Cost of replacing 4 glow plugs??

[MercDevon]

Hey good folks…

So, on Friday I rang for a quote from a local garage to replace 4 glow plugs in a 2005 C200 CDI. Am I completely wrong or does this seem expensive?
The quote was £242.00 inc VAT from a non main dealer mechanics. It’s nearly £100 more than I was expecting.
I’ve seen on Euro Carparts that I could go and collect today 4 NGK or Bosch glow plugs for this car for between £41 and £46 for all 4.

Am I way off thinking £150 is what I should expect to pay for this job?

I’ve watched numerous videos on YouTube which show them being changed in as little as 17 minutes and up to 31 minutes. It looks like a very straightforward and easy to access job (as long as they don’t snap)

Any advice on what you think I should be paying would be helpful or if you think £242 inc VAT is correct?

*Just a note to say only 1 glow plug has an issue, but I figure replace them all so they’re all the same age

 

[mioba]

Indeed, seems way to high, I paid 150 to replace 6 on my OM642. that was including the bosch plugs.

Better with an MB indy doing the job, they know the pitfalls and requirements to hopefully prevent them snapping.

Yes change them all.

Not sure exactly where you are but Wilding Motors in Paignton are recommended.

 

[MercDevon]

Oh Paignton is not far and this was a MB Indy! I was very disappointed. Even up to £180 I might go for although thought expensive, but £242 for 4 glow plugs. Yikes!

Thank you for the reply. It just to helps me not doubt myself at that cost quoted.

 

[mioba]

Give Ian a call at Wilding Motors in Paignton

 

[Botus]

when the job is done thoroughly, not only do you replace the aged glow plugs you should swap the controller

more failures come for the controller dying than the plugs ageing - on modern cars the glow plugs switch in and out all the time, its not just start up
later controllers run later hardware and software - and might be more suitable for later glow plugs and or operability...

plugs at 20 a pop and 85 for a controller wouldn't be outrageous

 

[KennyN]

If they have been it the engine for 16 years then possibly the garage are expecting to spend a little more time preparing to replace them than you may think.

They may be charging top price for the plugs (but buying them discounted) which will be pushing the price up so what about supplying your own to see how that impacts on price.

If one breaks are they going to cover the removal price , if so then the extra ££ would be worth it , if not then £240 could be deemed a bit steep.

What about replacing them yourself , if so you need to ask yourself this - "Are you feeling lucky"

Did mine myself on the OM642 and it was one of the easiest jobs i have attempted , even after winding myself up how difficult it was going to be,

K

 

[MercDevon]

If they have been it the engine for 16 years then possibly the garage are expecting to spend a little more time preparing to replace them than you may think.

They may be charging top price for the plugs (but buying them discounted) which will be pushing the price up so what about supplying your own to see how that impacts on price.

If one breaks are they going to cover the removal price , if so then the extra ££ would be worth it , if not then £240 could be deemed a bit steep.

What about replacing them yourself , if so you need to ask yourself this - "Are you feeling lucky"

Did mine myself on the OM642 and it was one of the easiest jobs i have attempted , even after winding myself up how difficult it was going to be,

K

Thank you for your reply.

They told me 1.5 hours for the job. That is either very expensive glow plugs, very high labour costs or both. I couldn’t work it out as they were telling me the cost.

I think I did say that I had seen multiple videos on YouTube that made it look simple. Each glow plug very easy to access. The removal process looked simple despite them talking about the risk of one snapping. The only thing stopping me doing it myself is exactly that… the stories of them snapping inside. Otherwise it does not look technically difficult or time consuming at all. Especially only 4 of them.

 

[MercDevon]

when the job is done thoroughly, not only do you replace the aged glow plugs you should swap the controller

more failures come for the controller dying than the plugs ageing - on modern cars the glow plugs switch in and out all the time, its not just start up
later controllers run later hardware and software - and might be more suitable for later glow plugs and or operability...

plugs at 20 a pop and 85 for a controller wouldn't be outrageous

Strange that I have since spoken to two more garages and none of the 3 of them have mentioned that at all. Not saying it is not correct. I totally believe what you are saying, but perhaps it’s one of those things they would slap me with after starting the job so I can’t say no!

