Hi all, I haven't been around in a while, these cars are so dependable I don't need to work on it.
Since the weather has been getting cooler, I have noticed a problem with the 82 300SD. When first started, it will not idle. If you slowly let off of the accelerator pedal, it will idle all the way down until it stalls. If you just keep your foot on the pedal(with no noticable pressure) it will stay running. It's almost as if the stop diaphram is still pulling on the rack until it warms slightly. Any ideas of where to check first?
Thanks in advance for any help, Jeff

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1971 R600 Mack toterhome (SuperDawg)
99 NU-WA Snowbird 34+2 SE 102 5er
If it's not diesel, it's not in my stable!
53 F100 617.951/auto
95 Dodge 3500 Cummins/5 speed service truck

*Bump*
Come on now, someone has to have an idea! The little lady is getting a little bent out of shape when it won't idle so she can run back in the house while it warms up.
Jeff

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1971 R600 Mack toterhome (SuperDawg)
99 NU-WA Snowbird 34+2 SE 102 5er
If it's not diesel, it's not in my stable!
53 F100 617.951/auto
95 Dodge 3500 Cummins/5 speed service truck

Does the car start right up or is it tough to start. You may have a bad glowplug, which would make it stumble and run rough untill the cylinder with the bad GP gets up to temp.
A couple of other things you might check. What is your idle set to. Maybe it neeeds to be bumped up a bit. Also check your rack damper bolt. Its on the rear of the injection pump, in the space next to the oil filter housing. Pull it completely out and press on the pin on the end and see if it is stiff(hard to push in) or soft (easy to push in). If it's soft you need a new one. If it is stiff you may need adjust it a bit. Usually a bad rack damper bolt results in rpms hunting when the car is cold. The rpm cycles up and down.
You might also try adusting your valves. They may be tight which would make things tougher to run when cold.

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How is the timing chain wear?

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Jim

Very little if any chain wear, engine only has 42K on it. Idle is fine after it warms up. Valves were adjusted about 8K previous, pump timing was checked at the same time.
Engine starts right up with no miss or stumble indicating bad glow plugs(and we've had some mornings in the low 20's), it just will not idle until it warms for about 2 minutes. It doesn't shake like the damper pin is weak, but does hunt up and down at idle(sort of sounds like my old Detroit when the buffer screw needs tweaking), it does this even when warm.
Jeff

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1971 R600 Mack toterhome (SuperDawg)
99 NU-WA Snowbird 34+2 SE 102 5er
If it's not diesel, it's not in my stable!
53 F100 617.951/auto
95 Dodge 3500 Cummins/5 speed service truck

I recall reading a while back about an idle problem where the linkage was adjusted too tight and was placing the rack nearly in shut-off. Try removing the IP rod from the upper linkage and feel for a detent, then see if it matches up with the linkage. A turn may be all it takes.

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

I know some here say that stuff will jell up at 40 degrees and will freeze at 32 degrees and below. Anyway, I would bet your fuel, whatever it is, is too thick to flow. Either that or you have a bad glow plug system or even worse, low engine compression. You might have to use the electric plug in and get a higher grade diesel fuel and mix that with some kerosene. Some here on this site said they have had good results mixing with gas. But I think that was in the summer. If all else fail, I would just work with the car until it wants to continue running and allow enough time for the fuel to heat before I pulled it out of the yard.

BenzDiesel

Ok, had time this afternoon to look at it. Found 3 bad glow plugs, don't know how it was starting in 22-23* weather as good as it was. This was the first time it has ever failed to start right away.
On to the idle problem, back when this first started with the first cool weather I changed fuel filters and it helped somewhat. While under the hood today, I noticed that it was leaking fuel around the bolt on the secondary fuel filter. Could it be the fuel draining back overnight and a small amount of air in the system causing the idle problem? Will be able to tell more in the AM when the forecast is for 20* again. I mentioned before about it hunting at idle, that also seemed to be helped by the fuel filter change for a while.
I'll report back in the AM with more results, Jeff

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1971 R600 Mack toterhome (SuperDawg)
99 NU-WA Snowbird 34+2 SE 102 5er
If it's not diesel, it's not in my stable!
53 F100 617.951/auto
95 Dodge 3500 Cummins/5 speed service truck

No WVO here, using only #2 diesel from the largest truck stop around here which happens to be just a mile up the road.
My other half drives this car, she's the type to fire up and go, drive it like you stole it. When it doesn't run, I catch it. A lot of the time, I'm gone before she leaves for work, so there's no way for me to start it for her.
Jeff

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1971 R600 Mack toterhome (SuperDawg)
99 NU-WA Snowbird 34+2 SE 102 5er
If it's not diesel, it's not in my stable!
53 F100 617.951/auto
95 Dodge 3500 Cummins/5 speed service truck

And if you do find that your compression is a little low for the colder temp. quick starting, then you still can thin the fuel with kerosene or something else that will help the fuel flow better and ignite quicker. But if you found three bad glow plugs, I would bet that was your main problem. The fuel leak contributed as well.

BenzDiesel

My neighbor had the same problem in a E300D and he never bothered to adjust the valves! Adjusting them did help, but now compression is low and the car failed a leakdown test!!! Needs a valve job!!

Just curious ... why does the 602 in the E300D need valve adjustments, but not the 603? Since the E300D was a later model, wouldn't they want to use the adjustment-free technology? Was is it exactly about the 603 that kills the need for adjustments? Sorry to hijack the thread ... I'm just a habitual question-asker.

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

OK, replaceing the GPs cured the no start issue, but tightening the fuel filter didn't resolve the idle problem. Didn't have time to adjust the damper screw, little lady had to leave for work. I'll try that later today and see if it'll idle in the morning. Thanks for all of the suggestions, keep them coming.
Jeff

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1971 R600 Mack toterhome (SuperDawg)
99 NU-WA Snowbird 34+2 SE 102 5er
If it's not diesel, it's not in my stable!
53 F100 617.951/auto
95 Dodge 3500 Cummins/5 speed service truck

i must not be fussy enuf because i dont expect any diesel to start and idle like a gasser when the temps get to the teens I have or had most every diesel known to man in cars trucks boats gen sets bulldozers cranes etc i start em run the idle up 2 min later they are running smooth Except when it was below zero and we had to put the torch on the oil pan of the bulldozer
My significant other is a lot of work too her having to unplug the block heater causes me pain

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commercial fisherman diesel in my blood in my boats trucks and Dear old Dad has had me drivin them since i got my first license in 1968
1986 300 SDL 427654
1999 Chevy Crew Cab Dually 225423
1986 300 SDL 287000 Dad's
1987 190 Turbo 158000 Mom's (my inheritance)