Hey all!

So I've finally gotten to the point where I can devote some time to my MB and am having trouble starting it. I adjusted the valves and made sure the battery was fresh but I couldn't get it started. Not even close. I need help...

What are the things I should check--in order--to get my little tractor back on the road?

Like I said, I adjusted the valves and fully charged the battery. The next time I'm under the hood I'll check to see if there is power going to the glow plugs. What numbers should I see if I check resistance? I'm saving up for a compression tester and from what I've read, if I get at least 350 psi in each cylinder I should be okay. Is that correct? I'm also going to check to see if there is fuel getting to the injectors.

Am I missing anything? If the motor is getting fuel, the plugs are heating, and the compression is good, it should start and run right?

Thanks!

yup, check the fuel first (crack the top of the injectors to purge out air while cranking but be careful since fuel will/should come out)

I tend to suspect glow plugs before I suspect the fuel system. Unless it's been upgraded, that 220D will have loop plugs which are connected in series. With the key off, find the ground (It's either at the very front or very back, but I can't remember which) and then check for continuity to ground from the plug furthest away from ground. As long as it's not open, that part is good. Then you can check for voltage at the same spot while you have a helper attempt to engage the glow plugs. If you get something, you're all good. Otherwise you have an open before the plugs. I believe there is a strip fuse on your model that's been known to fail in various ways and that is often the culprit in your situation.

Of course it doesn't hurt to see if you have fuel at the injectors either.

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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.

So I checked the plugs...the plugs are all wired but I'm getting low voltage to all of them, really low on plug 1 and 2.

After trying for 3-4 minutes (and starting fluid ) the car started. It clattered really bad. Not the familiar clatter that we all love, rather like things were slopping around in there! It smoked white so I took it out for an Italian Tune-Up after it warmed up. I ran it hard and now it smokes less but it never went away. It smokes white/grey at idle.

The car has NO power. I know these cars are slow but I'm sure something is wrong--I have to feather the clutch just to keep from stalling on even the slightest of grades.

So what to check now? What numbers should I get at each plug? I'm hoping the lack of power is a fuel delivery problem and not horrendously low compression.

Tomorrow I'll check the linkages...maybe the pump isn't being engaged all the way?

I like this car so much and really hope I can get it back on the road. The 30 minutes I spent driving today put a *****-eating grin on my face!

starting fluid is a big big no no. I hope you have not blown your head gasket with it. It sounds like you have a couple of bad glow plugs at minimum. It also sounds like possibly plugged fuel filters. These are the two most basic elements to having a good running diesel.

On that car there is an oil bath air filter so better check that too.

You need to always get the basics out of the way first.

Once you are sure all of the above are good you may need to check compression too. If you have low compression it will always be hard to start.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

With series plugs they either all work or none of them do. If you measure voltage to ground on each plug individually with the system energized, the readings should climb in steps of about 2 or 3 volts. In other words, if the #1 plug has 2.5 V, I'd expect something like 5 on the #2 and 7 or 8 on #3.

Starting fluid in a diesel is not a good idea.

__________________
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.

What year is the car? Do you have the IP with a diaphragm inside it which can fail and send oil into the intake manifold? Do you have a vacuum pump with a vent into the intake which can cause the same problem?

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Hey Kerry,

It's a 1969 model. Would a failing IP be the cause of low power? I'm hoping to get a compression tester this weekend. If compression is low I'll have to send this beauty packin' and start looking for a 4-speed w123 240D. Or if they exist, a manual shifting 300D.

Bought a compression tester but now the starter is failing! I also bought a test light and found as it turns out the plug closest to the firewall (#4?) lights up but dimly, 3 is dimmer, 2 is dimmer still, and 1 doesn't light at all. This could be the reason for the hard starting, eh?

I don't think the light bulb test with the glow plugs is reliable since voltage is reduced as it travels thru the loop style glowplugs. The sqiggly wires between the plugs should get very hot if the plugs are working.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

That sounds like normal behavior.

On that car I believe the starter should be pretty easy to pull and bench test. A slow starter in a diesel WILL cause hard starting.

__________________
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.