Though I probably won't. It's been sitting around for who knows how long...
I put a battery in it (a very expensive battery I must say) and tried to crank her up. She turned and smoke started coming from where the oil is I think. The center silver unit in the middle of the engine I believe is the valve cover? And oil is in there right? Anyways their is a black cap on the front of it which is where you put oil in I'm assuming....So yeah, I think I need to put some starter fluid in to get it started anyway, but I stopped trying because of the whitish smoke (maybe blueish) that was coming from under the valve cover. Am I making any sort of sense? I was thinking that maybe if it started that something might just burn out and it would be fine. It starts smoking almost as soon as I tried starting it. Could it be water? Obviously I have no idea but if their is any hope for this car my landlord will let me have it for free....Any help would be greatly appreciated....

ok there can be a NUMBER issues that need to be addressed before you can get it started... but before you even attempt that, you need to familiarize yourself with the engine. Yes that silver unit in the middle is the valve cover.. It is normal for smoke to puff out of that if the engine is tired. Do not put starter fluid in this engine. I would recommend changing the fuel filters, checking the oil level and try cranking it again. if it starts then go ahead and change the oil, filters, and do a diesel purge..

Hey thanks! Ok so the valve cover has a black plastic type hose coming off of it and it is connected to the big "dish pan thing" where there is what I believe to be an air filter around it....So I had something like that old buick and whenever I'd run out of gas or it wouldn't start, I'd have to put some fuel in it. If the gauge is accurate then I have around an eighth a tank of gas. Where is the fuel filter? If I can identify it I can usually change it. Thanks a lot for your help....
Rama

Oh and what exactly do you mean by "diesel purge..."
Thanks again

Yes - the big round black things you're looking at does indeed contain the air filter. The hose going from the valve cover into it, is the breather tube. It takes combustion blow-by gasses (usually with oil vapour in them) and sends it back into the intake, to be combusted. There is an oil separator in there that will pull most of the oil vapour out of the blowby gas and send that oil back into the oil pan.

The car has two (well, really three) fuel filters. There's a big coarse filter in the bottom of the fuel tank. Next, near the injection pump there is a tiny clear plastic filter. The injection pump is on the driver's side of the motor, and looks itself almost like a tiny engine - long, rectangular, with some metal lines coming out the top. The injection pump is what distributes fuel to the injectors. Check out the condition of that plastic filter - it should be clear and easy to see fuel inside it (and not air!)

The next fuel filter is the "secondary". It's also on the driver's side of the engine bay, near the front. It looks like what you'd typically imagine an oil filter to look like, squat, cylindrical, and mounted "upside down" from a large fitting with a big bolt on top. I'll let others describe the correct procedure for changing the filters and also bleeding the air from the fuel system.

You're getting a lot of smoke on startup. How long did you say the car has been sitting for? You've checked the oil level, I assume?

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1984 300D Turbo, 326000 Km, Thistle Green Metallic

I sent you a private message.
I hope someone already told you not to use the starting flluid as it can damage the engine
If a car has been sitting around not running for a long time you have to ask youself why/what was not working on the car when it was parked there.
So, the question/s is why was it left sitting for along time and how long is a long time.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

where you located? Maybe some one near you could help you.

Charlie ☺

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

OMG! Dish pan thing? Center silver unit? Are you joking?
You better get help before you ruin anything.

__________________
DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

Well it's too late. I used fuel starter....What's the worst I can expect and when? I got her started. I sort of fell in love. I drove it around for a bit. What a pleasure.She feels great!!!! It had been about two years apparently since it was last started. It took forever to start but now that it's been done, it starts faster than I've ever seen before!!! So seriously, should I worry about the fuel starter? I don't know what I'm getting myself into here but the car is free and I have some time to play around with it. Actually, after I finally got it started, I couldn't turn it off!!! Their were some little hoses disconnected somewhere but once I got those back into place I could turn it off. Crazy. I have the big screw on fuel filter in the trunk. I'll replace that tomorrow and do an oil change and I'll change the air filter. What's my next step? Thanks! Wish me luck!

To answer in order,

1. Don't worry about the starting fluid, you've used it without damage so far. In future, remember that WD-40 is a safer "fuel starter" product than ether-based engine starting fluids, which tend to explode more violently than our engines are used to.

2. The little hoses are vacuum lines, some of which activate the vacuum engine shut-off system. Lacking an electronic ignition, a vacuum actuates a shut-off mechanism that physically stops fuel from being delivered to the cylinders. If these "little hoses" are not arranged properly and in good condition, your problems will range from an engine that doesn't shut down, to door locks that refuse to function, to climate control vents that don't open and close, straight through to a transmission that shifts roughly.

3. Your next step is to sit down with any literature you can find (owners manual? Basic diesel technology book? Dictionary?) and learn more about the car, asking questions here as you find questions that can't be answered by researching them. Lots of basics with which you need to be familiar, before these cars start making any sense. Sit down and start reading.

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

Hmmm. Next step - scour this message boards and learn everything there is to learn about your car! Read the factory manuals if you can get them.

I personally wouldn't touch starter fluid (mostly because I am scared of getting myself into some kind of runaway condition).

I'm guessing from your message that the car can start itself now, with no fluid? The glow system works properly? How cold does it get there? You'll want to take this into account when doing an oil change. You'll get lots of advice on what oil to use and I am not one to preach, but just make sure you use a good diesel-rated oil. Don't cheap out on filters either. How many miles have you got on the engine? You'll want to make sure you're up to speed on bleeding the fuel system, too - basically, just pump like crazy on the primer pump.

In all truth I would say "next step: inspect everything you can inspect, make a big list of things to obviously work on or find out more about".

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1984 300D Turbo, 326000 Km, Thistle Green Metallic

So awesome. Communities will make this world go round again...Thanks. What kind of oil should I put in it?

I'm tempted to take a 30 minute drive or so....After two years of not starting should I wait to do some maintenance or can I give her a spin. She acts like she really wants it!!!

Oh boy.

A search of this forum will reveal enough oil threads that, if you read one a day, you'd still be reading a year from now.

I'll go ahead and sum up the huge debates.

Q: Dinosaur based oil or synthetically created oil?
My Answer: For an engine like yours, start out with a good basic dinosaur Rotella-T 15w40 or similar. Main thing is that the oil is "diesel rated" which means it can carry the higher amounts of soot. Rotella-T is a good old makes-the-diesel-world-go-round oil, unless you develop a personal interest in something else later. On such an oil you can run 5,000 mile oil change intervals. Synthetic, at this stage, is extra money thrown at the thing. later, if you decide it's worth it following your reading, go for it.

Q: What weight oil?
A: 15w40 unless your climate demands otherwise (or you're using synthetic oil, which then becomes... somebody help me. 5w20 or something?)

To prolong the life of your tires, rotate them every 5-10 thousand miles.

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

When I drain the jet black oil out.....Is their any product that will clean up the old oil residue or can I just put that dinosaur oil in and call it a job. I realize I sound like I don't know what I'm talking about because I don't...But on every vehicle I've had I've done all the work, albeit slowly...As long as I can identify the parts and heed the dangers then I always seem to come out successful. Thanks infinitely for all the help.