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Do you ever notice strange symptoms in your Mercedes like hard starting or rough running? If so, you may be confronted with a defective glow plug timer relay. If you own a diesel Mercedes, you should have an idea of what the glow plugs are. These little but significant parts assist in warming the air in your engine’s cylinders so that the engine can start or pull through easily. The glow plug timer relay is the “manager” in this process as it controls the whole process and times it appropriately. It makes certain that the glow plugs get power when required and that they are switched off as soon as the engine is running.
Without the timer relay, the glow plugs will not operate as they should, causing start up problems and low engine performance. The relay is a key component in a diesel engine usually performing its work unnoticed as long as it is in good working condition. If you neglect this problem when it starts showing little signs of failure, it may result in other complications and expensive fixes so it is very important to pay attention to it as soon as symptoms are detected.
How Does a Faulty Glow Plug Timer Relay Affect Your Engine?
- Difficulty Starting the Engine: Before engine startup the timer relay heats glow plugs to specific temperature levels. A faulty relay prevents glow plugs from achieving proper heating which causes engine start difficulties specifically during cold weather. Diesel engines depend on air preheating to ignite the fuel so poor heating leads to difficult starting or no start at all.
- Prolonged Cranking Time: A malfunctioning relay creates exceptionally long cranking periods since the cylinder air needs excessive time to achieve its ignition temperature. Long cranking time often puts excessive strain on both starter motors and batteries of a vehicle.
- Decreased Engine Efficiency: The combustion efficiency of the engine is impacted by the faulty operation of glow plugs. In addition, poor combustion within the cylinders over a period leads to the accumulation of carbon deposits.
- Engine Wear: The starter motor together with other engine parts experiences excessive strain when a faulty relay causes long cranking periods or repeated engine starting failures. Uneven combustion produces carbon deposits within cylinders that increase engine wear while simultaneously decreasing vehicle lifetime.
- Rough Idling and Misfires: A bad glow plug timer relay leads to improper heating of the cylinder and the car idling roughly after starting. Loss of efficiency may be experienced because some of the cylinders do not reach the required temperatures for ignition. This in turn results in vibrations, low performance and poor stability of the engine during the warm up period.
How to Avoid Issues with Glow Plug Timer Relay
In order not to have issues with the glow plug timer relay more frequent checks are needed on the vehicle. Check the glow plug system during every service visually for wear and damage and check that the relay is working during service. To minimize carbon deposition on the engine which puts a lot of stress on the glow plug system, use high quality diesel fuel.
Proper replacement of glow plugs may be recommended by the manufacturer as helpful in preventing high relay wear. Do not crank for a long time, or frequently start and stop the engine since this will cause the relay and other components to overheat. Check the battery and electrical system because their weakness can generate enormous strain on the relay. If problems are addressed at the earliest stage or routine maintenance is followed, you will have a glow plug system that operates effortlessly during cold starts.
Come to Protech Automotive Services for Timer Relay Repairs
If you are having any of the above symptoms, 
then do not wait for the situation to worsen. Here at Protech Automotive Services, we have both the skills and equipment to check and repair the glow plug timer relay in your Mercedes. Our team of qualified technicians has a combination of experience and knowledge regarding European, Import & Domestic cars to give your car the care it needs.
We have been providing professional and quality service in Johnston, RI, for several years and consider it our privilege to help clients. Whether it be East Greenwich, North Providence, Cranston, Smithfield, Warwick or the neighboring regions, you can trust us to have your Mercedes performing like it is fresh from the showroom. If you feel that your glow plug timer relay is problematic, do not take it lightly. Contact Protech Automotive Services today for an appointment.