Next time this occurs don't use starting fluid, it isnt designed to be used in Diesel engines, ask me, I know used Starting fluid with upper cylinder lubricant (whatever that is) when trying to start my K3500 GMC flatbed after sitting all winter. The 6.5L GM diesel are indirect injection with 21.5 to 1 compression, so when I used the starting fluid, I ended up cracking #3 piston across the ring lands. The moral of the story, use WD-40 instead of starting fluid, or you'll be screaming when you render your car inoperable...

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Regards,
Ian White

1995 E300 Diesel w124 OM606
2014 E550 w212 M278 biturbo

2001 BMW 740i E38 M62 (past)
1981 300SD w126 OM617 (past)

OK to use starter fluid in diesels without glowplugs. Don't use it in engines with glowplugs.

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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

your lift pumps shot dude ....look up "lift pump" and order one from ******** or ebay after you find out if thats it or not. to test get and electric fuel pump and hook it up to test.

only other thing would be you have bad compression mixed with no glow plugs.

remember boys a girls if you have good compression and no glow plugs the car will still start.

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Wie lange wird Ihr Auto leben?

Hi
Using starting fluid can cause a lot of damage to a diesel. If you have to use something - WD40 is a better choice

The easy way to check if you have fuel is to crack the injector line at the injector while it won't start and spin it with the starter.

Sure sounds like a glow plug/circuit problem.
Good Luck,
Joseph

So I have done some more work on the car and still cant get it to start.

I checked the glow plugs, there ok but it had a mix of autolite and champion plugs so I put some bosh plugs in. Still no start. I tried to prime the fuel system by pumping the lift pump and cracking the fuel line on top of the filter. Fuel came out but still no start.

I think that the lift pump is dead but I am not sure. Could the lift pump be dead even if it's not leaking fuel? Should the lift pump ever firm up? When I pump it, it never firms up.

Thanks,

Reed

Have you replaced the primary filter. I had a similar problem with priming mine and it turned out I had a clodded filter and trash in the fuel line. Worth a shot. If it is the case you will notice the pressure on the pump when you prime it.

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Moss Gate Bed & Breakfast
1985 300 TD GG done in by a red light runner
1984 300 CD Sold
2008 Titian
2000 Cadillac SLS
1966 FLH Sold
2003 Harley Ultra

Did those glow plugs glow red? Did you check voltage at glow plug wire disconnected and was it 12VDC? On EACH plug in turn?

A never firm manual pump sounds like air in the system. First suspect would be a bad manual pump.

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Codifex
1981 240D ChinaBlue (Got her running with a donor engine.)
1983 300DTurbo w/sunroof.
1984 300TD manual sunroof. (Electrical Gremlins)

Your car doesn't happen to be orange (or close to that colour)? There was a Euro 300D on Seattle craigslist a while back that had a 4-speed & turbo engine retrofitted...I never got around to looking at it. I think the conversion had been done by Benz Friendz.

With a 4-speed, a simple thing to try would be a push start (find a hill, or have another car tow-start it). If it comes to life & stays running, it's probably not a fuel issue. If it starts again while still warm, it's most likely a glow-plug problem (which is what I suspect). Does the glow plug light go on & off normally? GP fuse good? I'm wondering if there's something wrong with the GP relay.

Sounds like the primer pump works if it squirts fuel out the top of the filter as you said - tighten all the fittings & pump the primer till it squeaks. You could also try loosening a metal injector line nut at the injector and crank for a few seconds to see if fuel is making it to the injectors.

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1976 240D "Katja"

Replace the fuel filters and get the newer style primer pump, then crack hard lines and crank until fuel comes out.

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition

Question hasn't been asked yet - how much blowby do you have, or better yet have you done a compression test at all? Who knows if the engine that was put in was a good one. Having a slightly clogged filter or bad gps might just have been the traw that broke the camels back.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

I tried cracking the lines at the injector and cranking the engine. I got fuel at all the lines. I have the newer style lift pump and when I pump it I can see air bubbles in the clear fuel line that leads from the lift pump to the IP. The go away after a few pumps but after I try to start the car if I go back and give it another pump I get more air bubbles.

I have not done a compression test. I don't have a compression tester that will work on a diesel engine. I have some blow by but not any more than I have seen coming from other old Benz diesels. It ran great before it died.

I am getting a little worried that the engine just up and died on me but I would think that if I had really low compression, there would be some kind of a sign. There was no bang, lots of smoke, bad noises or loss of power when I was driving it. She fired right up and ran fine but when I tried to restart the car all it would do is crank.

My car is the orange one that was on Craigslist and Benzfriendz put the turbo engine in it.

I don't think compression is the issue here....that is uuuusually a gradual failure, and if something like a ring breaking were to happen, it would only affect one cylinder, and the engine would still run, but rough and smokey.


I bet on a lift pump/fuel supply issue, or maybe a rare possibility that the IP is not making enough pressure to pop the injectors....water damage? Who knows.

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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)