WOW !!! What a difference !!!
 

Had trouble starting car. On Monday I put in 2 Autolite glow plugs, hoping it would help till it got warmer weather. Next day it wouldn't start, so we got a ride on a flatbed. Got 5 new GP's ( reamed ) adjusted valves, injection pipe, and a breather hose. Runs great, even shifts gears a lot better.
This morning I went out and started up. 18 degrees F. Started like it had been running just minutes before. ( I am using a hose heater )

The 2 GP's I put in were melted - Autolites. First time I used them, and the last. :)

I had heard that about Autolites too, I only use Beru or Bosch. Glad you got it fixed, I'm having a similar problem with my sons 85. I've only been able to get two new plugs in, too much stuff in the way of the others!

Yea... They make a huge difference.....Same here. I had 2 autolites in mine. The car would stumble when started. I replaced those 2 with Bosch. Now all 5 are Bosch and they all read the same on the ohm meter. The car starts fine now and settles into a nice smooth idle. No more stumble on start up.:D

Edit: #5 had me cussing for a second or 2.

Cold stuff
 

Did the same with mine last fall...amazing difference and worth the time and effort (aka contorsionism to reach GP's) to change out all the GP and adjust the valves. Forgot to plug it in last night and it fired right away at 10*F this morning MUCH better than last year.:)

Adjusting the valves makes a HUGE difference for cold weather. Don't discount it's effect.

Autolite = Junk
Bosch or Beru = Good

I just changed a couple last night also. I am lazy and remove the lines for the IP. Quick to do, and much easier access. Also one of those ratcheting box end wrenches is great!

NGK are terrible as well. Got 2 sets of them, the first time as I didn't know, the second time as I had a choice, They lasted more or less 6 month...
All berus now :)

i am from eastern pa. did you do the work? if not, who did? i can always use good help & advice with my 300D

Sorry to hear about Autolite woes. I personally have never had a problem with them but I have read that the Ford diesel crowd does not like them. I've had a set in my 86 Golf D for seven years and I'm sure they could be replaced but they still seem to work properly. Back when I bought them the price differential between Bosch was at least 33% so I opted for the Autolite.

The NGK I've also had, in a 1982 Datsun Maxima diesel and I found them to be a very good plug. The key I think with any glow plug is to always run the same manufacturers plugs and do not intermix brands. The specifications for each maker are slightly different and mixing can be a problem.

Fortunately I have a pretty healthy supply of Monark diesel GP's for the VW idi diesels and I have as well an extra set of Bosch for the TDI.

steve a

I think this is the key point, I don't know why but on the E300TD they don't last. On others car they have a good name, not on older MB.

Certainly you'll get no argument there. There are certain brands that will work better than others in certain vehicles. NGK probably made the OE plugs for the Datsun.

Is anyone using the Duraterm Chromium glow plugs?

regards
steve a

Great question, they have some good advert and I think I like to put a set of chromium in the car next time.

I changed my Glow Plugs (OM671.952) to Autloite and 6 months in the Engine (while the still worked) I had trouble removing 2 (the tips of the Glow Plugs had swollen and were almost too large to be pulled through the hole). This worried me.
It is one think to have a Glow Plug stop working but another to have them get stuck in the head.

The Autolites were an eBay purchase as were the Monark Glow Plugs I replaced them with. The Monarks are not supposed to be good either but since I already had them I used them. So far the Monarks have caused no problems.
However, while I Glow evertime I start I live in S California so the Glow Plugs do not get the same workout as they would in a colder State.

Since that time I have bought a bunch of Boschs for when replacement time comes.

I was just changing out the 3rd failed bosch of the winter on my car, looking at the pile of 9 bad bosch units I have amassed over the last year+ wondering what to do with them, and marveling at how good a job Bosch and napa were doing of getting my money....