Using starting fluid with a prechamber diesel like the MB (it works fine with others, depends on design and whether or not the glow plugs are on) can cause serious pre-ignition. It can be severe enough to stall the starter motor, can break ring lands, including the steel insert for the top compression ring, and can, if seriously overdone, blow the head gasket and/or pull the head bolts out of the block. Melted piston tops aren't unheard of, either.

I wouldn't bid on any diesel engine that some hayseed insisted on using ether on either!

I only know of a few diesel engines manufactured since 1970 that do not have a pre-heat system of some kind, either air or glow-plug. It simply isn't possible to start one dead cold without a pre-heat system, although that doesn't seem to have sunk in very well in some places -- I've got some farm types in my neighborhood who insist on starting diesel tractors without the preheat or the four batteries specified. They use a lot of ether!

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!