Originally Posted by flash123

it is 6:52 PM and the temp is 9 degrees farenheit outside
last night the low was minus 11 f

Since I was ordering suspension parts from fastlane yesterday I had Phil throw in a hood pad. My logic was that it might help keep the engine warm overnite.

OK it may not make a difference, but how could it hurt?

Perhaps in a week or two I can post the results of the replacement

off topic, but,

unable to start my 300SD today
can't blame it, I'd have rather stayed home as well.

I removed the plastic tube on the horn of the air cleaner
I put a heat gun into the horn and went to get a battery charger
when I got back the air filter had caught fire
there is / no, was a plastic thingy over the horn in the middle of the air cleaner. It melted. It dripped down into the horn. I took what was left of it out. Next I will vacuum out the intake to the turbo.

The engine has not been turned over yet.

And yes, I did include a block heater in my fastlane order.

Now, the question
what does the air cleaner look like with the cover off?
Could I be lucky enough so that I just have to clean up the mess and replace that one plastic thingey? The flat plastic tube that connects through the top of the air cleaner cover is undamaged. The what's-it that the plastic thingey connects to is undamaged.