the hope that someone might have had a similar problem and has an answer?? Sorry for the long post but i'm hoping that by going into detail it might help??

Yours Hopingly!!

mike

[vw workshop]

What sort of transporter ? or at least the age. waht was the fault code that prompted throttle pedal .If it's a T4 id guess at a needle lift sensor (its the injector with the wires).

[STEWY L]

i would try changing the brake light switch on the pedal.£8-10 quid.
dual operation,affects brake lights but also ecu.
nowt to lose,
stewy.

[micol]

Thanks for your responses. The van is an 02 TDi 2.5 LWB panel van. I don't know what the fault code was. The mechanic plugged his computer thingy into the pedal area and it came up with a fault. I suppose he thought that it must have been the pedal so just changed it?

I'm sorry but am a bit clueless with electrics and mechanics. I need a lot of help. I can do stuff (changed the exhaust myself last week) so hopefully not completely useless, but i need to be given exact instructions im afraid :0(

"needle lift sensor (its the injector with the wires)" - I have no idea where to start to look at this?

"brake light switch on the pedal" - Is this literally a switch on the brake pedal that i can pull out and change?

Sorry again for my complete ignorance but i've run out of ideas and can't really afford to spend hundreds more on this unless i know it will solve the problem (i think i can manage £8-10 quid no problem ;-/ though).

P.S. I had another scare this morning. As i left for work the glow lamp would not come on and the bugger wouldn't start!! I turned the ignition off & on many times in the hope that it might suddenly come on but no luck. I opened the bonnet and sprayed a bit of WD40 around (clutching at straws now!!) but still no good. Then i picked up the phone to make some other arrangements and...yes...Hey presto!! the glow lamp light appeared!! (crazy). I did notice a bit of clicking as it came on which sounded like a fuse box (sound came from under the cubby-hole to of right side of steering wheel??)

[vw workshop]

"brake light switch on the pedal" - Is this literally a switch on the brake pedal that i can pull out and change?

yep, take your time and have a good look with a torch before you touch.

Before starting check that the new part looks like the old one,is it the same colour ?If not ring the dealership and double check with parts dept.If all is well in the world then procced.

The switch should come out of the metal pedal box, if its turned by a quarter of a turn.
The wiring plug will have a plastic tang (clip) that will need to be released to let the plug come away from the old switch.
Rebuild and then have someone help you check the brake lights.

Put the kettle on sit back and enjoy a cake !

[vw workshop]

Have just re-read your post and have another idea.
If it was my money id start by replacing the 109 relay in the fuse box.the relay is about an inch square is grey and has 109 written on the top.it just plugs in -real easy ! about £28.
Let us know .....

[micol]

Thanks guys. I will try both these methods and see what happens.

Juust to let you know, the van runs like a dream at the moment. After the early morning flickering in the fuse box and a few thumps later it seems to be ok. It will inevitably happen again though so I will do as you have both kindly suggested.

Many thanks!

[DarrenUK]

I also think replacing the 109 relay could be the answer.

[micol]

Thanks for your idea Darren. I've heard the 109 relay being mentioned a couple of times when i have been researching my problem. Please excuse my ignorance but where/what is the 109 relay and is it straightforward to replace?

[DarrenUK]

VW workshop said it first...

I'm not quite sure where it will be on the Transporter but I'd make a good guess that its on the relay board next to the fuse board located behind the panel/pocket below and to the side of your driving wheel.

[micol]

Opps! sorry. The vans been behaving itself for the past week so I haven't done anything with it. I knew i'd read about the 109 relay somewhere before, i just forgot that it was in a reply to me a few posts ago :-{

[micol]

Well it's happened again. This time it wont fire up at all. The glow plug light wont come on no matter how much praying i do :0(

I found the 109 relay and pulled it out cleaned it, put it back. nothing. An RAC man came and had a look. I explained the problems and he tried a few things but to no avail. He rang his office and tried a little trick which he thinks should have worked if the 109 relay was at fault but said that it probably wasn't the relay. So no good there. I still have a van that wont move!

I fiddled with the brake light switch. took it out, cleaned it up a bit and put it back. No difference. The Brake lights work fine.

The RAC man thinks it could be a bad earth somewhere but that doesn't really mean anything to me so I guess it's back to the Auto Electrician and back to the drawing board.

If i ever find out what the problem is i'll post the answer here so hopefully if some other poor soul gets the same thing happen then they might not have to go through the same headaches!

Thanks for your help and suggestions.

[DarrenUK]

micol,

Am I correct in thinking that the engine is spinning over but will not fire and you get no glow plug light?

No glow plug light suggests to me that the ECU may not be getting power which again would point to the 109 relay.

Do you know anyone with a VW / Audi / SEAT / Skoda Tdi who would let you try there 109 relay in your van?

Other thing would be getting someone to plug VAG-COM or other diagnostics into your van to check for fault codes now its not starting.

Where are you?

[DarrenUK]

Oh.... Ford Galaxy Tdis should also have the 109 relay.
I'm not sure if the later pumpe duse engined cars use the same 109 relay?

[micol]

Thanks DarrenUK. I have managed to get the van towed to a local Auto Electrician and I have told them about the 109 relay. Hopefully they will try and change/replace it and see what happens.

I should have some news tomorrow and i'll update here to let you know.

Out of interest, where can you get replacement relays? Are they available from good spares shops or only from VW dealerships?

[micol]

Well I finally got my van back today all repaired (fingers crossed!!).

According to the garage there was some damaged wiring that had to be repaired. Thats about all i know. It appears that the relay was ok and it was simply a case of finding and repairing the dodgy wiring.

So hopefully the van is back to tip-top working order and i think i will now keep it for a year or so longer to make the most of the £2000 i've spent on it over the last 6 months (not all repair works!)

Thanks once again for all your help!

Mike.

[mavrick26]

Hi just read your problem and i have the same fault where was the bad wiring do you know at all!!!

It would be great to know as i to have had headache with this for some time now

Rgds Steve

steve_ace@hotmail.com