Hmmmm, secondhand glow plugs come into the same category as secondhand Lambda sensors, you're lucky if they work more than a dog-watch! :eek: :nah:

For the cost, a new set is worth investing in :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5x-Diesel...1/153589808027

That's the full set of 5 as well. At that price i'd fit a set as preventive maintenance every 2-4 years depending on how many cold starts it had. Also it would eliminate preheating as the potential cause of your bad starting. :thumbs_up:

Yeah, yeah, I hear ya, I was assured they were bought by mistake and the time had lapsed for a return, and they did have their original Bosch boxes too, so I was convinced, so easy I know lol perhaps gullible is the operative word here....

Thanks, I will have to double-check those cause when I did buy a new set for mine off eBay prior, they were the wrong size, the thread was in the wrong place so the tip didn't go down far enough, they only screwed in about 2.5 turns at the most lol

I think it does boil down to 2 slight issues causing a worse one, 2nd user plugs and injector, luckily (if i can find it) i kept my original injector so I can send it off for a refurb, hopefully, it's not over expensive, although it should be cheaper than an actual returned one off of ebay, they are about £100 + £100 refundable on an exchange of your old one, I don't like that idea at all, £200 OOP right off the bat :(

Those plugs i linked to are listed as fitting your year of car so should be right.

I've used that supplier several times for Lambda sensors and also the CPS on my 760 and haven't had any major problems.
One item arrived broken, sent them a photo and had a replacement the following day, probably not their fault it was broken looking at the package (it looked like the postie had dropped it and then driven over it! :err: :eek: ) but they replaced it pronto so even if they are the wrong plugs, you shouldn't have any problems.

Fairly confident they're the correct ones though. :thumbs_up:

Thank you, much appreciated, I will buy them now, what's the worst that can happen 😁

You're welcome, fingers crossed it sorts your cold start problem, at worst they're eliminated from the diagnostic procedure. :thumbs_up:

At little cost too :)

There is one other point that I'd forgotten about till I did it again this morning.

If I put it into neutral 1st, it starts a lot easier, which does not make a lot of sense to me, but there must be something to it?

If it's manual then it sounds like the clutch is dragging but in theory you should be starting it in neutral anyway - some cars (mainly USA or USA influenced) have to be in neutral or P if auto before the engine will turn over.

Sorry, should have said, mines the auto, but yes, manuals I always start them in neutral.

If I leave it in park and start it, it takes longer to start, this morning I remembered to put it on neutral and it fired after about 2 or 3 cranks as opposed to 5 or 8 and it was minus 2 this monring so it would have been worse than normal, I'm at a loss with this cause neutral and oral should be one and the same, no?

Don't you just love autocowwrecks? :tongwink:

You're right, Neutral and Park are the same except when in Park, a pawl engages with a ratchet on the gearbox output. Given that if you were in Neutral you'd probably have the handbrake on, it makes no real difference.

The inhibitor switch won't have any real consequence on things either as it only interrupts the trigger line to the solenoid to prevent solenoid (and hence starter) operation unless in P or N for safety. As such it has no real bearing on the starter.