I have an inquiring mind...and want to know (in layman's language) why it is that I must start my diesel engine car as follows:

1. Turn the key ONLY a quarter of a turn, watching to see the red and yellow lights on the dashboard light up.

2. Wait several seconds, long enough for the yellow lights to turn off (somewhere in the 5-8 second range)?

3. Then complete the full key turn to kick on the motor.

The mechanic and my friend who sold me the car told me to do this, "sempre, sempre, sempre, sempre!!!"

(I have already forgotten twice--OMG! what will happen???)

But, I am curious about what is happening in those few seconds that is so critical for the car.

The glowplugs have to heat up. A diesel uses not spark plugs but glowplugs.

If they aren't hot enough then the fuel can't combust all the way and the unburned fuel will foul your catalytic converter. And that will be pricy to replace....

See Wiki entry on glowplugs....

Excellent link and explanation! Grazie mille!!!

I hope that I will never, ever, ever turn my key too far, too soon again!!!!!!!!!

Your welcome!

I find wiki invaluable.

quote:

Originally posted by Gioele:
Your welcome!

I find wiki invaluable.

w00t!!! I'm a 'residente' now! 501 posts!

Watch out Bill, here I come (towards 10,000)....

Don’t worry I have been driving diesel cars for almost 30 years I often don’t wait for the light to go out and nothing has ever gone wrong. If you have an older indirect injection engine you probably don’t have a catalytic converter. If it is a modern direct injection engine they really don’t need much pre heating except in extreme conditions such as being parked out overnight in a ski resort in the winter (this is the only occasion I respect the “light out” rule these days).

Yeah but Chrisb you've been driving that same Ford Mondeo for 30 years!

Delicate cars like my Alfa need the time to warm up.


Jeffo
Sorry boss, I couldn't resist

quote:

Originally posted by chrisb:
Don’t worry I have been driving diesel cars for almost 30 years I often don’t wait for the light to go out and nothing has ever gone wrong. If you have an older indirect injection engine you probably don’t have a catalytic converter. If it is a modern direct injection engine they really don’t need much pre heating except in extreme conditions such as being parked out overnight in a ski resort in the winter (this is the only occasion I respect the “light out” rule these days).

Hmmmmmm.....I wonder what my "new" 1998 Opel Astra has--an indirect or direct injection engine????? Surely this will be in the manufacturer's owner's manual that is inside the glove box.

The mechanic, who is highly thought of around here, was extremely emphatic to us regarding the "quarter-turn, watch for lights, count to 7 or 8 seconds, then complete the start" instruction.

Thanks for letting me know more about the diesel car--and that my forgetfulness probably hasn't damaged the car too much (so far!).

If it's any consolation I do something similar with my petrol Fabia. If I don't let the various warning lights go out I sometimes get a warning from the engine management system, which according to the owners handbook means I should go straight to a main agent, do not pass go etc.

A petrol engine doesn't have glowplugs.

Are you certain the appearance of the EMS warning light has something to do with the light display when you first turn the key? The light display is to let you know if the warning lights are burnt out (thereby letting you know to take the car in and have the bulb replaced).

quote:

Originally posted by suefischio:
If it's any consolation I do something similar with my petrol Fabia. If I don't let the various warning lights go out I sometimes get a warning from the engine management system, which according to the owners handbook means I should go straight to a main agent, do not pass go etc.

Well...I tried Wikipedia to find out what a "main agent" is (to no avail)....but it seems you are using the expression much like Americans do, with a reference to the game of Monopoly (go sraight to Jail, do not pass go, etc.)....so I am assuming a main agent is a really bad thing.....

These cars of ours have really become uppity things in our lives, haven't they?

It's a car dealer (in this case the service dept).

Depending on the service department or mechanic, sometimes going to jail might be preferred!

Yep, main agent is an authorised car dealer for the make in question, and they may have expertise in the specific cars but they are also more expensive and will often recommend the expensive option (like new engine management chip)!. Luckily my friendly mechanic didn't cost and what he suggested works!

Thanks Bill, I have changed spark plugs before! :-)

quote:

Thanks Bill, I have changed spark plugs before!

Excellent! No use paying a mechanic to do the simple stuff.