253,000 miles. Never had anything other than real diesel in the tank. Just had the valves adjusted (first time in 235,000 miles) because it was getting hard to start - now it starts like a new car even in cold weather (30 degrees is cold for Atlanta). Newly replaced fuel filter - the clear one near the hand pump. If it were ignition pump timing or filters, would not this impact the power just in normal running? I have excellent power in normal running.

Sorry guys, I think you are all on the wrong track; I think it is just built to work this way until it heats up. And again I wonder if it does not have much compression until it heats up and this is why it will hardly move up the hill while cold. (Speak up engineers.) If I drive around the block, heat it up, and try it again, there is absolutely no problem climbing the driveway hill.


Driveway hill is probably something like a 30 degree slope; not more. Hand pump is new and is tight. Fuel pump is original. Not a tranny problem; tranny is fine although it leaks slightly - I just keep it topped up every few months.

I have a car with a light air leak on the hose of an injetcor. If I let the car idle a few minutes, it runs great. Until then it has no power.

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83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside

The reason that diesel are slow when cold is that, The Cylinder Head is not hot enough to ignite all of the diesel hence not able to produce all of the potential power of that fuel that has been injected, and also the trans fluid is REALLY thick so the engine have to work harder to turn the transmission...

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Current Garage
2008 Mercedes GL320 CDI 188k mi Repair/Work in progress
1994 S350 160k mi Garage Queen & prepping for repairs
2005 E320 CDI 203k mi Healthy & Daily Driver
1994 S350 357k mi Retried as parts car
1984 300TD 214k mi Blown OM617 Poss OM603 Swap??

Sold
1987 300SDL 200K+
1994 S320 181K mi
2008 E320 Bluetec 127k mi
1999 S420 130K mi
1980 240D 360k mi
15+ Others that has come, stay and gone

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
1995 E320 SE 220k mi
1984 300SD 350k mi

Well i have good hill in my driveway 10% i'm thinking like when i punch the throttle it just sits there for a bit 5-6 seconds and finally builds up speed u can tell it's low on power but it goes.

If u have the engine gunned it should be smoking like crazy eather white,blue or black depending on the combustion temp. wouldnt it?

I remember my vw jetta the 1.6 na it was about dead when it was cold u could prolly push it faster than it went cold took a good 1/4 mile or more for the engine start to picking up

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2004 Infiniti G35 3.5L 6mt Coupe 73K miles 25.6mpg ytd
2001 Green Audi TT 225 AWD Roadster 71K 6sp 30.9mpg >>STOLEN<<
1982 300D Turbo 231K 120hp? 28.1mpg YTD

Exactly the problems. Low power because of cold engine couple with cold fluid in the torque converter creating a lower than normal stall speed reducing power further.

An alda adjustment would cure your problem.

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81 300SD daily driver/project
86 420SEL (sold)
85 380SE(in the graveyard)

Normal for these diesels. The gods decided that if we were going to cheat them by getting rid of spark plugs, they would pay us back by reducing power when cold. Under about 15 degrees you get 20 horsepower to begin with, then one additional horsepower for every 30 feet traveled.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Guys, I accept that as the answer. Cold engine not burning the fuel. So nothing to do with compression.

But I'm not tempting the gods by getting anything adjusted. Been like this since '84 and I am still a happy camper; consider it just a quirk of the SD.

Thanks for the answers. Case closed.