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  #61  
Old 12-09-2010, 11:01 AM
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Location: Blue Point, NY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vstech View Post
acck! I said valve ADJUSTMENT! yeah, if the head needs to come off it's a bad thing.
my 400K+ 82 gets cranky when it's below 20 outside, but it starts fine with a good glow.
battery is going on it's third year... gotta get a new one in there. cables are pristine. chain is dead on. valves get adjusted every fall. block heater is dead... thinking about installing a hose mounted one, but it really doesn't get below 20 that often. this winter could be one of those though... 16 already this year.
I've got no glow plug light, so I must have a plug or two out, but it still starts for me. (bosch plugs are loosing their appeal for me, thinking of switching to a better brand)
On the SD, I would have perfect valves and a full set of working glow plugs and 12°F. was about the limit without the block heater. At that temp, it would crank for a good 20 seconds.

So, depending on many variables, very cold temperatures will tax the starting capability of many older engines, thereby supporting the conclusion that a second battery might be advantageous.

With new valves (now at 50K), the SD always starts within 2 seconds...........independent of temperature (0°F. is my lowest recorded).

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  #62  
Old 12-09-2010, 11:27 AM
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hmm.
only thing I can think of is that the starter has to be taking a beating pushing that cold oil, and cranking against low compression for extended periods.
what do you think of dumping hot water on the block/head prior to hitting the glow plugs to assist the motor a hair warmer? I've also heard stuffing a hair dryer into the intake horn helps a ton too.
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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!
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  #63  
Old 12-09-2010, 11:40 AM
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Originally Posted by vstech View Post
hmm.
only thing I can think of is that the starter has to be taking a beating pushing that cold oil, and cranking against low compression for extended periods.
what do you think of dumping hot water on the block/head prior to hitting the glow plugs to assist the motor a hair warmer? I've also heard stuffing a hair dryer into the intake horn helps a ton too.
I don't think I'd attempt the hot water approach for a variety of reasons.........all of which can result in a bad outcome.

The hair dryer would be a good addition, however, if you've got the capability of 115V, you'd already be using the block heater............
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  #64  
Old 12-09-2010, 11:49 AM
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yeah, that'd be nice if the block heater worked.
water does sound bad to me too...
this would be just for starting first thing in the morning for me, car never sits long enough during the day to cool down once I'm moving. battery charger attached to the battery prior to glow and start attempts also a good plan.
2nd battery in trunk is sounding better and better.
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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!
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  #65  
Old 12-09-2010, 12:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Brian Carlton View Post
I don't think I'd attempt the hot water approach for a variety of reasons.........all of which can result in a bad outcome.

The hair dryer would be a good addition, however, if you've got the capability of 115V, you'd already be using the block heater............
Except for my 240, which doesn't have one.

The day after I put the new battery in, I couldn't get the car started then either. About 15 degrees out, and I cranked until I needed a jump again for some extra help. I took all four glowplugs out and tested them with jumper cables against the battery. They all glowed bright orange at the tip and the rest of the element was equally brightly orange after 20 seconds or so. I tried 3 glow cycles (until the relay clunked) in a row, and STILL couldn't get the thing started.

Headed for home after an exam for some emergency repairs. We put four new glowplugs in even though the others were perfectly fine, just to have the best possible chance. We also installed a lower radiator hose heater, which we're hoping will make up for the lack of a factory block heater. This is final exam week at school so time was very limited.

All this trouble; the trip home to change glowplugs and put in a hose heater, was Tuesday evening. In the process of all of this, somehow the upper radiator hose fitting managed to break off the plastic radiator. So, in and among all the cold start repairs, we had to repair that as well. One of the glowplug power connectors wrung off from being brittle so I had to replace that with a new crimp-on terminal as well.

I drove the 300SDL back Wednesday morning because we weren't confident that we had eliminated all possible water leaks at the clamps. So, at the moment, I don't know how much it'll help. But I do know that you can run a brand-new battery down to where the starter is just crawling, running full extended glow cycles, and cranking for 30 seconds at a time, at 15 degrees and that engine still won't start. We KNOW the compression is low, and that the engine is essentially worn out. We did just do a valve adjustment 5K ago, so those are as good as they can be expected to be -- but this is the one that burns oil quickly; we think it has to be going through the rings. Therefore low compression.

It's 10 degrees warmer at home where the car is than it is at school, on any day of the year. So we haven't really got the opportunity to test whether the hose heater is going to be effective until I switch cars again... and during exam week is not the time I want to be unable to get going. The 300SDL starts as well at 15 as it does at 85, but it's got less traction. Roads are dry as of yesterday so at the moment things are okay. Plus it's got a block heater.

The little 240 is on its last legs. Won't start in the cold, and the coolant (which was less than a year old) came out looking like a rusty mud puddle. Hoping it's just the radiator rusting to pieces and not the block. It started out as Zerex G05. We have no idea WHAT is wrong there. Burns a quart of oil every 300-600 miles or so depending on how stressful those miles were. The battery is brand new and as of yesterday fully charged with our charger (not trusting the factory charge anymore) and it's still struggling.

Truthfully the engine is so worn out (lots of blow by + oil burning = rings) that I should either rebuild, replace, or just sell the car... but I am not ready to give up on it. Primarily because I'm going into a long, cold, snowy winter and it plunges through snow and slick stuff many times better than the w126 does. If I can make it through bit by bit with the hose heater (fingers crossed) at least one more winter, I need to try because it really is that much more nimble in snow.
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Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL
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  #66  
Old 12-09-2010, 12:14 PM
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Michael, stop back by me soon, and lets take a look at the 240.
I've got a bunch of 240 stuff now... (proud owner of 3 240's...) I bet something I have can pep up your car.
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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!
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  #67  
Old 12-10-2010, 05:05 PM
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Location: VA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kerry View Post
I had my doubts before I did it. Let it charge up for about 5 minutes then turned the key. Batteries were completely dead on the Bird.
Bad idea to jump start a car with a completely dead battery. That's a good way to fry the diode pack in the alternator. Alternators are not designed for the current load that a dead battery places on them.

For a completely dead battery, the best course of action is to remove the battery from the car, put it on a trickle charger overnight, then put it back in the dead car.
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  #68  
Old 12-10-2010, 05:17 PM
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Originally Posted by bustedbenz View Post
I'm pretty anti-Walmart at the moment. Tired of Chinese stuff that falls apart after six months, and tired of mom-and-pop stores and "Made in USA" products losing their entire market share because they can't compete.
...
choosing where I shop and where my money goes is worth paying a little extra for me.
Your kung-fu is very good! I'm a big proponent of "voting with your dollars". The big-box stores and their aisles of cheap China-made crap very rarely get my business.

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