X2

I had one go out this fall. I had to plug in the block heater for an hour to get it moving in 55 degree weather. 1 new plug and I was good to go. It starts pretty well below freezing now.

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'82 300SD - Somewhere over 220k - Becoming reliable...

Well my glow plugs just went out and I need to drive to napa to get new ones. I also need to borrow someones garage so I don't have to install them in the snow.

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green 85 300SD 200K miles "Das Schlepper Frog" With a OM603 TBO360 turbo ( To be intercooled someday )( Kalifornistani emissons )
white 79 300SD 200K'ish miles "Farfegnugen" (RIP - cracked crank)
desert storm primer 63 T-bird "The Undead" (long term hibernation)

http://ecomodder.com/forum/fe-graphs/sig692a.png

Jeepers why not just replace the stock block heater? It's purpose built. Chances are it is probably fine and you'll just see that a wire is broken.

..all these exotic work-arounds... sprinkling heat on the engine using light bulbs, hot air guns, blankets, and wire wraps... maybe in a pinch sure

But the wheel has been invented, use it.

It you don't want to get messy with coolant, find a magnetic stick on block heater. Making metal to metal contact, or metal to coolant (stock) contact, is way better than air convection between heater block.

I must admit where I live, on really cold days, a propane blow torch to the oil pan for five minutes is necessary to crank, even if your block heater and battery wrap have been plugged in all day long.

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Cheers!
Scott McPhee

1987 300D

We use that here in lovely eastern canada as an alternative to a block heater or battery blanket on gassers. However a 40w bulb would never be enough to move a Mercedes diesel (5x so if with dino oil in the pan) but might help a VW diesel a little bit.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Ouch. Where do you live?

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

How cold did it get out there, Conn? It was 14 degrees at my house last night. That's about as cold as it ever gets here, and my 240D hibernates when there's snow on the ground.

I wonder what actually fails on block heaters - the electrical element? There isn't a thermostat in them, is there? Hopefully it's just the cord that has gone bad. I know one person who told me one time their block heater failed but the outlet it was plugged into just had a tripped GFCI. Still doesn't help when you have to leave for work.

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1976 240D "Katja"

That is what I plan to do. I'm going to check it out the same time I do my glowplugs since I will have my multimeter out.

The hair dryer was a stop gap measure just to get my car going this morning so I could get to work and get parts afterwards. I may just keep the hair dryer in the car and run two extension cords to decrease the warm up time or possibly use it to heat the cabin while the block heater does its thing.

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green 85 300SD 200K miles "Das Schlepper Frog" With a OM603 TBO360 turbo ( To be intercooled someday )( Kalifornistani emissons )
white 79 300SD 200K'ish miles "Farfegnugen" (RIP - cracked crank)
desert storm primer 63 T-bird "The Undead" (long term hibernation)

http://ecomodder.com/forum/fe-graphs/sig692a.png

it got down to -1F last night. So far today's high was 17F . I have to go and start my car every two hours to keep the heat in the block while I'm at work.

You nailed it. Its either a connection, a wire, or the element burns out.

I don't think there is a thermostat. Typically car companies that ship the car with one stock try to size it so that it won't over heat the engine a few degrees (10C or so) above freezing. That way they save money.

Someone at work here found a remote starter that has a thermostat that you can set so it will start your engine when the engine temp falls below a threshold you set. That has perked my interest as a fail safe.

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green 85 300SD 200K miles "Das Schlepper Frog" With a OM603 TBO360 turbo ( To be intercooled someday )( Kalifornistani emissons )
white 79 300SD 200K'ish miles "Farfegnugen" (RIP - cracked crank)
desert storm primer 63 T-bird "The Undead" (long term hibernation)

http://ecomodder.com/forum/fe-graphs/sig692a.png

Edmonton, Canada.

Yesterday was -30C, and the radio guy said "third coldest place in the world today" but I'm guessing he's talking major cities, not the south pole. Doesn't matter, it's cold enough.

At about -40C (which equals -40F by the way) tires stay "square" for a block or two until they round out a bit. If you hit a curb, they shatter!

