Great, now I have two non-running W123s !!!

This one is a 240D. It's been iffy to start, since I got it, and today it won't start at all. The temp is 33F and I've had it plugged in. Glow plugs good, I had them out, tested by hooking up to 12V, threw away bad ones and replaced. Cracked injector line 1, cranked the motor, expected fuel everywhere but its dry.

The prefilter is full of fuel. I tried the primer pump. I can unscrew it and pump, and it does not build up pressure (which I know is not a good sign).

At first it was "coughing" trying to start. After an hour on and off cranking it won't even do that. The "stop" lever goes flat after I crank, then it returns to 45 degree raised position after I take a break. Which I thought was interesting.

What are my next troubleshooting steps? I searched the forum, most of the time people have fuel and it ends up their valves or glowplugs. In my case, no fuel...

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'82 300D (project)
'46 Willys (project)
"Nothing seems to be the way it should in this garage." -jt20
"Smarter than an engine, dumber than a hoodlatch..." -jt20
"Start jumping up and down to smoosh down those engine mounts" -DeliveryValve
"no" -kerry
"At this rate, you may have it done by winter" -layback40

I'm having trouble visualizing what you said there. Is the stopped lever going to a "less fuel" position while you're cranking? If so, try pulling the vacuum hose off the shutoff valve on the IP and see if that helps.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

after I crank for a while, the "stop" lever is parallel to the ground.

when the car runs, the stop lever is raised. so you can push on it to kill it.

__________________

'82 300D (project)
'46 Willys (project)
"Nothing seems to be the way it should in this garage." -jt20
"Smarter than an engine, dumber than a hoodlatch..." -jt20
"Start jumping up and down to smoosh down those engine mounts" -DeliveryValve
"no" -kerry
"At this rate, you may have it done by winter" -layback40

Ok, get this: I unscrewed the primer pump and left it in the raised position.

The car started. Not happily, but started.

I guess I am replacing it. What else should I be ordering, fuel delivery-wise, while I am at it? Return hoses, just because. What else?

__________________

'82 300D (project)
'46 Willys (project)
"Nothing seems to be the way it should in this garage." -jt20
"Smarter than an engine, dumber than a hoodlatch..." -jt20
"Start jumping up and down to smoosh down those engine mounts" -DeliveryValve
"no" -kerry
"At this rate, you may have it done by winter" -layback40

Your stop lever shouldn't be moving unless you are pressing on the go petal. Try having a helper hold the lever in place(toward the driver's fender) while you try staring the car. If it's moving on it's own something must be disconnected or broken. If it's migrating towards the valve cover then you'll never get the car started, cause it's cutting the fuel supply.

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Just a thought, Try it with the oil cap removed and then see if it moves the arm. We were throwing this around in another thread. My 240 is hard to start and removing it helped me.

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Experience : what you receive 3 seconds after you really needed it !!



86 300SDL 387,000? Motor committed suicide
81 300SD 214,000 "new" 132,000 motor
83 300SD 212,000 parts car
83 300SD 147,000

91 F700 5.9 cummins 5spd eaton 298,000
66 AMC rambler American 2dr auto 108,000
95 Chevy 3/4 ton auto 160,000
03 Toyota 4runner 180,000 wifes

yeah i seen that before and i tried that... no difference.... my issue seems to be no fuel, I am hopingbecause there is air somewhere as opposed to a problem with fuel pump... the pump is supposed to never break, right?

__________________

'82 300D (project)
'46 Willys (project)
"Nothing seems to be the way it should in this garage." -jt20
"Smarter than an engine, dumber than a hoodlatch..." -jt20
"Start jumping up and down to smoosh down those engine mounts" -DeliveryValve
"no" -kerry
"At this rate, you may have it done by winter" -layback40

Well not quite never, but not very often unless you run bad/wrong fuel like gasoline or veg oil not properly filtered and heated. I think your primer pump is sucking air when it's locked in the down position. I do wonder about the moving stop lever. That shouldn't happen.

__________________
Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Ok here is my theory (while I am waiting for the replacement primer pump).

The primer pump leaks air.

If the car is not started for several days (as it hadn't been), due to the air leaks the fuel drains back into the tank.

And, again, because the primer pump leaks, it is harder for it to suck the fuel back, so it takes a lot of cranking.

Makes sense?

__________________

'82 300D (project)
'46 Willys (project)
"Nothing seems to be the way it should in this garage." -jt20
"Smarter than an engine, dumber than a hoodlatch..." -jt20
"Start jumping up and down to smoosh down those engine mounts" -DeliveryValve
"no" -kerry
"At this rate, you may have it done by winter" -layback40

Sounds logical.

__________________
Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Yes, and it's quite common for that to happen. What concerns me was you comment about the stop lever moving. Make sure it's not going anywhere unless you are moving the go pedal.

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