Car:
83 300 TD Miles unknown (odometere says 88,000)

History:
I converted the car to run on veggie oil (greasecar.com) but had 2 hoses hooked up wrong. I corrected the problem and the car ran fine on veggie oil and on diesel. Then when I would switch from veggie oil to diesel the car would blow a bunch of WHITE smoke out the tail pipe.

I was out of town and didn't want to break down 200 miles from home so I was running on diesel. The car started to die at idle with the AC on. So when I came to a stop i would have to turn the AC off. The the car started to die at idle. I would have to keep my foot on the gas when I came to a stop to keep the car from cutting out.

I drove about 70 miles and was going up a 7% grade and the car seemed to lose power on the way up. I got off at the next exit and when I stoppd the car it died and has not started since.

TROUBLE SHOOTING:
*changed the fuel filter and pre-filter

*I took the injectors in and they ckecked out.

*while the injectors were out I inspected the glow plugs. They all glow orange as they should.

*I towed the car to the same shop that checked the injectors and the compression was "a bit low" but "should support combustion" as the owner of the shop told me. I don't know the actuall values.

*I took the valves and springs out of the injector pump and cranked the engine over to try and clear the injector pump of any forign material

Car will still not start ... HELP !!!!

i dont know what the problem is but i wouldnt have taken the valves and springs out of the ip.

it sounds as if the base prob is fuel related. either air in the line or a blockage.
i think a blockage in the ip is unlikely after going thru two filters.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

There's also a screen in the bottom of the fuel tank that can become plugged of there's a lot of crud floating around in the tank. Take some compressed air and blow back up the fuel line into the tank to clear it temporarily. The easiest test is, of course, to remove the fuel line between the pre-filter and the tank hard line, run it into a clean can of diesel, and see if the car will start that way.

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Gary Thompson
Georgetown, TX
1995 E320
1984 300D

Sounds like air in some line. I had a similar problem when I converted my 300SDL a couple years ago. eventually discovered that one of the stock hoses I'd used when connecting to my pollock valve had tiny cracks that allowed air into the system. I'd prime it both sides perfectly, and it would slowly loose prime due to the leak, so that when I switched back/forth, it would not have prime. And, on the 603, there is no manual primer pump, so I had to either disconnect and miti-vac for prime, or crank the thing till the battery was about dead. I'd clean everything -tank strainer especially- check and replace any suspect hoses/connections/stock hoses, then prime it and give a shot.

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Cannondale ST600 XL
Redline Monocog 29er
2011 Mini Cooper Clubman
2005 Honda Element EX

www.djugurba.com
www.waldenwellness.com

Where are you at durado?
Sounds to me like you may have plugged the fuel tank screen.

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Jim

I just got a new fuel filter and a 2 liter bottle (a&w cream soda). I replace the fuel filter, and took the fuel supply line and stuck it in the bottle of clean diesel (I cleaned the 2 liter bottle out first). I primed the filter, and reprimed all the injector lines. All of the fuel lines are new and I double checked the hose clamps that holds them on. I'm at a lose ... URGH!!! Any more advise would be greatly apprechiated. Oh, somebody asked where I'm at ... San Luis Obispo, CA.
Thanks again for all the help ... if ... I should say when I get it ... I be sure to post what the problem is/was ...

Well--if its getting fuel and has good compression, its gotta run!. Diesels are lots easier to diagnose than gas engines cause there's a host of reasons why electronic injectors won't open, spark isn't there wrong timing,etc.

Since you get 'nothing' even if lots of preheat (Are you SURE the preheat is working? feel the plug) and cranking, its gotta be no fuel delivery.

Why no fuel to the combustion chamber?
1) plugged fuel tanl strainer
2) leaking fuel line (sucking air)
3) plugged fuel filter(s)
4) faulty fuel pump to the IP(don't think you car has one)
5) faulty IP (trash under check valves, internal failure)
6) faulty IP drive
7) faulty fuel injectors(plugged nozzles) note if the fine spray holes are clogged it WILL NOT start--the injectors MUST have good spray patterns--a solid stream will not start
8) Clogged pre-chambers
9Compression too low to fire the fuel fog

If fuel runs out of the line from the tank--tank strainer is not plugged.

If you get fuel out of the filters--they are not plugged. Can you loosen the feul lines at the injectors and ensure fuel delivery there? If it ain't pumping fuel to the injectors, it ain't gonna run.

If it IS pumping fuel to the injectors--is it enough pressure to pop the injectors? (trash in all the IP check valves? unlikely, but?

Are you sure the IP is turning--could possibly be a failure in the IP drive system

An obvious question - with the hard injector lines connected at the pump and not connected at the injector end are you pumping the hand pump then turning it over with the starter and repeating till you have fuel coming out the hard lines at the injector ends and then hooking everything up and trying to start it. When you turn it over with the starter hold the throttle wide open and don't turn it over with the starter but just a few revs. You do not want to burn up the starter. You will have to go back and forth between the hand pump and the starter a few times.

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Jim

Yes, I have cracked each injector line at the injector and pumped the hand pump until I saw no bubbles and then turned the engine over w/ the key and then tightened the injector line. I did this for each of the 5 lines ... then I also gave it a squirt of eather in the air intake for good measure ... NO START : (

Do yourself a favor and search the diesel forum for "ether" before trying that again. Diesel engine + Ether = Bad.

So I tried again to bleed the lines, again with clean diesel from a 2 liter bottle. I have checked and rechecked all of the fuel lines, and the glow plugs ... are these cars that hard to start after you get air in the system? H E L P ! ! ! !

Apply vac to the cigar hose with fuel supply line in clean diesel.

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82 300D....went to MB heaven
90 350 SDL....excercising con rods

I'm not sure I understand what you mean ... apply vaccume to the fuel supply line? How?

I have an 83 300D Turbo. Is was algea in the tank. I was able to get home on Veg. If you have not checked the tank screen I would try this. Although from your posts you might have already ruled out a tank blockage. My 2c.

Dave

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1983 300D - 246k, 16.2k on Greasecar conversion
1996 Nissan Quest
1999 Ford Ranger
1979 Coleman
1997 Suretrack

cavitation damage from water laden WVO?

have you taken a spare Injector with a spare line bent to see if the IP is putting out enough pressure to excede the POP rating of the injector?

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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