What Is A Glow Plug?

The blog this week is about why your glow plug warning light may be illuminated on your dashboard. If any lights come on, on your dashboard you should look them up in your owner’s manual (if you don’t already know what they are) and then seek the assistance of your local independent garage. Everyone is trying to save money at the moment, interest rates are rising, fuel bills are rising, food costs are soaring etc so when it comes to owning a car, we need all the help we can get to keep costs down. Read on to find out more:

Few people actually take the time to go through their Volvo or Toyota owners’ manual and familiarise themselves with what the various lights on their dashboard mean. They are too excited to get in their new purchase and go for a drive.  They seek assistance only when an issue arises. However, many people ignore these lights also, possibly in the hope they may just go away. There can be expensive consequences to ignoring some of these lights along with safety issues. Please don’t ever ignore a warning light! We have said on numerous occasions in blogs over the years that warning lights are there to warn us of an issue. Sometimes these issues are quick inexpensive repairs. However, ignoring the warning sign can often lead to more expensive complications and repairs unnecessarily. It is best not to stick your head in the sand and ignore in the vain hope that it will disappear – it rarely does. The best thing to do is take your Volvo or Toyota to your local independent garage for investigation. Once the problem has been identified a plan can be put in place to remedy it.

So, what is a glow plug you may ask? If you have a diesel Volvo or Toyota then you will have glow plugs. They heat the fuel/air mixture when you start your Diesel Volvo or Toyota from cold. The Glow plug light will be seen on your dashboard when you initially start your Volvo or Toyota but then should go out once there is sufficient heat applied. If your glow plug light does not come on or it starts flashing this could indicate that there is a problem. If the light comes on whilst you are driving again this could indicate that there is a problem. You must take your Volvo or Toyota to your local independent garage. A reputable independent garage will have the necessary diagnostic equipment to read the fault codes in the Engine Management System and be able to identify the problem. Your Volvo or Toyota may go into safety mode to protect the engine. Avoid motorway driving and take it to your local independent garage as soon as you can. Do not ignore this light as you could end up doing some serious and costly damage to your engine. If you break down on a motorway and do not have breakdown cover, you will incur a cost for being towed off the motorway and taken to the nearest garage – not necessarily your regular garage which could then be more expensive. Look….these costs are mounting up before your car has even been looked at! If you take it to your local independent garage in the first instance, then you will be given a definitive answer with any costs associated and from there you can make a plan on how to get your car repaired and how you will pay for it. Happy Safe Motoring Folks!

Here at ACC UK Ltd, Winners of The Motor Trader Independent Garage of The Year 2015, 2019 & 2020, The IGA Big Awards 2022, The Inspire Customer Service Excellence 2016 Award, The Eagle Radio Customer Focus 2017 Business Award, The Workshop Magazine Workshop Manager of the Year 2017 Award, The LiveWire Excellence In Vehicle Servicing 2019 Award and The Aftermarket Excellence Award for Best Website 2019, The Eagle Radio Biz Award – Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 & the SME News Magazine Most Trusted Car Servicing Provider 2020, we pride ourselves on offering an outstanding customer experience for a fraction of the cost of a dealership. Give us a call and let us quote you for your next service or repair on your Volvo or Toyota. We service all areas around Farnborough, Fleet, Aldershot, Farnham, Guildford, Frimley, Camberley, Hook, Sandhurst, Crowthorne, Yateley, Hampshire and Surrey. We offer free collection and drop off services. We also have a fleet of courtesy cars to allow you to get on with your schedule whilst your Volvo or Toyota is with us. Happy Motoring from all at ACC UK Ltd – Independent Volvo & Toyota servicing, repair and MOT specialists based in the heart of Farnborough, Hampshire.