The colder it gets the longer it takes…
Battery new and charged overnight. Glow-plugs or the relay for the glow-plugs?
Until I get it sorted would it help to mix some petrol in with the diesel?

Engine is a Nissan 2.7td.

Starter could be getting a bit tired.

what car?

Maybe this would help…

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-store/products/Nulon-Start-Ya-Bastard-150g.aspx?pid=13169#Recommendations

No.

Hard to say which it is without testing.

Easy start!

Spray up the air intake, jump in and crank the engine???

Petrols waste of time

Easy start is incredibly stupid

First and formost , remove the glow plugs and bench tast them by applying correct voltage to them. They should glow red hot, if they dont they are fecked , change em.

The 2.7td is an old tech diesel and relys on the glow plugs to start im the cold

The only thing that could help if you really want to try and bodge it is giving it two or three heat cycles before trying to start it but it will only prolong the agony, if you cant change all 4 glow plugs for 20 quid at a local factors your doing it wrong.

Double check the batteries okay too with a drop test, I thought from simple tests my daughters battery was okay, not very good but okay on a 1.4tdci fiesta……first real cold night next day it wouldn’t start at all, it cranked but not fast enough for the sensors to be happy……brand new battery fitted and the occasional starting issues over the past 12 months have vanished!

Glow plugs. Take one out and test it. Most likely most have gone.

With many cars you can test the glowplugs in the engine, worth a google around. (and it’s when removing old plugs that people come across problems- though I know nothing about your engine- it’s a simple job til one snaps and then it’s a total ****.

Relay is quickly eliminated by checking that there is voltage to the glowplug terminals.

If you have access to an amp clamp, use that on the wires that go to the glow plugs, that way they are tested in situ.

Park it on a hill and bump the thing. It’ll soon learn who is boss. 😉

.I do have a multimeter. How many volts should be going to the plugs?
though for 20quid I’d swap all 4 out. Don’t reckon I’ll get 4 glow-plugs for £20 though..

Is it common for glow plugs (or even just one of them) to be the cause of the pre heat light not coming on in the dash if one or more of them is at fault? Sometimes the light doesn’t come on in mine and it might take a few minutes before it comes on again. Trying to start it without getting the light appearing first in the dash makes it impossible.

No light, could be relay, could be engine temperature sensor, had an issue with a volkswagen like that, looked on the diagnostic live data, and the ecu was seeing it was warm and not switching on the glow plugs. Some newer vehicles do use the glow plugs regardless to help with emissions and smoother running on startup. The only way to know it to test parts.

Some glowplugs are 12 volt, some are low voltage, so make sure you know which you have before you remove them and start heating them up by connecting to a battery.

Check the condition of the earthing braids from starter to chassis and from battery to chassis. They oxidise internally and lose the ability to carry a heavy current. If in doubt, double them up with new ones.

I had similar problems and it was a failing starter motor that was cranking too slowly. Replaced it and it was like a different car.

Had a issue with the van ( escort ) not starting when it started getting colder and it flattened the battery trying.

Changed that and it was still struggling so changed the glow plugs and, touch wood, it’s been fine since.

If I was in you situation, and the battery wasn’t going flat trying to start, I would change the glow plugs and take it from there.

As well as checking the glow plugs,Change the fuel filter as well, get one from a reputable supplier some of the fleabay ones are prone to collapse

I take it’s a terrano?

Check the glow plugs as above, also check your battery and the clamps make sure they’re nit corroded.

When it starts does it blow blue smoke out and sound extra diesely?

Just looked up cost of plugs for that engine. Ouch.

It’s a Nissan d21 with a terrano engine.

There doesn’t seem to be a problem with cranking speed.

Try draining the fuel out of the fuel filter,any water contamination can cause starting problems, its a small white knob that you turn anticlockwise,worked a treat on my old vw t4 transporter. hth

Tight clean battery terminals, a good chassis earth,starter motor connections, and heater plugs would be my next check

If its started with the cold im sticking to my original diagnosis of glow plugs.

Does it smoke when it fires up?

This will tell you if it’s a fuel drain back or glow plugs. I’ve had terranos with corroded terminals on the battery to ecu feed.

Has it had a clutch recently?

Loads of smoke when it eventually fires…made me rule out diesel creeping back into the tank..

I’d go with glow plugs then get a 12v bulb or multimeter and link it to a plug n check that they have a feed.

I’d also check the fuseboard/relay board make sure all the pins are clean and bright