Second Hand Alfa Romeo MiTo Glow Plugs

Yes, but only on diesel-engined MiTo variants – glow plugs are a diesel-only component used to pre-heat the combustion chamber for cold starts, so petrol MiTo models (including the 1.4 TB turbos and naturally aspirated 1.4s) never had them at all. The MiTo was offered with the 1.3 JTDm and 1.6 JTDm diesel engines, and it is those variants that use glow plugs. If your MiTo is petrol and you're having cold-start or ignition trouble, you're more likely looking for spark plugs or coil packs instead.

The MiTo was produced as a single generation from 2008 with a facelift arriving in 2013, so a 2009 car sits in the pre-facelift period and a 2014 car is post-facelift. The key factor for glow plug compatibility is the engine code rather than the model year – if both cars share the same engine code (for example both 1.3 JTDm or both 1.6 JTDm with the same code), the plugs are likely to be the same, but you should confirm this with the breaker against both registration numbers before buying.

No – trim level has no bearing on glow plug fitment whatsoever, as glow plugs follow the engine, not the badge or equipment level. A Progression, Veloce, or any other diesel MiTo trim with the same engine code will use identical glow plugs. The only thing that distinguishes one diesel MiTo from another for this purpose is the engine code on your V5 or a VIN check.

The single most useful piece of information is your engine code, which you'll find on your V5 logbook or can get from a VIN check – this tells the breaker exactly which plug is needed far more reliably than the year or trim alone. For the MiTo diesel, the 1.3 JTDm and 1.6 JTDm are the two diesel families, but sub-variants within those families can differ, so quoting the full engine code avoids any ambiguity. Your registration number also helps the breaker cross-reference everything at their end.

The 2013 facelift brought styling and equipment updates rather than a wholesale engine change, so the engine codes relevant to glow plug fitment may well carry across the facelift boundary – but whether a specific plug from a pre-facelift car is a direct match for a post-facelift one is something you should confirm with the breaker against your registration rather than assume. Name your engine code clearly when requesting a quote and the breaker can verify compatibility from their side. Never assume fitment across a known production boundary without that check.

The 1.3 JTDm is a four-cylinder engine, so it has four glow plugs – one per cylinder – and the plugs themselves are interchangeable between cylinders as they are identical units. When sourcing used plugs from a breaker, it's worth asking whether they can supply a full set from the same donor vehicle, as mixing plugs of different ages and wear levels is generally not recommended. Confirm the engine code matches your own before agreeing the sale.