Do you keep cranking the starter for a bit after she fires? I heard this helps.

These weren't big fires, I mean little "pooms" that you hear, and can almost feel, nothing major enough to help it get going, I cranked it 10 seconds after that, and the little pooms went away, just kept rotating. Its odd because at -5 or above with a good glow it will start in 5-6 cranks no problem. -8 seems to have been the point where it didn't work....Next time its that cold I'm just going to bring out the bucket of hot water with me before I try to start it at all.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

I have parked mine a few times at work and it is 0 out. I leave it for 5-8 hours and she starts no problem. I just wait a few seconds after the light goes out and she fires right off.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

The originator of this thread asked for a canadian opinion. So here goes. Why do you think we all go to florida for the winter season? It's not that we have money, it is the only way we know how to get our diesels to start. It can be -20 outside my house but my diesel catches on the first glo cycle here in Florida. Really though the cold seems to be a good way of evaluating the general condition of diesel engines easily. A really good high compression engine seems to cold start to a much lower temperature than an average example. Brian is completely right as there is no standard to really apply.. In your case you might consider wiring the car with a remote starter and on days when the temperature is questionable have your wife start car and let it run during lunch breaks.Only uses a pint of fuel at most. Have seen the simple kits with extended range getting pretty cheap lately. We canadians really have no solutions other than block heaters that tend to save a certain amount of wear to engine as well as extend glow plug, starter and other components lifespan. If I had to depend on one of my old 616-617 engines in winter think I would purchase a small 1000-1500 watt generator and set on ground behind trunk for the few occasions that the engine had cooled down too much away from home to self start. With block heater cord wired to trunk area it would only mean setting generator on ground plugging in block heater and really swearing if the gas generator did not start. A few other no start stratagys. Be creative, tell the car you will part it out for refusing to start. Mention it will not have a hope of seeing 500,000 miles but be careful as car may recognise this as an idle threat. My wife on occasion gets me started with threats so why not the car? Buy a cheap reliable gas beater for the really questionable part of the year. Not really wise to get our wives upset as they can self start on occasion without any assistance at all it seems at any temperature. In kind of an inverted logic you do not want them to start even when it's -20.

Not in Canada, but still gets pretty cold here in denver. As an added bonus we are at 5300 ft altitude. My 82 300D sits outside for 11 hours at night here at the airport. No place to plug it in and no shelter frlm the wind. My no start temp is 5deg F. Using 0/40w Mobil 1. Glow plugs ohm out at under 1ohm. No fuel gelling problems, but cetan is probably about 37 or so. Valves need adjusted, or at least checked again. I have no idea about my compression. Above 5deg, 1 glow cycle about 30 seconds and away we go. Below 5deg and it time to jump it after about 10-15 minutes of attempted starts I can usually get it to start. I had 15/50W Mobil1 earlier and below 20deg became a problem. Plugged in at the house no problems aat any temp so far encountered. All factors combined will add up to your no start temp.

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Kevin
82 300D

Kevin, have not read all the cold start posts on this site but suspect perhaps an optimum pump timing position for colder starts just might be known or recomended by some. I have been driving primarily diesels for about 15 years. The reason I mention this is volkswagens up to 97 or so have manual pump timing advance to aid cold starts and it seems to work well. Starts much easier with timing advanced and in fact engine will probably not start at all with pump timing in normal run position when pretty cold out. No such provision on mercedes I believe but if pump set to earliest possible delivery position allowed by mercedes may help a little. Almost certain if delivery late a bit due to chain stretch with age it's going to hurt cold starts. Easy car to check pump timing compared to volkswagen and many others. Just a thought maybe others more knowledgeble could comment as obviously you would like to drop your cold start ability another 10 degrees or so if possible. Even to pick up five degrees more of cold start ability would be benificial and helps to save your starter a little as well. Not uncommon to see two batteries under the hood of older mercedes diesels this far north as well to increase cranking speed a little as well as duration. The glow plugs will run a little hotter as well as additional battery capacity means lower voltage drop. Just a thought or two.

5 degrees this morn with new synthetic Mobil 1 and the wife took her to work. I hope she makes it home.

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85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

I started mine this morning without the block heater. It was -2 out but she fired right off, skipped and smoked a little but thats ok.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I'm going to try to start the $1000 '85 300D tomorrow morning....The owner offered to plug it in but I want to see if it will start "cold"

Rob M Concord, MA

good deal edge - see you still have your 'judy', the twin to my car!!

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1984 300D Turbo - 231k....totalled 11/30/07 RIP

Sat morning in my area is probably going to be close to 0. I would give any MB diesel a clean bill of health if it starts without the block heater at 0 degrees.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

yeah, that's probably about right. Mine has started in everything this winter without the block heater. I suspect it's good compression that helps, because my battery is over 4 years old and has not been treated well.

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.