94 Jetta Glow plug acess?

[d3adpool]

Hello, thought I'd stop trolling and register so I could ask about a worsening problem my 94 Jetta has.

She used to have hard starts here and there, now since its getting colder... the other night it wouldn't start at all. After plugging in the block for a bit it started with a little hesitation.

After the engine is running I'm getting a pretty good white smoke screen to boot.

So, I've looked around and in my limited knowlege on my volks... I figure its the glowplugs. I went and bought a set of 4 Bosch and I go to install em... the throttle "housing" or what ever it is obscures all four of these which makes its pretty damn difficult for me to get to em.

Every place I read, glowplugs are easy, I just gotta be able to get to em.

Thanks for the read people...

d3.

[pakofa]

Is it a TDI? You just have to pull off the electrical wires and unscrew them.

[chittychittybangbang]

The 94 weren't TDI they were IDI, assuming this is a North American car.

It is probably slightly different but on the TDI low glow plug duration could be related to a bad coolant temp sensor. It thinks it's not cold out so it doesn't light the glow plugs for long.

Hard starting could be low compression. A cold engine quickly dissipates the heat from compression and makes harder starting because diesels need compression to start.

Not sure on the IDIs, check the vwvortex diesel forum or vwdiesel.net for older diesels: http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/
If it's like the TDIs you just pull the wire and replace.

[d3adpool]

Supposedly 94 is the first year for the turbo but did not get the name of TDI. So I'm going to side with chitty and say its an IDI. I think that the plugs are org. hmm I'll give a call to NAPA or partsource and see if they have a coolant sensor in stock.

Cheers.

[d3adpool]

NAPA has the 4 prong coolant sensor arriving tommorow, the factory sensor had some coolant in the actual sensor itself...

and I go on nights starting tommorow too so I have the daylight to work on it and fix it.

[d3adpool]

Swapped the coolant sensor out, charged the battery overnight and plugged the block in.

I tried starting it, "fired" up the plugs let the light go on and then out. A good amount of white smoke, not a hint of starting.

I called the mechanic from an old company I worked for, maybe he can get at the plugs.

Any direction is awesome, thanks.