Cold Starting Woes

[Jon Hyde]

Hi All,

My XF-S doesn't like starting when it's cold outside!

It cranks for a while and eventually runs, but for a few seconds, it's a bit rough. I'm convinced it's an issue with the glowplugs or the glowplug control module, but my local indy dealer (where I bought it from) says that it isn't throwing any OBD codes.

It seems that replacing the glowplugs on the 3.0 V6 is a bit of a mission - therefore costly, so I'm reluctant to spring for it if not essential (pensioner now!).

My question is... Is it OK to put up with the starting struggles through the winter, or am I risking further grief in the future?

Cheers,
Jon

[Patch58]

I have the 2.2 and that's lumpy on starting in cold weather for about 10 seconds then runs normal

[Big John]

Does a fully charged battery make any difference? Have you tried after leaving a charger connected overnight?

Is the engine turning over at the same speed it does in warmer weather?

 

[Jon Hyde]

17 hours ago, Big John said:

Does a fully charged battery make any difference? Have you tried after leaving a charger connected overnight?

Is the engine turning over at the same speed it does in warmer weather?

 

HI John,

Battery is only a month or so old, always supports stop/start, so I guess that isn't the problem and the starter is no slower than when the engine is warmed up. The struggle to start is just for the first start from cold if the ambient temperature is at or close to freezing.

Thanks for your help,

Jon

[Big John]

33 minutes ago, Jon Hyde said:

HI John,

Battery is only a month or so old, always supports stop/start, so I guess that isn't the problem and the starter is no slower than when the engine is warmed up. The struggle to start is just for the first start from cold if the ambient temperature is at or close to freezing.

Thanks for your help,

Jon

Hi Jon
That does point towards glow plugs. Personally I would invest in a can of easy start and see how it goes. As long as it does actually start eventually. I had a saab 2.2 TiD with faulty glow plugs which were impossible to remove. Went for a re-con cylinder head in the end rather than having to drill them out and re tap the head. (£1k ten years ago).

Good luck 🙂