2016 Glow Plug Fail

**ckq7** · 21-02-2022,08:09 PM

Engine light came on over weekend on my TDI Q7. Had diagnostics at local specialist today saying glow plug fault. Suggested I replaced all.

I have previously noticed what was perhaps a bit of a misfire at very cold start so I guess this makes sense.

I’m just a bit surprised that they’ve only lasted 75k miles. Not seen any other owners report a problem.

Is this common? Looks like quite a cheap job to do but appreciate might be quite time consuming?

Local Indy wants £360 (includes initial diagnostics)

**Crasher** · 22-02-2022,05:26 PM

Glow plugs are a service item with a finite life and there are three different versions used and some have two types on one engine with one incorporating a pressure sensor.. If it has the ceramic type these have to be treated extremely delicately, even just dropping one a few millimetres to the table can damage it and if reused, the Ceramic bit drops off into the engine and then ***** the turbo on its way out to getting stuck in the cat. If you post your VIN I can help deeper; also they can be a very simple job to remove or a complete disaster, I had a chap in earlier with the same car to ask about the plugs and I said it can take two hours if they all come out or a complete nightmare if all six snaps as has happened to us a few times. We remove them with a torque wrench set at 25Nm and it it clicks we stop and ask for permission from the customer to carry on. My personal favourite brand is Beru by Borg Warner.

**ckq7** · 23-02-2022,02:13 PM

Thanks Crasher, I actually just went ahead and got it done and stomached the cost. Car starts a lot quicker now after button push. Audi dealer was actually £20 cheaper than the local indy but they couldn't do it next day and they're 30mins away with no courtesy car (but they would have valeted it!). There is a reason this local indy isn't busy, my other local indy couldn't see me for 2 weeks.

The VIN is WAUZZZ4M1GD006162. They charged £30/plug...

**Crasher** · 23-02-2022,02:20 PM

That uses the 4.4v metal plug 059 963 319 AB

**ckq7** · 23-02-2022,05:03 PM

Thanks for checking. It looks like I got well and truly ripped off then, I can buy Beru for £10 on these.

Any advice on how I could raise an issue with the garage?

**Crasher** · 24-02-2022,01:12 PM

Well they are £15.24 to them if they bought them from ECP so typically that would be £24 retail and if they fitted genuine then you should have paid £29.48. Autod0c dump parts on the market and as they are in Germany, parts take weeks to arrive and if you have a problem... well kiss your money goodbye, tribble company and so are all their affiliated companies such as buy car parts, best parts, 123 spare parts etc, all the same parts shifting warehouse in Berlin.

**ckq7** · 25-02-2022,10:36 AM

Thanks for the reply, starting to seem more reasonable now. I did indeed pay £29.48 so can see what they've done. They are £10.11 delivered on Amazon...

Labour was 1.5hrs @ £72/hr, I think this is a bit steep for local indy.