Second Hand Mercedes-Benz Vito Glow Plugs

Glow plugs are purely a diesel-engine component, so they only exist on diesel variants of the Vito — which, in practice, covers the vast majority of Vitos sold in the UK. Petrol-engined Vitos were available but extremely rare in Britain, and those engines use spark plugs instead. If you have a diesel Vito, you will have glow plugs; if you are somehow running a petrol example, you need spark plugs, not glow plugs.

These are entirely separate generations — the W638 ran from 1996 to 2003 and the W639 from 2003 to 2014 — and glow plugs are engine-specific, so you need to match on engine code rather than on generation alone. The engine families changed significantly between these two generations, making a straight swap very unlikely. Always supply your engine code (found on the V5 or via a VIN check) to the breaker so they can confirm whether a donor unit matches yours.

The W447 introduced a new generation of Mercedes diesel engines — most notably the OM651 and later OM654 family — which differ from the OM646 and OM642 units found in the W639, so fitment across this generation boundary is not a given. Glow plug specification is tied closely to the engine code, not the van's age or body style. Give your exact engine code to the breaker and ask them to cross-reference it against the donor van before buying.

Trim level has no bearing whatsoever on glow plug fitment — trims such as Pro, Select, Premium, and Tourer are cosmetic and equipment distinctions rather than mechanical ones. What matters entirely is the engine code, which can be identical across different trim levels. Quote your engine code to the breaker and ignore the trim badge when sourcing this part.

The badge numbers on Vitos (113 CDI, 116 CDI, etc.) denote power output, not necessarily a different engine family, and both of these examples fall within the W639 generation (2003–2014). However, fitment still depends on whether both vans share the same engine code — the same power output can sometimes be achieved with different engine variants. Check the engine code on your V5 and ask the breaker to confirm it matches the donor van before proceeding.

A diesel Vito engine has one glow plug per cylinder — four-cylinder engines (such as the OM646 and OM651) have four glow plugs, while the six-cylinder OM642 V6 diesel has six. This matters when buying from a breaker because you need to know whether you want a single plug, a full set, or something in between, and the breaker will need your engine code to confirm the correct type and quantity. It is worth confirming the cylinder count for your specific engine code when you make your enquiry.