I don't remember seeing this scenario here before, and it is kind of odd.
Wagon has always started right up after short glow. Turn the key and it fires right up.
Well, it got semi cold out, say in the 40's, and after I glow, when I turn the key to start it there is a half second delay before the starter engages. Startes right up though, no lag due to low battery voltage, just a half second delay.
This morning I went to start it to move it to open slot where the smoker used to be parked. It was about 32 out, frost on car. I let it glow, turned the key and nothing. Tried it again and it started but with the half second delay.
Starter not slow, and wagon fires right away. What would cause a delay?

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Cold sticky grease on the solenoid would be my guess.

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

My best guess would be that the starter solenoid is sticking due to the cold, and it takes 1/2 second to "break loose" before it will engage. Just a guess, but I can't think of anything else.

If you search on the topic, you'll find a fair number of posts about similar occurences. My 85 300TD was like that for the first winter I owned it. I bought a new starter to replace it because one day when it was about 10 below zero, I couldn't get it to engage at all. However, I never got around to installing the new starter and the problem has now disappeared. Perhaps it will reoccur when the temperatures get very cold, but it has been around 15 degrees the last couple of mornings and it has not happened. It used to happen almost every time I tried to start it below about 25 degrees a year ago.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I believe Palangi is correct.

Is the solenoid external to the starter or is it located inside somewhere. It has been MANY years since I've had a starter in my hands.....

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Jim, it is external. Large lump on starter. You may find one around at an alternator/starter shop fairly priced perhaps. Still got to pull the starter though unfortunatly to get to it.

Jim, thought I should add. It is mounted on starter and if you remove starter would be an excellent ideal to have a shop check bearings, brushes, and see if commutator needs trued up. Do ask price for this service prior to authorising it though. Also your delay can be caused by a poor terminal connection. In my limited experience the high resistance point takes some current flow starts to heat and establish better connection when it expands and allows enough current flow to let solenoid engage. So before pulling starter see if you can clean connections and try it out before pulling. Look at the bright side, the starter is not smoking.

I'll take those small victories.
I will check/clean connection points and add some of that terminal protectant. Nothing to lose trying. Thanks for the info.

BTW, speaking of smoking starters. There is an indy BMW/Mercedes place in the same parking lot as one of my customers. I've had my eye on a manual 240 for over a year that had been sitting in their parking lot. They finally got it running last week, and while I was out at my truck getting parts I heard them keep the starter going for well over a minute!! WOW It's lifespan will be shorter now.....

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Had a similar symptom that turned out to be a bad battery cable.

__________________
Joe Myers

'83 300D (light blue)
'82 300TD (off white - parked)
'87 300SDL (silver)

'75 300D (black - sold)
'76 300D (beige - totaled by pizza delivery car)
'82 300D (metalic blue) sold

The reason i mentioned it is I have at present a jetta diesel that is fine in moderate weather but will act as yours does when it gets really cold out. I think the metal at the wire contact point shrinks a little with the cold. The teminal on the solinoid for the heavy main power feed is the culprit. I cannot just clean and tighten it as somebody broke the plastic end casing at some time. Just reminds me I really should pull that starter and repair it as at some point it will totally let me down and have already had to wiggle it a little a few times last winter to get the circuit to complete. Most times though was just a slight time delay before activation. Chances are yours is an internal solinoid problem but costs nothing but a little time to clean up all the connections. Do not forget the ground as well.