Some people say you can piss outside and it freezes before hitting the ground. I'm too afraid that something else might freeze so I don't try. Similarly strange is that horse's **** can explode mid-air before it hits the ground.

In all this I find my 603 and MBenz battery brutally robust. I can still start the car (with its 15w40 dino) after a long glow or two... all the way down to about -35C with no plug ins, after sitting 8 hours. After that all bets are off.

__________________
Cheers!
Scott McPhee

1987 300D

It's going to be 0°F here tonight. I'll try and start the car and see what happens...

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[/SIGPIC]~cirrusman

1983 Mercedes Benz 300SD - Wife calls him "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"
[SIGPIC]




1983 Toyota Tercel (Tommy, The little Toyota that could)
1965 Ford F100 (Grandma Ford)
2005 Toyota Sienna (Elsa, Wife's ride)


Gone:
1988 Toyota Pickup
2004 Subaru Outback

1987 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
1986 Volvo 740 GL Station Wagon - Piece of junk.
1981 Volvo 242 DL 2 Door - Hated to see it go. R.I.P.
1987 Pontiac Fiero GT

You do understand correctly. The use a heater on the intake air, no glow plugs.

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1987 300TD 309, xxx 2.8.2014 10,000 mile OCI


Be careful of the toes you step on today, as they may be connected to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow. anonymous

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter won’t mind.” Dr. Seuss

As per '83 300SD Owners Manual:

1) Turn the ignition switch to the ON position - but don't glow it.
2) Now, slowly floorboard and slowly release the foot feed pedal 2-3 times.
3) Glow a full-cycle, but do not crank - turn to OFF remove key.
4) Glow a second full-cycle and with your foot feed on-the-floorboard crank until the engine starts, and only slowly start to release the foot feed pedal as it runs without pressure from the foot feed.

If your battery is good and strong, the car should start.

Turns out my battery wasn't good and strong and it didn't start... Guess I'll have to get me a new one. It felt as though it would've started if I had enough juice in it though...

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[/SIGPIC]~cirrusman

1983 Mercedes Benz 300SD - Wife calls him "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"
[SIGPIC]




1983 Toyota Tercel (Tommy, The little Toyota that could)
1965 Ford F100 (Grandma Ford)
2005 Toyota Sienna (Elsa, Wife's ride)


Gone:
1988 Toyota Pickup
2004 Subaru Outback

1987 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
1986 Volvo 740 GL Station Wagon - Piece of junk.
1981 Volvo 242 DL 2 Door - Hated to see it go. R.I.P.
1987 Pontiac Fiero GT

You might need one of these for a back up.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-jump-start-and-power-supply-38391.html



Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

OK, when I saw the title on this thread I immediately was reminded of an incident which I did not personally witness, but which left a big impression on me... I went to a large land grant university in the Midwest, majoring in Mechanical Engineering (perhaps I shouldn't confess that given the inevitable screw-ups which I report on this forum!). There was a professor on staff, whose name I thankfully cannot remember, but he inspired a bit of a cult following among the students. Students would occasionally be invited out to his rural property for instruction in various redneck arts.

IMPORTANT: I take no responsibility for what I'm about to relate. If you try this and it blows up in your face, don't send your lawyers after me. What follows is for amusement purposes only!

OK, the redneck way to start a car in below zero weather in central Illinois is as follows:

1. Fill an overturned trash can lid with unlighted charcoal briquets.
2. Get your oxy-acetylene torch in position near the car.
3. Light a match, drop it on the briquets, and slide the trash can lid under the oil pan.
4. Hit the oxygen and direct it at the match.
5. Foooom! instant briquet ignition!
6. Five minutes later get in car, turn key, and drive off.

I may actually have the details slightly wrong... for some reason I think he used liquid oxygen, but you get the idea.

Cheers,

Kurt

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- '79 240D - engine swap complete! Engine broken in! 28-31 mpg! Lovin' the ride!
- '86 190D (W201-126) - 2.5 NA engine, 5 speed, cloth interior, manual climate controls, 33-34 mpg (sold to forum member).