VW Amarok Glow Plug Start Delays Spark Major Repair Need

Had the same cold start issues on my 2015 VW Touareg TDI. The glow plug warning light stayed on and engine combustion was clearly affected, especially during winter months. The rough idle was quite noticeable. After diagnostic testing, one glow plug showed failure, but the mechanic advised replacing the complete set. Initially questioned this but learned its actually standard practice, when one fails, others typically follow due to similar wear patterns. The repair involved removing intake components to access all plugs. While labor intensive, replacing them all at once prevents multiple garage visits when others start failing. Plus, uneven heating from mixing old and new glow plugs can affect diesel engine performance. In my case, all plugs showed significant wear when removed. The cold start performance improved dramatically after replacement, and the warning light issue was fully resolved. This is not a repair you want to partially complete or delay, failed glow plugs can lead to starting problems and potential engine damage if ignored. For a 2012 Amarok with that mileage, a complete glow plug replacement is reasonable preventive maintenance. The mechanic is giving sound advice here.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Touareg. Really interesting to hear about the cold start situation and how it was resolved. My Amarok is running much better now after following a similar repair path, the engine misfire issues are completely gone and fuel efficiency has notably improved. Just wondering, do you remember roughly how much you paid for the full glow plug replacement? Also, has everything been running smoothly since the repair, or have you noticed any other issues pop up?

Thanks for the follow-up. My total bill came to 440€ for the complete glow plug replacement on the Touareg. The price included labor costs since accessing glow plugs in these diesel engines requires quite a bit of disassembly work. Since having them replaced, cold start performance has been perfect and engine combustion is noticeably smoother. No more diesel engine misfires or warning lights in the 14 months since the repair. The investment definitely proved worthwhile, both for reliability and performance. Glad to hear your Amarok is running better after addressing the glow plug issue. The improved fuel efficiency you mentioned is a common benefit when the diesel engine can properly achieve and maintain ideal operating temperature from startup.

I decided to take my Amarok to the mechanic last week and glad I did. The total cost was 380€ for replacing all glow plugs, bit less than expected actually. The cold start issue is completely fixed now and the engine runs so much smoother. The mechanic showed me the old glow plugs and they were pretty worn out. Made me realize why the diesel engine was struggling so much during startup. The fuel efficiency has improved quite a bit too, getting about 60-70km more per tank now. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here. Helped convince me to just get all the plugs done at once rather than trying to save money replacing just the faulty one. Definitely the right call, no more warning lights or rough engine combustion issues since the repair.