Cold starting issues-upgrade glow plugs?

[p.bretherton]

Hey guys

hope your enjoying the cold snap were having. Got my 96 disco 2.5tdi a few months back and almost straight away started running a wee bit of veg oil in the diesel mix. Up to 20% expecting it to get cold. And low and behold it has and now its a PITA to start. Done all the veggie related tricks diluting with petrol and extra glow plug cycles. The battery is good and copes ok but i have tried doing as many as 5 glow plug cycles before cranking and no matter how many i do it doesnt seem to help starting at all.
Could the plugs be shot?
Does anyone know what power rating the oem plugs are and whether you can get an upgraded set more powerful?
Also considering wireing in a second battery just in case.

Phil

 

[pdxrovermech]

never been a fan of veggie oil. maybe your injectors are full of shit. see it all the time. a good compression 200/300 should start no problem after one cycle.

 

[p.bretherton]

No reason to suspect injectors. Once started she runs a dream straight away. Popped in a bottle of fuel system cleaner anyway and no difference.

 

[Redback]

I'm assuming you have Alpine diesel in Scotland, if not try a bit of Kero in your tank, ratio of 1 litre per 100 litres, that should do it, or get new glow plugs if that doesn't work, also as your putting vegi oil in there, change your fuel filter too, vegi oil in diesel tends to clean things.

Oh yeah DON'T put petrol in a diesel engine:thehand:

Baz.

 

[seventyfive]

Are you getting air in the fuel lines? We see issues with customers switching from home brew and the low sulphur fuel (when they run out of veggie/home brew) and it causes seals to let air in the lines.