Right. Just take your extra key and make sure your tank is full.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

A mechanic friend of mine changed out a starter on a 240D. The car belonged to a travelling salesman, and he could not afford to be without it. The mechanic pulled the starter Monday morning, then disabled the vacuum shutoff and pull-started the car for the customer. The starter was sent off to be rebuilt locally (how the heck did anyone ever find car parts before the internet???) and the salesman left on his rounds (sans starter!), and returned the following Monday to have the rebuilt starter installed. He drove 3000 miles and never once shut it off for 7 straight days.

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Mike
1983 Mercedes-Benz 300SD 270K
1960 Ford F250 62K
1990 Mazda Miata 156k

The thing is Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.

Well, I have no choice but to do it tonight. Most likely the voltage regulator took a dump. The battery shows 12.5v once the engine is started and 10.1v with the headlights on. The alternator has 12.5v at its output terminal.

I jumped the field wire directly to the battery but it didn't make it charge. I'm tempted to pull the VR with the engine running and see if its just grunge that needs to be cleaned from the contacts.

In any case, the alternator light never came on. The only clue I had was my pyrometer gauge jumping from the voltage drop when I used the brakes.

Forget that. I've got AAA, they can earn their pay and jump start me tomorrow. I just don't feel comfortable leaving the engine running all night unguarded in this neighborhood, even with the doors locked and keys out.

No offense, but yeah. Fed Heights isn't the place to leave a car running overnight.

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Ginny in Denver-ish
78 300SD, 265K (mine)

Yep, voltage regulator. After $2 at Pull-N-Save I have 14.1volts again and a spare regulator for the trunk.

Besides dim brake lights and the radio going into protection mode, it ran fine without a regulator in the alternator for a few hours.

Did you get if off that 116? It was the only MB I saw there last week.

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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

Is that the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth???

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1987 300D (230,000 mi on a #14 head-watching the temp gauge and keeping the ghost in the machine)
Raleigh NC - Home of deep fried sushi!

I got them off of the turbo Volvos.

There is a 190E 2.6 a few rows over and a stripped 240D by the north fence.

Eleven days 1985 300SD, no issues.

Have a great day

I grew up in Chicago. Make sure the battery is charged. Take it inside so it is warm when you go to start. A warm, fully charged battery & a well working glow system ought to start it.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

I have one on my '85 300D-T (W123, OM617); got it from Diesel Giant. Works great, draws more power (~600 Watts) than the factory block heater (~400 Watts).

I would have preferred installing the factory heater, even bought one, but discovered that the trap cat in my CA-version car made access to that part of the block almost impossible. So I sold the factory heater and bought the lower radiator hose heater.

Having replaced the trap cat with a test pipe, if I had to do it over, now I would install the factory heater.

Jeremy

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"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 honestly think the best thing to do would put a 100/150 watt lightbulb ( a real one, not a flourescent ) under the hood and close the hood. They put out a lot of heat; unless car is outside in the wind this should work.
NEVER run a car in an enclosed garage, attached or otherwise.
You could wake up dead if attached, or wind up dead if detached .
Just my .02 worth.
And i am going to install one of the lower hose heaters in my newest acquistion when it arrives .

A light bulb does little good when what little heat it puts out is subject to being taken away by the air...
Warming the water/coolant mix which surrounds the bore... the object of the need for warming needs direct contact with the heater elements for the kind of cold in question.
The lower hose heater in question is far better than anything outside the engine coolant reach.. but not as good as the contact the block heater has due to the distance and lack of way to circulate that warm water.

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1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/10414-help-i-need-check-stretch.html

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/156207-photo-step-step-post-showing-w123-evaporator-removal-1983-240d-1982-300td.html?highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html

CO kills...CO2 is in your soda water.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.