V50 2.0D Glow plug (Heater Plug) Change

[IainG]

Hi
About 3 months ago I checked my heater plugs and found 3 were defective. On this engine I don't think they are used for starting much unless it is very cold, however I do believe they are used during the DPF regeneration process so decided to change them. There is a multi plug on top of the engine that can be undone and there are 4 terminals to test the heater plugs.
I tried 3 different garages and they all refused the job (in case they snapped the plugs on removal). The engine is a pain as the plugs are tucked down the back of the engine under the EGR cooler and valve.
A volvo dealer did quote me for the job. I think it was £300 to change 1. Then multiply by 4 for them all!! I did explain that most of the job is removing all the EGR etc and was common for each plug. He couldn't understand so I decided to have a go myself.

I put the front wheels of the car on ramps and removed the under tray. I was bound to drop something so was easier to prepare! My drive slopes down so the car is actually level when on ramps.

Disconnect the battery
Unplug the EGR valve multi-plug
Drain some coolant. I syphoned out from the header tank until empty. I then removed the header tank as I decided to give it a good clean. When I removed the bottom hose from the tank I poked a tube down the hose and syphoned some more out. (It saves clamping the EGR cooler hoses)
Remove the 2 coolant hoses from the EGR cooler. One is a spring clip that need pliers to undo, the other is a quick release connection(pull the little wire clip and then pull off fitting).
Remove breather pipe from top of rocker cover. Quick release connector
Remove the silver EGR pipe (from front to back of engine) 2 x 8mm headed bolts at the back and 2 torx bolts at the front (don't drop the O ring from the front connection). 1 bracket/clip by the vacuum pump.

Remove 2 horizontal bolts (8mm socket or spanner) from the back of the EGR valve.(holding it to the cylinder head)
There is then a vertical allen screw (below and underneath the right hand top bolt) this clamps the bottom of the EGR valve to a bracket. Very fiddly if it is fitted. Mine was missing !!
If you then go along to the other end of the EGR assembly there is a metal flexible elbow that bolts to the exhaust manifold (10mm socket) Remove the 2 nuts (they were quite rusty so was a bit worried however a bit of Plussgas and they came off). Remove the metal bracket that holds the heater multi plug (1 bolt 13mm socket)
Underneath the cooler at the same end there is a 13mm nut that bolts the EGR cooler bracket to the engine. Reach under the cooler and you can feel it.
On mine the complete assembly then came out as one unit. Bit fiddly but came out on the right hand side.

Bit of coolant inside but stays in until the unit is out.

This then makes the glow plugs accessible.
I was worried about snapping the plugs so I then gave the plugs a good soaking in Plussgas.
The tightening torque for the new plugs are only 15Nm so I was worried about applying too much torque when removing if they were stuck.
I did some reading and found that you should only apply 40 Nm max to avoid snapping. Also a youtube video suggested just applying a steady torque and not to force things. Also can try tightening a bit if stuck first.

I then disconnected the 4 wires from the top of the plugs. New plugs had 8mm nuts, the ones on the engine had 7mm nuts. They 4 came off easily and the wires lifted off.
The next bit I was really worried about but all 4 of my plugs came out really easily (in fact that was the easiest part of the job!!) I just used a 10mm deep socket (both my 3/8 socket and my 1/4 socket fitted) and applied a gentle but steady force and they all released and then came out. I had already borrowed a 10mm x 1 thread tap, just in case the threads needed cleaning. There was no corrosion in the threads so all was good and the tap wasn't needed
I did put some copper anti seize on the threads of the new plugs and screwed them in. I bought a small torque wrench from Toolstation as I wanted to get the torque correct. Torqued the 4 plugs to 15Nm
Reattached the wires and then tightened the nuts with an 8mm socket. I was worried as they are only 4mm threads (I think should be only 2.5 Nm) so I guessed !! torque wrench didn't go that low !!

I then checked the ohms readings at the multi plug(for the glow plugs) and all were showing the same (1.1ohms on my meter)

Reassembly is just the reverse.

Slot in EGR valve and cooler. 2 nuts on the elbow to manifold on the left, 13mm nut to reattach EGR cooler bracket to the engine, 2 long bolts to attach the EGR valve to the engine and one allen screw underneath (if fitted). Fit silver pipe, 2x 8 mm headed bolts at the back and 2 Torx at the front( check o ring is there). 1 bracket by the vacuum pump.

