How Hot Do Diesel Engine Glow Plugs Get? [Operating Temperatures]

Glow plugs can get very hot, but the highest recorded temperature is more than degrees celsius.

Additionally, they become a very effective tool in smoke reduction and are the reason why they are very helpful in starting up your vehicles, especially in cold weather.

This article aims to provide an overview of how hot glow plugs get and why they achieve this temperature level.

Glow Plugs Vs. Spark Plugs Explained

The video starts with the speaker stating huge differences between a glow plug and a spark plug. A spark plug ignites the gasoline air mixture in a gas engine.

Anything that runs with a gas engine has a spark plug inside the engine. The spark plug ignites the compressed air and gas mixture in the tank.

Meanwhile, glow plugs have been designed to react at a specific temperature. The insides of the engine get hotter up as glow plugs get activated.

Generally, the glow plug activates when the car is under normal operating temperatures. They also activate when the ambient temperature is too cold for the car to start.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best type of glow plug?

The answer is a ceramic glow plug. These glow plugs are made of silicon nitride and have proven superior to their metal counterparts.

It is so much better that it replaced the metal glow plugs as the starter equipment for diesel engines.

A ceramic glow plug can endure more heat than metal, which is very effective when utilizing it for white smoke reduction.

Additionally, they can improve diesel engine performance, and with it being able to withstand more heat, it generally improves the engine reliability of the car.

Recently, glow plug companies have noticed the superior performance of ceramic glow plugs and have been manufacturing them.

With this revolutionary revelation, ceramic has also been used in different types of heating applications, including the ones found in the automotive industry.

How does a glow plug help with ignition?

Glow plugs have always been used to help with the cold starts of a diesel engine. The heating element at the tip of the glow plugs gets hotter and, in effect, helps the electric current pass through it much better.

Generally, the hot surface of the glow plugs heats everything surrounding it.

This speeds up the evaporation of the diesel fuel and assists in igniting the surrounding mixture when the car starts in an area with low temperatures.

When placing a glow plug, you should remember that positioning them in areas where the mixture is likely to form is good.

Place it properly to sufficiently sustain the engine’s chemical reactions to help it startup better.

Make sure to check it once in a while so that you would be able to discern whether the glow plug is placed optimally or not.

When should you replace your glow plugs?

Hard starting can be the first symptom of a broken glow plug. In cold weather with a broken glow plug, your engine would have difficulty reaching the right temperature to start up.

You might want to check first the other parts like the battery or the fuel before you conclude that it is your glow plug that is faulty.

White smoke is also a telltale sign of having a possibly broken glow plug. Generally, white smoke from your exhaust means that your engine isn’t burning the fuel inside your engine enough.