I know that a diesel with a heater in the intake should not have ether or anything like that introduced into the intake.... it will explode .....

However, I have also known people who had to use ether EACH TIME THEY WANTED TO START THEIR OLD MB... and we are talking in the summer in Texas...

and about the ' blowing up the engine itself' ..... I don't belive that ether has enough btu's to do that in the fashion we are describing here...

IN ADDITION TO MY SUSPICIONS..... THEY MAKE SOME DIESELS WITH ETHER INJECTORS FOR STARTING THEM.... how does one explain that if it is so bad for diesel engine ?

This page is an interesting list of stuff....

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=ether+starting+diesel&btnG=Google+Search

Donna, DISCONNECT YOUR GLOWPLUG SYSTEM AND FEEL FREE TO USE ETHER TO START YOUR CAR...... if you want/need to attach a starter button inside the engine compartment , as would be used by a mechanic to turn the engine over when standing outside the car... and spray ether into the intake tube of your MB I think you will be just fine until you have a chance to find the cause of its recalcitrance towards starting.....