Reattach coolant hoses to EGR cooler and breather hose to rocker cover.
Plug in the heater plug multiplug and also the EGR valve plug.
Fill with coolant, reattach battery and run the engine. As the coolant pressure increases there is a vent screw on one of the hoses attached to the EGR cooler for venting any air as it is a high point.
NOTE
I did make my life difficult !! Initially I was worried about undoing the 2 nuts that attach the EGR cooler elbow to the manifold as they looked really rusty, so initially I split the EGR cooler from the elbow by releasing the band clamp. Although I managed to remove no 1 glow plug with the elbow in place and fit the new one I could not get the nut for the wire to catch on the threads. I spent over an hour trying. In the end I removed the elbow from the manifold and No1 plug was then really easy. I then put the elbow back and then fitted the EGR cooler and valve, but could not get any pliers in, to reclip the spring connector that connects the EGR cooler to the elbow. So all removed again, Elbow attached to cooler, spring clip is easy when off the car !! Then all refitted to the engine as one unit
I did waste a lot of time. It would have just been easier to remove the whole EGR assembly and elbow as one unit (as described above).
Job done however my hands are slightly the worse for wear.
It is a very fiddly job but with patience and not trying to rush the job is actually straightforward. Also whilst the EGR is out it can be split from the cooler and cleaned. The EGR actuator can also be cleaned and checked for free movement.
Think I have covered everything. I did drop an 8mm 1/4 drive socket and it didn't come out of the bottom !! so 8mm socket MIA (spent over 1/2 hour looking for it with a torch, a magnet, a mirror and feeling but to no avail !!
Sorry no photos.
4 plugs were £50 and the torque wrench was £35(but will be used again) so quite a cheap job, although bit time consuming and hard on the hands!!

[Kev0607]

Nice work... always a bonus when you can do something yourself and save money.

Although, I think you misinterpreted the dealership charge. I think it would have been £300 labour for them to do the whole job, not £300 per glow plug. No way could it be £1,200 to replace 4 glow plugs... I know dealerships are expensive, but that's taking it to another level.

[IainG]

Hi

Although, I think you misinterpreted the dealership charge. I think it would have been £300 labour for them to do the whole job, not £300 per glow plug. No way could it be £1,200 to replace 4 glow plugs... I know dealerships are expensive, but that's taking it to another level.

No I didn't

I had quite a discussion with the salesperson and he assured me it was 4 x the single price.
I did spend 10 minutes explaining to him that most of the work was the removal of the EGR. It was Vertu and when you phone you get through to the call centre. However if I had pushed it I would have asked to talk to the service department at the dealer and got a proper price. He just really annoyed me !!

[Simmy]

yes the removal of the egr can be a challenge i found the easy way to remove the out of sight allen key fixing was from under the car with a selection of long socket extensions i replaced the allen fixing with a bolt which made reassembly easier iv done this job several times after buying a faulty egr valve second replacement was a pierburg one which worked faultlessly.

[IainG]

Hi
And todays job was to actually find a way of testing if the new glow plugs and the relay actually worked.

I found Vida has a Glow plug test.
You can activate the glow plug relay in VIDA. When I did this you could hear the engine load up. So they appear to be working. Just to prove it, I disconnected the multi plug under the bonnet and checked the voltage on all 4 pins. All were the same and over 14.5 volt.
I then put an ammeter between the pins in the plug and the socket, all 4 currents were the same. So all good again.
The last test I wanted to do was to prove the voltage stayed there (at the multi plug) whilst the heaters were on, this proves the wiring and relay up to the multi plug whilst under load. I used a paperclip to push in the wire side of the Multi plug to pick up the voltage whilst the plug is connected. 14.33 V on each pin. I have now proved all 4 heater plugs and the relay and all the wiring is good.

[IainG]

Well, first day with 4 working heater plugs instead of 1 !!

I hadn't really bothered about the lack of heater plugs for the last couple of years at least, as the car always started well. however I was beginning to think the DPF regenerations are suffering

Normally the engine will fire up straight away in any temperature although runs a little rough and a bit smokey for a few minutes.

It was -2 this morning. It started straight away as normal but it was a smooth tick over straight away and no visible smoke at all
Dramatic improvement so it was well worth doing. I also hope it will help again with the DPF regeneration each time. Up to Derbyshire next week so will find out then. Fingers crossed.