[Punto JTD] Flashing pre-heating light

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Pascal H - 01 Mar 2004 20:46 GMT

Hello everybody,

I own a Punto JTD, year 2000
It now has about 80 000 km.
The pre-heating indicator seems to warn about something goind wrong :
when turning the contact on, the indicator lights on briefly (less long
than usually), then goes out. But a few seconds later it begins to
flash during about 1 minute. No problem for starting the engine.
The notice indicates some problems with the gazole pre-heating system
and tells to contact a reparator.
But I ask myself if it's not the moment to change the sparks

Did someone already had this problem ?

Thanks for your answer !

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Pascal

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Chris Gilbert - 02 Mar 2004 20:57 GMT

As you have a Deisel i wouldn't recomend changing the "sparks" as you dont
have any.
Personally i would get your car to a dealer and let them do a diagnostic
test and that
will tell you if you have a glow plug faulty or a problem with the ignition
system.

> Hello everybody,
>
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Thanks for your answer !

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Andrew Portess - 02 Mar 2004 21:46 GMT

> > Hello everybody,
> >
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> > than usually), then goes out. But a few seconds later it begins to
> > flash during about 1 minute.

Almost certainly a glow plug has failed. Engine will start OK on 3 plugs
but if the weather becomes very cold or another plug goes then it will
struggle to start.

Andy

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Pascal H - 03 Mar 2004 12:31 GMT

Le mar. 02 mars 2004 21:57:27, dans le message
<ch1262@blueyonder.co.uk> a écrit :

> As you have a Deisel i wouldn't recomend changing the "sparks" as
> you dont have any.
> Personally i would get your car to a dealer and let them do a
> diagnostic test and that
> will tell you if you have a glow plug faulty or a problem with the
> ignition system.

Thanks for your answer.
Spark is maybe not the right word, but I was talking about the ones
that permit the ignition.
I'd prefer to find a solution by myself (or with your help !) before
goind to a dealer because :
- this car is out of garanty
- I find the price of the job concerning electronic diagnostic too much
expensive (specific software and tools)
- I don't really trust the approximative diagnostic of this indicator :
on my other car, I had a light that was sometimes going on. This
indicator means lot of different thinks so the dealer plugged his
'specialy made' tool ... but was UNABLE to tell me the exact cause of
the warning. He was proposing me to change some expensive parts as the
air injection pump to see if 'it makes a difference'. But it seems it
was à 'fugitive default' as there are a lot with multiplexed
connections because, one day, the indicator went away and never light
on again !

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Pascal

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Andrew Portess - 04 Mar 2004 00:37 GMT

> Le mar. 02 mars 2004 21:57:27, dans le message
> <ch1262@blueyonder.co.uk> a ?crit :
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> connections because, one day, the indicator went away and never light
> on again !

If you connect an ammeter from the livr terminal of the battery to the top
of the glow plug connection the faulty plug will draw a different amount of
current to the good plugs - that is how the ECU knows there is a problem.
Most garages (non-dealer) in the UK would perform this diagnoses free of
charge in order to provide a quote for the repair work.

Andy

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Pascal H - 04 Mar 2004 10:29 GMT

> If you connect an ammeter from the livr terminal of the battery to
> the top of the glow plug connection the faulty plug will draw a
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Andy

Hello,

Thanks for the method. But I don't well understand what do you mean
with 'livr terminal' (sorry, I usually use computer vocabulary, not
mechanical one ;) ).
Because of the mileage of the car, I think I'll change all the plugs
(but is it really necessary to change ALL of them ?).
There's nothing about their lasting of life in the manufacturer manual,
but on the previous model I had, I've changed them at about the same
mileage.
The problem with the recent turbo engines is that even a plug is out of
order, the car starts. On the old one, we had difficult to start when
it was cold outside. With the new one it's ok (we have temperatures
under 0 Celsius but the car hasn't any problem to start).

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Pascal

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Andrew Portess - 05 Mar 2004 23:27 GMT

> > If you connect an ammeter from the livr terminal of the battery to
> > the top of the glow plug connection the faulty plug will draw a
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> it was cold outside. With the new one it's ok (we have temperatures
> under 0 Celsius but the car hasn't any problem to start).

That should have been positive (+) terminal of the battery (probably got a
red cap over it). Change them all because if ones gone the others are sure
to follow and if you are going to get your hands dirty doing one you might
as wel ldo the rest at the same time. No life is specified but I would
expect 7 or 8 years from a decent set of plugs,cheaper brands may only last
2 years so pay that little extra when you buy the new glow plugs.

Andy

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Pascal H - 06 Mar 2004 21:35 GMT

Le sam. 06 mars 2004 00:27:29, dans le message
<andrewportess@NOSPAMhotmail.com> a écrit :

> That should have been positive (+) terminal of the battery
> (probably got a red cap over it). Change them all because if ones
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Andy

Hi !

Today I bought a set of new ones and wil try to install them tomorrow
(good job for a rainy day !).
My brother in law could get them for 60 € in a specialized dealing shop
for the garages of the region.
I hope this will be enough to solve my problem !
I'll keep you informed.
Thanks again for your advices and answers.

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Pascal

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Pascal H - 17 Mar 2004 23:52 GMT

Le lun. 01 mars 2004 21:46:24, dans le message
<pascal@alussinan.org> a écrit :

> Hello everybody,
>
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Thanks for your answer !

Hi,

Here's the report of the action taken:
due to the high mileage of my car, I've decided to buy a news set of 4
glow plugs.
After some difficulties to localize these plugs, I spent about 1 hour
to make the exchange of the 4.
The 2 localized at each extremity of the motor ar the worst to manage.
But I succeeded and fortunately, the pre-heating indicator now acts
like before: it goes on briefly before starting the engine and then
goes out .... for good now, without coming back !

Thanks again to Chris and Andrew for their answers and help.

Regards,

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Pascal

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Andrew Portess - 26 Mar 2004 00:58 GMT

> Here's the report of the action taken:
> due to the high mileage of my car, I've decided to buy a news set of 4
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> Regards,

You are welcome. Its great to use the internet to share each others
knowledge etc.

Andy

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