Removing and installing glow plugs Q10/Q13: VW 1.9 TDI (AXB, AXC, BRR, BRS)
Step-by-step removing and installing glow plugs Q10/Q13 for the VW 1.9 TDI: factory workshop text. What to remove, in what order, and what to check after.
Workshop procedure for VW — the factory write-up, straight from real workshop data.
📋 Procedure
Removing and installing glow plugs
Q10
/
Q13
Special tools and workshop equipment required
Jointed wrench 10 mm
3220
Torque wrench
V.A.G 1331
Prerequisites
Engine is cold
Ignition switched off
Caution
Ceramic glow plugs are sensitive to knocks and bending. For this reason a glow plug which has dropped from a small height (approx. 2 cm) must not be used. Even if no damage is apparent. It is absolutely necessary to follow the installation instructions, otherwise the heater pin of the glow plug can break and cause engine damage.
Transport and store only in original packaging or packed separately in bubble wrap.
Only remove ceramic glow plugs from their packaging immediately before installing them.
If there is any doubt as to the condition of the ceramic glow plugs, they should be renewed without exception.
Damaged ceramic glow plugs (e.g. heater pin of the glow plug is damaged) will invariably cause engine damage.
If the heater pin of the glow plug is damaged, the fragments must be removed from the combustion chamber before the next starting of the engine, otherwise this will invariably cause mechanical damage.
Do not oil or grease thread of cylinder head bore or of ceramic glow plug.
It is not permissible to install a combination of ceramic and metallic glow plugs.
Removing
Clean area around glow plug.
Note
Cleaning procedure:
Use a vacuum cleaner to remove coarse dirt.
Spray brake cleaner or suitable cleaning agent into glow plug port, let it work in briefly, and blow out with compressed air.
Then use an oil-soaked cloth to clean the glow plug port.
Pull connectors off glow plugs.
Remove glow plugs
Q10
/
Q13
using
10 mm jointed wrench
3220
.
Distinguishing characteristics of glow plugs:
Glow plug
Colour code
Ceramic glow plug
White
Metal glow plug
Red, black or green
Installing
Installation is carried out in the reverse order; note the following:
Before installing, completely remove any deposits from the cylinder head bore and thread, no soiling may fall into the cylinder.
Always perform a test on all glow plugs after their installation and before initial start of the cold engine
Vehicle diagnostic tester
.
Specified torques
Chapter
“
Assembly overview - cylinder head
”
TorqFix answers live for your specific car — tell it the engine code and it serves the matching sequence, torque figures and wiring for that exact variant.
Ask about my car →🎬 Related video tutorial
Independent AUTODOC tutorial for the same job, filmed on a different model (CADDY 3 Van) — the technique carries over, the fasteners and figures on this page are the ones for your car.
How to change glow plugs on VW CADDY 3 Van
Other VW procedures
- Checking delivery pressure of tandem pump, engine codes AXD, AXE, BLJ, BNZ, BPC
- Checking glow plugs Q10/Q13 – Audi 1.9 TDI
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- Checking glow plugs Q10/Q13 – VW 1.9 TDI
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- Removing and installing camshaft – VW Golf Cabriolet · 47 torque figures
- Adjusting valve timing – VW Passat B5 · 83 torque figures
- Removing and installing camshafts – VW Passat B6 · 39 torque figures
- Removing and installing coolant pump · 53 torque figures
Who makes these pages, and how
TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.
The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.
Variants of the same model differ. Cross-check torque against the factory manual for your engine before final tightening.
Seen a figure that does not match your manual? Write to us — we correct it and note when. support@torqfix.com
The story behind TorqFix →Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.