Another quick test I read about the other day. Will your car start today, (mid summer) without the glow plugs. I mean without, non, nowda glo plugs. Disconnect them under the hood at the controller and "crank it and hope". I gave both of mine two really good 15 second cranks and I got nothing. How good is yours?

__________________
Junqueyardjim
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis



1983 Mercedes W123 240D 4 Speed 285,000 on the road with a 617 turbo, beautiful butter yellow, license plate # 83 240D INDIANA

2003 Jaguar Type X, AWD. beautiful, good mileage,
Mom's car, but I won't let her drive it!

When I fisrt got mine home, the first morning ( after driving it 430 miles up from Philly), I totaly spaced out on the glow plugs, just fired it. Started right up. Didnt run real nice, but it started. Temps in the low 50s if I recall.

I checked the '87 the other day. Didn't disconnect the preglow system but rather cranked over the engine without waiting the appropriate interval. The engine caught and ran -- roughly at first -- in 5 seconds. I'll check the '85 today and edit this post to add it in.

Jeremy

"My diesel always starts today -- it's tomorrow I worry about!

Edit: The '85 also starts in 5 seconds of cranking with no pause for the glow plugs.

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

my 79 will not start at all without a good long glow, the SD will start everytime, no matter how cold it is, the longer I glow the less time it takes, but without the gp's working at all, it will start in about 12 or so seconds.

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

I inadvertently tried this after a week of driving one of my gassers. The 87 fired after only a slightly longer wait than normal and ran rough for just a second or two.

__________________
87 300D Turbo (still wondering about #14 head)
98 Buick Regal GS (one quick grocery gettr)
07 Honda CBR1000RR
04 Dodge Ram Laramie 4x4 CTD (heaven)
95 Dodge Ram 3500 CTD. Need snow plowed?

I asked about starting it without the glow plugs. Mostly what I am getting is a quick start with the glo plugs being energized at about the same time the starter kicks in. I know they will start quite quickly that way in this weather. But can you really get it running without any glow plugs - glow plugs disconnected.

__________________
Junqueyardjim
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis



1983 Mercedes W123 240D 4 Speed 285,000 on the road with a 617 turbo, beautiful butter yellow, license plate # 83 240D INDIANA

2003 Jaguar Type X, AWD. beautiful, good mileage,
Mom's car, but I won't let her drive it!

I can check tomorrow, I ran it already today.

__________________
1984 300D

most people report only a small amount of time with rough idle. isn't that because your glow relay (if you replaced it with an updated model) has afterglow which will then glow your plugs resulting in smoothening out very quickly..............?

__________________
alimony

Cracked strip fuse.

307K miles on an OM603 300SDL.

Cranked for about 15 seconds,... Shut off. Tried again for about 8 seconds, and she sputtered to life. Lots, and lots of smoke.

Air temperature about 58 degrees Fahrenheit.

__________________
1987 300SDL (324000)

1986 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo) (166000)

1978 Porsche 924 (99000)

1996 Nissan Pathfinder R50 (201000)

my 603, yes. my 617's... not without glow.

__________________


1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

I tested my '85 today; it started after 5 seconds of cranking.

Conditions
Vehicle: 1985 300D-T (W123, 617.952) CA version w/trap cat, 223000 miles on original unrebuilt engine, EGR disconnected for testing purposes.
Engine: Cold, not run for > 24 hours, garage temp about 70F.
Crankcase oil: Chevron Delo-400 15W40.
Fuel: Biodiesel (B100).
Preglow system: Not disconnected.

The engine was cranked without allowing time for preglow. I suppose there might have been a little warming but the starter motor would have been drawing a lot of current and pulling the battery voltage down. In any case, the engine started after 5 seconds. It smoked a little and ran roughly for 5-10 seconds, then smoothed out and ran normally.

Usually, after 5-10 seconds of preglow, the engine starts "instantly" (half a crank or so). The fact that it started from cold after only 5 seconds suggests that the compression is good.

I could pull the strip fuse and repeat but I don't think it would make much difference.

Jeremy

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

I may try it today or tomorrow.....I turned it off around 1:10pm today and it hasn't run since....so its pretty "cold"...however....the air temp here today was 94-95F most of the day...and its still 88.5 out there...HOT!!

__________________
-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)

Hey guys, it's so easy to eliminate the glo plug. Take off the cover, it just lifts off. There you see the fuse and two connectors. I think if you pull either connector up, it disconnects very easy and the glow plugs are disabled. I usually go for the big plug with the five wires on it. It is easy to grasp between the fingers and pulls off and pushes on so easy...Its simpler then an old Marx Electric train set to plug or unplug. I wouldn't have asked you to take the test if it was nasty and difficult like removing those two screws on that strip fuse.

__________________
Junqueyardjim
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis



1983 Mercedes W123 240D 4 Speed 285,000 on the road with a 617 turbo, beautiful butter yellow, license plate # 83 240D INDIANA

2003 Jaguar Type X, AWD. beautiful, good mileage,
Mom's car, but I won't let her drive it!

603 not without protest. All but the most tired 617's should light right off.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I developed a device to start a diesel in an emergency,, until glow plugs could be acquired and installed. I had a heating element from a 220 volt electric clothes dryer that I saved when I threw out the dryer. I installed it in a piece of stove pipe, connected it to a plug, (115 volt), removed the air cleaner, put the stovepipe over the air intake plugged it in the diesel started right up...a bit crude, but effective in a pinch. I call it my 'huffenwarmer'. olweasel