IS200d - glow plugs

[jumbojake]

dumb question for a Friday ..... in a traditional diesel, you can see the glow plugs light fire up and turn off before you would crank the engine... with the 'go button' on the IS, I have always assumed the computer does it... but on recent cold mornings it seemed to crank immediately, and then struggle to fire.

Is there anyway to hold it on glow plugs before cranking, just to give them a chance to warm things up ?

[ColinBarber]

If you just turn on the ignition I believe it pre-heats. Try pressing the start button without your foot on the brake.

[NemesisUK]

If the Power button works the same sequence as my RC then it would need to be pressed twice without the brake pedal depressed to get into Ignition on mode (first press is Accessory mode). I'd imagine the glow plugs would be energised in Ignition mode, rather than accessory mode, or they would be on when just listening to the radio (for example) ?

I would think this would all be detailed in the handbook?

[NemesisUK]

Is your IS manual or automatic?

The handbook seems to show the glow plug indicator will illuminate and then go out before the engine cranks until it starts or for up to 30sec, whichever is sooner only if the car is a manual. The section detailing the start procedure for the auto version simply says the engine will crank until it starts or for up to 30 sec whichever is sooner.

Where all diesel IS manuals? 

[jumbojake]

Mine is a diesel, which need the glow plugs to warm the fuel on cold days, in order to achieve the initial combustion.  I'm surprised by response above for petrol cars, never heard of a glow plug for petrol, normally a clean spark does the job!

I found the relevant information... the computer controls it on a single 'start' button, so I guess it assumed how long it needs based on ambient temp... but probably assumed the plugs are working..... I can see it does flash up the coil indicator briefly, just not for long.

I guess my next step if to check the coils in the plugs themselves... another day

[NemesisUK]

3 hours ago, jumbojake said:

Mine is a diesel, which need the glow plugs to warm the fuel on cold days, in order to achieve the initial combustion.  I'm surprised by response above for petrol cars, never heard of a glow plug for petrol, normally a clean spark does the job!

The response was differentiating between manual transmission and automatic transmission, not between petrol and diesel.

If auto you don't see the glow plug indicator. If it is manual transmission you will see the indicator.

You don't say if your diesel is auto or manual.

[jumbojake]

Apologies, I have the diesel, which was only ever made with manual.  If anyone has a manual petrol, that would not have glow plugs, they have spark plugs (regardless of gearbox).  

My original question is how to control the period the glow plug is heating the cylinder ... as far as I can tell, it is computer determined by temperature, with no feedback on progress.... so must be assuming perfectly healthy plugs.    So, if mine is struggling to start on cold mornings, then I suspect my plugs are getting old.