It’s turning out to be rather an ordeal getting this organised for a reasonable price! I have no symptoms from the car at all. All I have is a glow plug light that last week started staying on after a cold start for roughly 30 seconds and the the light goes out. It doesn’t do it at all when starting again from warm. All I get from garages on the phone is high prices or jargon about a relatively simple job. One garage started going on about several things that could be causing a problem with the ignition system and how it could be any or a combination …. If so, would I not notice difficulty starting and running it? “A problem with the ignition system” sounds a lot more severe than what is actually happening. All I have had is a 30 second glow plug light come on and I would just like 4 of them swapped for new. No jargon and a reasonable price. Deary me it’s difficult…

 

[rf065]

All I have is a glow plug light that last week started staying on after a cold start for roughly 30 seconds and the the light goes out. It doesn’t do it at all when starting again from warm.

I had the same with a 2005 CLK220CDi, I changed the controller unit and the problem was fixed, nothing wrong with the glow plugs.

( by a second hand unit of Ebay, change it yourself and see if the fault disappears, mine cost about £15 and was fitted in 5 minutes.

 

[MercDevon]

I had the same with a 2005 CLK220CDi, I changed the controller unit and the problem was fixed, nothing wrong with the glow plugs.

Oooooo this sounds interesting! Did it cause any symptoms at all? Other than the short glow plug light on the dash at cold start?

 

[MercDevon]

I had the same with a 2005 CLK220CDi, I changed the controller unit and the problem was fixed, nothing wrong with the glow plugs.

( by a second hand unit of Ebay, change it yourself and see if the fault disappears, mine cost about £15 and was fitted in 5 minutes.

Also, forgive me for asking, what did you have to do and how much did it cost?

 

[rf065]

I had no symptoms other than the glow plug light for 30 seconds, the car started and ran perfectly. The Ebay controller was only £15 and only took 5 minutes to swap over. What have you got to lose?

 

[MercDevon]

Also, forgive me for asking, what did you have to do and how much did it cost?

Sorry you actually said how much it cost, but what did you have to do? If only 5 minutes I guess quite straightforward, but getting the correct module I guess is the tricky bit!

 

[MercDevon]

I had no symptoms other than the glow plug light for 30 seconds, the car started and ran perfectly. The Ebay controller was only £15 and only took 5 minutes to swap over. What have you got to lose?

It sounds just like mine. There’s no actual issue so far as I can tell beyond the light coming on after cold starting!

 

[KennyN]

Ask the garages what happens if any break whilst trying to get them out , if they say you will need to cough up extra to have them professional removed then have a go yourself as you will have nothing to loose.

Preparation is the key.

K

 

[MercDevon]

Ask the garages what happens if any break whilst trying to get them out , if they say you will need to cough up extra to have them professional removed then have a go yourself as you will have nothing to loose.

Preparation is the key.

K

Some penetrating spray or something an hour before. I’m not wrong about it being a straightforward job as long as there’s no heavy handed snapping going on… scary though that I might bugger it up!

 

[KennyN]

Some penetrating spray or something an hour before. I’m not wrong about it being a straightforward job as long as there’s no heavy handed snapping going on… scary though that I might bugger it up!

Use D-block penetrating spray for up to a week prior to removal . spray twice a day and run the car as normal through numerous heating and cooling cycles to let the spray do its job.

Decent socket / proper re-assembly grease / torque wrench and the jobs a good un.

The money you save will buy the controller module for the plugs.

K

 

[Misterdog]

Some penetrating spray or something an hour before.

Use D-block penetrating spray for up to a week prior to removal

So either an hour or a week, they can still snap off though.

I believe the trick is to treat them like cutting a thread in reverse, crack off the initial torque then tighten. Undo half a turn then tighten a quarter of a turn.

I must try it one day

 

[MercDevon]

So either an hour or a week, they can still snap off though.

I believe the trick is to treat them like cutting a thread in reverse, crack off the initial torque then tighten. Undo half a turn then tighten a quarter of a turn.

I must try it one day

Goodness! I thought that was the advice of experience talking there! Quite a fear of snapping them I would have!

 

[Misterdog]

My Beru glow plugs for the Transit have sat in a drawer for the last 3 years precisely because of this. Though it is a direct injection engine and not a common rail so only needs the plugs if the temperature drops to minus 10.
The real reason for the plugs is to reduce emissions on cold start up.