Can you run a Duramax with a bad glow plug? If you break it off you will be able to drive the truck fine, it won’t hurt anything. If you break the tip off of the plug you can have a problem then though. Spray it for a couple days before with pb blaster, and get the motor hot right before.

Similarly, Is it bad to run a Duramax with a bad glow plug?

Registered. Running a bad glow plug will have no negative effects on the truck besides one cold cylinder in cold months. If you left bad glow plugs in for a really long time the tip could break off inside, but that is rare.

Additionally, Is it safe to drive with a bad glow plug? You can probably drive safely with the Glow Plug Light on as long as you take it easy. But you do need to get it checked out. Always remember, your warning lights are trying to tell you something, and determining whether the message is serious or of little consequence is best left up to a qualified mechanic.

Can faulty glow plug damage engine?

Damaged glow plugs or a faulty glow plug control module can cause white smoke on engine start up. There are also many other possible causes for an excess of white smoke, including low engine cranking speed, low compression and air in the fuel system.

Will a Duramax start without glow plugs?

Diesels will fire up without glow plugs – given warm enough ambient air, and adequate cranking speed. Air start is used on large diesels, no glow plugs. It’s true that they need to develop heat for combustion, but that is a matter of compression.

Will a bad glow plug hurt your engine?

Bad glow plugs can hurt your engine’s performance, or cause it to stop running altogether. … If one or more of your glow plugs has gone out, your diesel engine may no longer be able to start. Fortunately, your auto repair expert will have the parts and equipment needed to easily fix your faulty glow plugs.

How do glow plugs work Duramax?

Glow Plug System Description

Duramax diesel engine, air alone is compressed in the cylinder. Then, after the air has been compressed, a charge of fuel is sprayed into the cylinder and ignition occurs, due to the heat of compression. Eight glow plugs are used as an aid to starting.

How long can I drive with bad glow plugs?

Forever. I have seen many diesels start on only 4 to 6 glow plugs. The other cylinders eventually start firing after they have warmed up. So as long as the engine is still working it will run.

Can faulty glow plugs cause loss of power?

1. Engine misfires or decrease in power and acceleration. … If the glow plugs malfunction they will not provide the additional heat that aids in diesel combustion, which may cause the engine to experience misfires. The misfires may cause a loss in power, acceleration, and even fuel efficiency.

Will glow plugs stop car starting?

In the end, the battery will cry enough. But that’s the effect of the faulty glow plugs making starting hard, rather than the cause of the problem. As most cars have four-cylinder engines, that means four glow plugs. If one glow plug fails, the engine may still start but it might run roughly initially.

Do I need to plug in my Duramax?

It is suggested to plug the truck in when you have an extreme cold snap to ease on starting. Also, if you have a glow plug system failure it should allow the truck to start until you can get it fixed.

Do you have to wait to start a Duramax?

Wait-to-Start Light

Wait until the light turns off before starting the engine. This light may not come on in warm temperatures. The fast warm-up glow plug system makes the wait-to-start light stay on for a shorter amount of time than most diesel engines.

How long should you let a Duramax warm up?

2-3 minutes is plenty unless it’s extremely cold and you didn’t plug in the block heater. You need just enough to get oil circulated and let the pistons warm up a little, no more than 10 minutes on a very cold day (-10 and colder).

Can I drive with glow plug light on?

You can probably drive safely with the Glow Plug Light on as long as you take it easy. But you do need to get it checked out. Always remember, your warning lights are trying to tell you something, and determining whether the message is serious or of little consequence is best left up to a qualified mechanic.

Do glow plugs run all the time?

The glow plugs remain switched on during the post-heating time even if the engine is running. The length of the post-heating time is determined by the type of engine and the engine temperature.

How do I test my Duramax glow plugs?

check the glowplugs first. take the rail off of them and get a test light, hook it to the pos side of the battery and touch the tip of each glowplug. if it lights up the glowplug is bad.

Are glow plugs used while driving?

If you’ve been driving cars that use petrol, chances are you’ve never come across a glow plug. These car parts are used only in diesel vehicles. … Only instead of sparking an ignition like a spark plug does, these parts are responsible for heating air that results in ignition of an engine.

Can I run with 3 glow plugs?

As said, you’ll probably be fine, might just take slightly longer to start on a cold morning!

How long do glow plugs stay on after starting?

Even though the engine is running and the glow plug indicator is not illuminated in the dash, the glow plugs will cycle anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes after start up.

Is it safe to drive with the diesel engine pre glow light on?

Is it safe to drive with the diesel engine pre-glow light on? Some vehicle engines cannot even be started until the glowplug light has turned off, therefore preventing the drivers from starting the engine too soon. You should always wait for the light to shut off before attempting to start the engine.

What happens when you have a bad glow plug?

In a nutshell, common glow plug symptoms are slow starting and complete failure to start. Once the vehicle does start, missing, rough idle, hesitation, and lots of white smoke until the engine warms. If you have a four cylinder, one glow plug bad will cause slight hard starting and a miss.

Will new glow plugs improve performance?

Engines with malfunctioning glow plugs show several symptoms such as hard starting, black exhaust smoke, reduced fuel efficiency and a decrease in power and acceleration from engine misfires. Replacement will assure that they do not affect the other performance enhancing components.

How do you know if your glow plugs need changing?


Signs Your Glow Plugs Need to be Replaced

  1. Slow engine starting.
  2. Engine misfiring.
  3. Complete failure to start the engine.
  4. Rough idling.
  5. Decreased fuel efficiency.
  6. An excess of white smoke.