Hi all,

I have heard a lot of rumors around that LR launched a software update for the earlier makes which increased the pre-heat time depending on temperature. Can anyone confirm this and specify which years this apply to? Mine seems to not pre-heat at all as the starter kicks in instantly when the starter button is pressed, even at -7 outside in the morning. I tried the trick with pressing the starter button without using the clutch today, and then do the startup. Temperature -5. The glow-symbol was lit for a little second in the dash each time before it disappeared. Worked nicely, but should not be necessary. its a -07.

Battery, diesel filter and glow plugs was new last winter.

Anyone know?

On mine (2008) the more it is below zero the more its delay the starter but i do not get any indication on the instrument cluster.
I think the "glow-symbol"actually indicate an issue with the glow plugs

Mine certainly comes on, but I only notice it if I am actually trying to spot if it comes on.

According to the manual :
"The glow plug warning indicator will remain illuminated while the glow plugs are operating." 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

strange, they call it "warning" but say it is for the duration of operation.

I have never seen my glow plug light on (2007 auto) car starts almost immediately.
This morning it was -7c no glow plug indication.
(It must be operating somehow)

Joe Fix it until it's broke !

Yesterday (-11°) my 2007 model came up with a notification. I didn't get chance to read it but said something along the lines of "car will start after glow plug operation".

Seems to be more of a delay starting in cold weather but only milliseconds.

Bottom line i think as long as your car starts in cold weather everything is functioning.
I dont think a diesel motor can start at -7 without glow plugs

At the risk of showing my age; I've had diesels produced back in the 1940s and 50s that didn't have glow plugs and they would start - eventually - and some of those were hand cranked. The old Lister diesels had a decompressor which partly opened the exhaust valve so you could crank it up to speed with little compression then drop in the decompressor lever and it would start. The Listers started quite easily and some of the newer ones had electric starters and with electric start the decompressor wasn't needed but they still had it fitted so that you could hand start it.

J

Jimboland
I can remember the days of big diesel standby generators as you describe.

Large hand cranked flywheel and decompression lever, helped starting.
But a fuel soaked rag could be lit under the intake manifold to provide some preheating.

Smaller diesel motors, often had a small chamber that you used to inject some kind of starting fluid.

Thank goodness for the ease of starting the modern FL2. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 76k+ miles) (MY2015)

Did my apprenticeship on Bedford trucks. They had a lever in the cab. When you pulled it, a single electric coil similar to a cigarette lighter glowed red hot in the inlet manifold.. At the same time, diesel was dripped on it causing it to ignite. No warning lights, the driver learned by experience when to start cranking and the flames were sucked into the engine to start it. I used something similar to start a diesel Golf years ago that I had to pickup with a glow plug problem. Took off the air filter housing, removed the filter element and built a small fire with paper to get it started! Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Last edited by Steve D on 13th Dec 2017 11:05 pm. Edited 2 times in total

Dresdner wrote:

..I dont think a diesel motor can start at -7 without glow plugs

They had a system where the manifold was heated and it set fire to the fuel and the flame sucked in to warm the cylinder, had a boat engine with the same system. my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

I had to look that up. Very, very few transits had that system and it was normally a special order for vehicles exported to cold climate countries. I must have worked on hundreds, if not thousands of them and I’ve never seen any cold starting devices on the 2.5 Di engines. Maybe yours had it in the boat as part of a marinisation conversion? Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Glug  FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

2007 s never seen a glow plug light on the dash.