Viewing 31 posts - 1 through 31 (of 31 total)
  • Diesel engine issue
  • Gary_M
    Free Member

    Set off this morning and after about 5 minutes driving the ‘glow plug’ light on my honda accord started flashing, engine juddered and then engine lost power. It started fine when we set off but this happened when we hit the first longish hill. I stopped in a side road, turned the engine off, left it for about a minute then started it again and it ran fine for the rest of the 20 mile journey. Temp was around -3.

    I think it’s failry unlikely that diesel would start to freeze at those temps and it ran fine last year in colder temps. Any ideas – glow plug needing replaced? If it has a glow plug that is.

    TheBrick
    Free Member

    Strange as glow plug should only come on to start the engine from cold. They are not on while the engine is actually running.

    anc
    Free Member

    Could be glow plugs……. could be lots of things, dodgy fuel, fuel pump on is way out, injector problems the list goes on. If it happens again get it plugged into a diagnosic machine at the garage. VAG’s have similar symtoms just before the fuel pump packs in.

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    Clong
    Free Member

    The glow plug light coming on whilst teh engine is running usually means a faulty glow plug or connection to them. The symptoms seem to confirm that too.

    Stoner
    Free Member

    why would a faulty glowplug matter in a warm engine?

    Clong
    Free Member

    Depends on how “warm” the engine is. If its at operating temparature, then the glowplugs aren’t required, but anything below operating temparature and the plugs will be on to a greater or lesser extent.

    FAIL
    Free Member

    Flashing glowplug light normally indicates an electrical issue which isn’t covered by any of the specific warning lights. You’ll have to do a diagnostic read to find out which specific trouble code has been stored.

    Have you tried any honda forums?

    thomthumb
    Free Member

    in my old volvo (daf made) glow plug lights indicated engine electrical faults.

    Harry_the_Spider
    Full Member

    The Mighty Vectra does this too.

    legend
    Free Member

    Ditto what Fail said. Ford use the glow plug light for this too

    Gary_M
    Free Member

    Given that it’s running fine now then I’m hoping it won’t return.

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    yes faults often cure themselves with no action form you 😉
    I would get it looked at breaking down in this weather would be less than pleasant

    Solo
    Free Member

    Its low pressure at the fuel injector.

    Get it to your Dealer and they should be able to download a diagnostic code to confirm this.

    Sometimes Injectors can be re-mapped and this may clear-up the issue.

    You will likely experience this again when you put the engine under heavier loads, such as driving up a hill, overtaking, etc.
    Then it will drop back to a low power mode at the ECU to get you home/to a dealer.

    Macavity
    Free Member

    Even though it is the glow plug light that is coming on (there are only a limited number of symbols/ lights on the dash) it could be a variety of electrical faults eg top dead centre sensor defective, mass airflow sensor defective etc.
    Diagnostics at a Honda garage, may even need plug in diagnostics by garage on a test drive to get an indication of exactly what is wrong.

    Gary_M
    Free Member

    yes faults often cure themselves with no action form you

    I’ve oftn found this too, thanks for confirming it.

    If it’s fine now I can’t see how the dealer taking it for a test drive/diagnostics will help.

    Marko
    Full Member

    Right, lets clear a few things up here:
    1. Glow plugs in modern diesel are more than just a cold start aid. They also assist in emissions control and smooth running during the warm up phase.
    2. Modern engine management systems can have glitches, just like your PC/Mac. Key on and off is the automotive equivalent of a system re-boot.
    3. A flashing glow plug is often used as a warning for some general system fault – not just a glow plug issue.
    4. Historical faults may be recorded in the cars management system, even if the warning light is now off.These can be read with a suitable diagnostic machine.
    Hth
    Marko

    Gary_M
    Free Member

    Cheers Marko.

    Gary_M
    Free Member

    Lost power on the way home tonight as soon as I got too a long hill, which was about 8 miles into the journey. Engine wouldn’t go over 2000 reves after that. Stopped, turned off engine, took out key then turned back on and it was fine again! Dropped it off at the garage and theyre gonna take a look tomorrow.

    porter_jamie
    Full Member

    egr

    iainc
    Full Member

    good weather for a commute over the moor anyway 😆

    Gary_M
    Free Member

    Yeh Ian its been bad enough driving the a77 in the car never mind riding it. I’ve learnt from last years cycling misadventures on the snow covered moor. Bus for me tomorrow as my wife needs the other car.

    Harry_the_Spider
    Full Member

    Post up when you get the diagnosis. I get a warning light and a loss of power after 2 hours cruising which goes if you turn it off and on again.

    iainc
    Full Member

    Gary – aye, ’tis crap. here in EK my car is parked 1/2 mile away from the house and last few morning’s it’s taken an hour to get from the top of Castemilk to Hampden, then another 1/2 into city centre 👿

    Gary_M
    Free Member

    Will do Harry – same car?

    Yeh iain south side is a total nightmare. Bus should be less stressful.

    B.A.Nana
    Free Member

    I had something similar recently (ford mondeo diesel). car kept cutting out after a period of time, glow plug light flashing as it lost power. Turned ignition off, sit for a few mins, restart car, car maybe carried on for a few miles or maybe not.
    the computer diagnostics said it was the fuel injection pump, garage man was confused, he said the car shouldn’t work at all if the injection pump was knackered. Anyway, when he started taking it apart he found 2 broken wires to the injection pump. Lucky me, £100 bill rather than £900.

    takisawa2
    Full Member

    Brother-in-laws Mondeo has been doing this. He changed the fuel filter * air filter & it seems fine now, but is booked in to a garage tomorrow to ready the fault codes.
    Modern diesels can land the owner with some astranomical bills should they go wrong. Thankfully they are pretty reliable if looked after properly.

    HoratioHufnagel
    Free Member

    What car is it?

    Sometimes you can read the stored errors by holding brake/accelerator pedal and turning ignition key 2 clicks (not to start the car) or something like that.

    Gary_M
    Free Member

    55 plate Honda accord tourer. Mechanic said he had a Mondeo in with the same issue and it was a problem with the accelerator cable. From reading honda forums I think it may be the fuel filter.

    Adam_85
    Free Member

    The code will be p2?15 fuel rail pressure lower than expected, i did a couple yesterday and still can’t remember it lol.
    Anyhow this seems to happen every winter and the usual link we’ve found is “I’ve just filled my car up at tescos etc.
    We normally do a fuel filter change and put in some additive in. But you might get away with an additive or filling it up if there isn’t much in it (decent fuel like shell or bp).
    The only explanation we can think of is its the water in the fuel freezing or lack of additives!?

    Gary_M
    Free Member

    Cheers Adam, will call the garage so they can have a look at that.

    Although if that’s the issue then don’t understand why it would happen this winter at -3 and not last when it was down to -10. Although tesco etc may only add some sort of winter additives when it should be really cold not in mid November when I last filled the car up.

    Gary_M
    Free Member

    p2?15 fuel rail pressure lower than expected

    Is exactly the fault code that came up, without the question mark obviously. Garage is changing the fuel filter today and I’ll fill it up at Shell garage at the weekend. Mechanic reckons there may have been some ice formed in the filter and said this is a common issue with taxis.

Viewing 31 posts - 1 through 31 (of 31 total)

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