2006 Sprinter: Glow plug replacement.
Glow plugs. Replacing them seems like a badge of honor job for all pre-2007 Sprinter owners. It can be a simple job or get complicated quickly. Thankfully, for our 2006 Sprinter it was simple. It took less than an hour.
The tools I used included:
- 10m deep socket
- 6" wobble extension (3/8" drive, this length worked to remove all five plugs)
- 3/8" flex-head socket wrench (with the wobble a standard socket wrench would suffice)
- 3/8" torque wrench
- Anti-seize (grey)
- Hose-grip pliers (small, to pinch the electrical connectors and remove them)
- PB Blaster
- Get the engine up to operating temp and then let it cool down
- Take off the connectors (pinch tabs on either side with hose-grip pliers)
- Crack/break free each plug (slowly)
- Use penetrating oil for any plugs that don't easily break free (I had to use it on three of them, but after a few minutes each of those came loose without much effort)
- If needed, tighten 1/8th of a turn FIRST
- Loosen/tighten/repeat if hard to un-thread
- Dab a small amount of anti-seize on the threads of plugs ONLY
- DO NOT cross thread
- Turn counterclockwise to seat plug then thread by hand
The old plugs are on top. I'm not sure when they were replaced (which is why I was doing this) but all functioned. I wasn't getting a code or light on the dash, this was purely preventative. The new Bosch glow plugs (same as the ones I removed) are on the bottom (one was already installed).
It wasn't hard to get at any of the five plugs, even with a 6" wobble extension on my ratchet.
I applied a small amount of anti-seize to each of the threads to make it easier in the event I end up doing this job again.
