Now that the cooler temps are here, I am having trouble stalling after morning starts. The starting is fine, always starts after the first glow. Then without giving it a little gas, it may stall out. Or if I try to put it into gear to start moving it will stall out. This wasn't the case when the weather was warm. Thoughts? Thanks.

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85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
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98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

Idle too low? (should be 700)
air in fuel?
glow plugs all good?
filter plugged?

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Don't know the temperatures your experiencing, but if they are below 32 degrees, I would start putting anti-gel in to keep the fuel from gelling up.

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96 E300d

I will check the idle. Aren't the glow plugs only for starting? Temps are in the low 40's.

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85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

are we expected to guess which car you are having issues with?
what's with all the (lease fin) and (sold) in your sig... are you listing cars you've had?
hmmm. valves adjusted? air in fuel or a small air leak could show up and cause a stall.

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

If you have a dead glow plug but engine still starts, the cyl with the bad glow plug will not combust the fuel optimally till the engine warms up and run rough and promote stalling. Look at the clear return fuel line. If you see any bubbles at all, that is probably the problem.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

1983 300D. I have not adjusted the valves for the last 22k miles...waiting for the arrival of the bent wrenches I bought.

__________________
85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

If you are in the US the Idle Speed is on the Emission Sticker on the cross memeber in front of the Radiator on the drivers side.

It has been about 3 years since I satarted reading the various Mercedes Forunms and for some reason there seems to be a cycle of the type of problems people are having.

This last year has seen a lot of folks with what appears to be Fuel Supply issues related to the Fuel Supply/Lift Pump or the Fuel Pressure/Bypass Valve on the Fuel Injection Pump.

A small Air leak or leaking Valves inside of the Fuel Supply can cause Fuel to migrate back to the Fuel Tank. So when you first start the car it takes time to fill the Hoses back up.
The low temp for some reason could be making the above worse.

Is you Engine less likely to stall when the Fuel Tank is Full or does the problem show up more when your Tank is 1/2 of below full?

Also are you taking the time to warm up your Engine?

Below is the sticker from my 84 300D; the middle range of the idle speed is 750 rpm.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Thanks for that pic! My sticker is covered up by something.
This reminds me I have to raise my idle a little. Per my photo tach, it is around 640 RPM! I need to up it by 100. Do you have a pic of the adjustment? I think it's a slotted screw adjustement? Last I tried, it didn't budge. I'll try squirting lot's of penetrating oil on it and try again.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

The reason it didn't budge last time was I didn't have the tool to loosen the 14 mm locknut first!. I found a 14 mm crow foot wrench, loosened it and adjusted my idle closer to 750 RPM. This is what 761 RPM sounds like and the video has a shot of the LCD of the photo tach which reads 761.7 RPM.

Click to play

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

My glow plugs checked out fine. Now I'm having trouble starting in 35 degree weather. Can not having a valve adjustment impede cold starting? It will crank but not start. Then when I plug in the block heater it will start without waiting for the engine block to warm?? What's going on?

__________________
85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

That's amazing! When the block heater is plugged it, you don't have to wait for the engine block to warm and it starts? Where can I buy such a block heater?

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

No valve adj impede start: yes, but not necessarily

No start unless heated: if engine won't crank fast enough, it won't start. Unwarmed engine may (typically will) turn over more slowly. Is there a significant crank speed diff cold vs. warmed?

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'83 300DTurbo http://badges.fuelly.com/images/smallsig-us/318559.png

Broadband: more lies faster.

No, same.

__________________
85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

As a recent thread was started on reading you engine speed while cranking. There is no data base yet but hopefuly one will develop. Then with a simple photo tach this can either be cleared as part of the issue or a problem.. Until then it is just guesswork. Normal cranking speed at various temperatures is needed.