Originally Posted by khickey

The only way this car has started in the last several weeks (twice) was to remove the injectors and add oil to the cylinders (has known low cold compression). After finally getting it to start two days ago, I ran it for about 1/2 hours and drove it 4 miles. It ran as good as when it was starting consistently. To discount the possibility of the glow plugs being the problem I turned off the car after running 1/2 hour and immediately tried to restart it: It would not restart. I was told you do not need to use the glow plugs when the engine is hot.

That droplet coming from the injector tube cannot be proof that is has sufficient force to operate the injector, can it? You can force a drop of water up out of a tube with far less than an ounce of force. If fuel comes out of each of the small nipples (overflow?, over-pressure nipples?) on the injectors, with the braided lines disconnected, is that evidence of sufficient pressure to operate the injector? When I spray diesel starting fluid in the engine it cranks slower as though the starting fluid is igniting before TDC because its introduction into the combustion chamber was not timed by the IP, so in a weird way there is evidence of ignition. My crummy manual tells me the IP has to be tested at the dealer but screw that, before I do that I will go to the bone yards, buy the extra injectors tubes and bend one to the right shape so I can attach an injector to it to see if it sprays.

The night before all these problems started I topped off the tank from half filled, but I find it hard to believe that I would have been able to start and drive it friday if the fuel I put in it 6 weeks ago was bad. It is probably a waste of time but I will try running the car on fresh fuel on the off chance that the fuel I topped off with was bad.