I hate owning a diesel car....

[buzzer]

as every time I get in my other petrol car, I sit there waiting for the heater plug light to go out!

anyone else do this?

[Jasandjules]

Nope. My main concern is not putting the wrong fuel in the wrong car.

[Dog Star]

Heater plug light? I've not seen one of these that you actually have to sit and wait for (or indeed notice) in many, many years. What on earth are you driving.

These days they're just like petrols; get in, turn key and start. I remember they were a drawback. Our first diesel family car was a new Pug 504 estate - S reg - in 1977(?). You had to wait a whole MINUTE for the light to go out. It was a right pain in the arse. Next was my mums V reg Pug 305 GRD - that was really quick at about 7 seconds.

I've also noticed the price of glowplugs drop drastically; they used to be something daft like 30 quid each (in old money - so bloody expensive) and they're about a tenner now.

[kambites]

Modern diesels turn on the glow plugs when you unlock the doors don't they? Surely the glow plugs should be up to temperature before you actually get to turn on the ignition?

Still I get around any such problems by not owning a diesel.

[cobra kid]

My petrol car doesn't have a heater plug light.

[BritishRacinGrin]

You had to wait for the glow plugs on my 2003 Mondeo...

[IanCress]

The noise they make when you start them on a cold morning is enough to make me hate diesels.

All my neighbours have diesels for some reason. At least 2 of them work within 2 miles of home, so the cars probably never warm up.

[buzzer]

yea, the glow plug light does go out pretty quick... but I still wait for it to go out before starting it... trouble is I am in the habit of doing it and when I get in a petrol car I automatically do it!

[kambites]

How can you wait for a light which doesn't exist to go out, anyway?

[Dog Star]

buzzer said:

yea, the glow plug light does go out pretty quick... but I still wait for it to go out before starting it... trouble is I am in the habit of doing it and when I get in a petrol car I automatically do it!

I've not actually noticed if my SLK (diseasel) even has a glowplug light (and I'm on my second). Poor obs from me.

[manmaths]

Yea same for me too. I just bought a petrol car after 5 years in diesels and the 1st time I drove it I waited for a few seconds before starting! My last car (05 Mazda6) did take a second or two for the plug light to go out. I'm sure most people wouldn't even notice it or know what it is.

I don't miss diesel at all. Don't think I will ever drive one again.

[alpha channel]

While my 159 doesn't have the light you've got to wait for it to tell you that you can start the car (a wee message pops up telling you to hold the brake or clutch down). Not much of an issue in all honesty by the time I've got my belt on and made myself comfortable it's ready to go (I wait for the fuel pump in the Rover to prime itself anyway so I don't notice it on the 159).

[lowdrag]

Yes, I've owned diesels for 15 years since selling a petrol car second hand here in France isn't easy. But I've never waited for the light to go out and have only ever had a slight problem on starting once, and that was when it was -17C one morning. Otherwise it starts just like a petrol engined car.

[illmonkey]

My diesel won't start until it goes out, as in, you turn the key, it waits and then starts. Quite handy.

[Liquid Tuna]

I sometimes wait for the fuel pump to stop whirring in my petrol cars before firing them up.

[kambites]

illmonkey said:

My diesel won't start until it goes out, as in, you turn the key, it waits and then starts. Quite handy.

Until the sensor on the glow plug fails and it wont start at all.

[illmonkey]

kambites said:

illmonkey said:

My diesel won't start until it goes out, as in, you turn the key, it waits and then starts. Quite handy.

Until the sensor on the glow plug fails and it wont start at all.

Eh? The car only starts when the light goes out. It's waiting for it to warm up.

[jmorgan]

Mine just starts.

[djdestiny]

In 18 months of owning my 330d I've only seen it come on twice, and that was on two morning when the temp was under zero

[kambites]

illmonkey said:

Eh? The car only starts when the light goes out. It's waiting for it to warm up.

Exactly. If the sensor fails so it doesn't know the glow plug has warmed up, it will presumably refuse to start at all.