240D Cold Weather Starting Problem
 

It was about -15C (5F) this morning when I tried to start my 79 240D. I have a block heater and had it come on by timer about 3 hours before I needed to start it. I pre-glowed the engine and cranked it over.....started up pretty quick, ran a little rough then smoothed out...as usual in the cold weather. After about 2 minutes of idling it started to shudder and finally stalled. This happened to me a few times in the month. I thought it was the filters so I changed them all a few days ago. I thought they might have been dirty and the fuel was too thick for them in the cold. I also have a WVO kit in my car mostly set up for the winter. If it starts to stall I switch to the veg tank and put on my fast electric fuel heater and it will usually keep running at an idle. I do this until my coolant is all warmed up then I can just drive on Veg but it was too cold this morning and it wouldn't draw the cold veg from the tank without coolant heat, so now I have a car that won't start...and the possibility of cold veg in my injectors. Any idea what it may be? I am thinking of getting a coolant heater to supplement the block heater. I have not owned a diesel in the winter before, do you think the fuel is just gelling?

thanks for any help !

Will

240d wont run...
 

Since you have a veggie kit on your car...you probably haven't filled up on diesel in a long time right? If this is the case then you probably have the "summer diesel" that is not formulated for very cold weather. The diesel probably gelled and when switching over to veggie oil is actualy thinner than the gelled diesel. just something to think about.
-stephen

I filled up with diesel 2 days before, this stalling at start up has happened a few times, on different tanks of diesel. I have a small diesel aux tank and I do a lot of shorter trips so I use a fair amount of diesel. My factory tank is my veg tank. Do they sell different types of diesel in the winter and summer?

that's what I think as well.
you may want to put a heavy blanket over your motor,those moving blankets are great for this, that covers the IP and the Fuel filters. while the block heater is plugged in. it cuts down on the heat lost to the atmo... -15 C or F? either way it's pretty cold. estimate how much Diesel is left in the tank, and pour about 30% Kerosene into the tank, also add some antiGel Diesel lubricant. let it all mix up for a while, then prime the pump for a while. and try it.
if your Glow plugs are up to snuff and you have good compression AND the fuel system is working, you should get it fired up.
John