My 12j starts in todays cold weather after 45ish seconds on the glow plugs, however if I crank it after say 20 seconds it does start but for a few moments the engine shudders horrifically and the whole car rocks before it runs normally. Its not much of an issue as it does start if I wait but is the shuddering due to the fuel pump being briefly overstressed and cylinders catching or is it something else?
 
My 2.25 diesel used to do this if we mean the same thing by shuddering.
When mine did it it was like the idle had dropped. Only on the first start up from cold. After about 20
Seconds of driving the idle would be smooth. Ive never owned a 2.5 diesel but as it is very similar to the 2.25 I would say it's not much of an issue. 45 seconds of glow plugs is a bit extreme.
The 2.25 I owned started like this for two years and was perfect for that time. However I used to sit in the vehicle with my foot slightly on the throttle to keep it just above idle as id imagine the oil pressure would be very low at an extremely shakey idle.
 
Pop a glow plug out and try it across a battery, you will be surprised just how quick they heat up.
 
You might have a duff plug or two, the shuddering is probably just a misfire caused by the cylinders with a duff plug not firing straight away
 
You might have a duff plug or two, the shuddering is probably just a misfire caused by the cylinders with a duff plug not firing straight away

+1 - it will be firing on 3 cylinders which aint going to be smooth..... Had 2 duff glow plugs on my TD5 a while back, simple to check and replace and major improvement on pre-heat and starting. Enjoy. A
 
My 12j used to do exactly this, I always out t down to a cylinder not firing. Usually settled after 1-2mins.

New glow plugs helped a lot.

I wondered about fitting a block heater aswell to help but I got a tdi instead lol
 
OK, mine is a 300tdi from my Disco, but the same would apply, I guess. In the Disco it would always start after maybe 10-15 seconds of glow .. wouldn't start otherwise. After only a few seconds it'd start, but as you say very sluggish and a bit juddery. The juddering was cured by using new glow plugs throughout and it started after only 5 seconds of glow, smoothly and correctly ...

Later on we swapped the 300 from the Disco to my 90, but it underwent surgery, nothing too spectacular, big ends, a good clean up, but during this we cleaned a re-honed the bores and fitted new piston rings alongside another set of glow plugs .. It now doesn't need glows at all and will turn on the start of the key, whatever the weather, providing the battery has the juice!

I therefore suspect that glows are needed on a worn engine, re-hone and re-ring the piston bores and it ought to be way better .. ;)
 
was away to say paul . my 200tdi starts on the button with no glows. How ever i still use the glows as its only polite to start it as it was intended - how ever i know id be safe if i robbed a bank and had ot make a quick get away and couldnt afford to wait.
 
how ever on my 19j its exactly as genus cofea says - just doesnt want to start unless i give 3 shots at the glow plugs.... it had 2 cracked pistons......
 

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