For a few days now my wife has been unable to start the 85 300TD. She uses it to pick our son up from school, but it is not that far so she walks when it doesn't go. it's cold here near Toronto.

To make it easier to start I have;

Gotten a new battery (the last one was 10 years old!)
Changed the oil to synthetic
Filled up at a busy gas station (so it for sure has winter gas in it and less likely to have water)
Checked resistance on GP's, looks good, fuse good

These are the things I can easily do myself. I can't adjust the valves myself and I am looking for a competant mechanic to do that. No block heater either, but man do I need one.

It definately turns over quicker now. I can start it, because I understand you have to crank it a bit and then give it a bit of fuel at the right time. Any advice? Don't make me chose between a new wife or a new car! The car gives me very little grief.

I'm in Western New York, temps similar to Toronto.
I always fill up at the same busy station. Couple weeks ago I had difficulty starting, glow plugs seemed to be the culprit.
They all checked out OK
Bought CDC Diesel Dry at a local parts store, solved the problem. Possibly a little moisture in your fuel.
I use a lower radiator hose heater. See Diesel Giant
Wife or car is a tough question

I'm assuming you mean diesel.

So your wife can't start it, because she only lets it crank on the first try and gives up? Why dont you take a few moments and go outside with her and explain to her how to glow and start it, most certainly don't think a new wife is in order if its going to take 10 minutes to show her how you start it.

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91 350SD
14 F150 Eco
19 Fusion Hybrid
11 GT500

HI

Greetings from another Toronto 300SD owner (in process of moving to BC but that's another story).

Not to be insulting, but have you and your wife both read the starting instructions in the owner's manual? My 83 300SD starts fine down to about -15C with no need for a block heater with

1. synthetic oil
2. good glow plugs
3. correctly adjusted valves
4. following starting instructions - allow glow cycle to complete, depress accelerator pedal approx 1 inch, crank her until she runs by herself.

Below about -15C I use the block heater simply to reduce wear and tear on both the car and myself (faster cabin heat).

McNally Auto up near Sheppard and Keele is the best Indie for older MB's in town. Get him to do your valve clearances and also check your GP's at the same time. I had my valves done once by Forli downtown on Parliament once, and they were ALL wrong after they did the job. Every blessed valve was set incorrectly. Now I go to McNally if I need them done in the winter or do them myself in the summer.

Check out the Canadian good shops thread on the forum and you'll find more info.

Good hunting, R

Greetings from not-so-cold-as-TO-BC...heheh actually, over christmas it was colder here than even Montreal (but that's another story)

I was having hard-to-start issues as well. Did everything...counted to 10 after the glow-plug light went out, counted to 20, waited till the 'click' of the relay going off could be heard, floored the accelerator until the car started. Well, turned out it was just the weak battery...getting weaker the colder it got. It would start fine in the morning when I had the battery hooked up to a charger/float maintainer, but after work, I would need a jump start to start.

I picked up a 2nd-hand Group 92 frm Interstate, and just for the hell of it (especially since the guy who sold it to me was right there) I turned the key the very second the glowplug light went out....and the beast started right up!! I mean like one-crank or maybe half a crank!

So I know you said new battery, but please, check your battery.

__________________
1987 300TD
1984 300D
755,000 KM and going strong
BC Canada

Check alternator output, it might not be fully charging the battery.

Then check the wife.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

If you've not yet had the valves adjusted , start right there as they're sure to be tight .

Some women just don't ken cars and Diesels especially .

My old lady is the one who got me started in Mercedes Diesels , she just had to have one but the glow plug light thing throws her so guess who drives it 90 % of the time ?

Maybe if I had a young thing she'd be interested in learning....

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

why cant you adjust your valves? it is pretty easy to do, you dont really need the special wrenches, either. a 14mm and a 9/16 is all you really need, once the VC is off(aside from a $5 feeler gauge set). or you could take the$ from paying someone and order a set of wrenches.

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1984 123.193 372,xxx miles, room for Seven.

1999 Dodge Durango Cummins 4BTAA 47RE 5k lb 4x4 getting 25+mpgs, room for Seven.

LOL.

Good suggestions.

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-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)