Where are glow plugs installed in an engine?

Glow plugs are critical components of diesel engines, primarily installed in the engine's cylinder head, specifically in the combustion chamber of each cylinder. Their primary function is to preheat the combustion chamber to facilitate easier ignition of the diesel fuel. During cold starts, when temperatures are low, the glow plugs heat up to a high temperature, ensuring that the air within the combustion chamber is sufficiently warm to ignite the fuel when injected.

The installation in the intake manifolds is not accurate because the intake manifold serves as a pathway for air to enter the combustion chamber but does not typically house glow plugs. Similarly, while exhaust manifolds deal with the emission of exhaust gases, oil pans are involved in oil management, and fuel injectors are responsible for atomizing fuel for combustion, none of them are suitable locations for glow plugs. Therefore, the understanding of glow plugs and their role confirms that they are fundamentally situated in the cylinder head, assisting in effective cold starts for diesel engines.