Questions and Answers
GMC Diesel Problem
Q. Vince: Maybe you can help me. I have a 1995 GMC 4x4 stretch cab 6.5 Turbo diesel auto. It has run great for 130,000 until yesterday. I was driving along, then it just died, then it popped again and ran fine for a few and then it died again. It did this off and on for awhile, then it died and I pulled off the road, it wouldn't start. I proceeded to call for a tow when I tried it again and it started. This was the pattern until I finally made it home.
PS... It has been hard starting and heavy smoke in the mornings. Also the glow plugs seem to take longer than usual to heat up.
Thanks,
ChrisA. I have run into this before, three times to be precise. It is not good and I hope I'm wrong about this.
The symptoms point to a broken glow plug. GM issued a TSB on this in February of 1995. I quote from the bulletin:
Whenever an injector nozzle has failed, the temperature in that cylinder has increased and may cause damage to the glow plug. The glow plug must be replaced at the same time a failed injector nozzle is replaced, even if it checks out as being good.
If the glow plug is not replaced, internal engine damage may occur. The glow plug may break and parts of it may damage the engine.
While the glow plugs are only needed for starting, the hard starting indicates one or more bad, or broken, plugs.
