I understand the fact that my car is in need of a valve adjustment and maybe replacement of the glow plugs (bought them, jsut didn't put them in yet). But this here snow storm really caught us off guard.


Either way, my car started up, I just had to give it some extra glow time.

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2005 Audi A4 1.8T CVT -Silver/Black "Siegfried"

1982 300D - Silver/Blue "Ralph" -For Sale:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-benz-cars-sale/119226-1982-300d-sale.html#post852260

1989 VW Diesel Jetta Blue/Blue "Bodo" RIP

Ok here is list of what i know, I have NEVER had these kind of problems starting before today, EVER. Yesterday it did give me a rougher time than usual starting but that was because yesterday was cold too, she took 3 tries to start and was VERY rough idling (i had to pump the gas for about 20 seconds after the engine caught or she would have died on me) :

Oil in use: Just changed it 800 miles ago, 10w30 generic dino oil, non synth = BAD

Compression: No idea but the car has never had a compression test for all I know (172k miles) and it probably is bad.

Glow plugs: Seem to work, always worked before today no problems starting, light goes on for 8-10 sec after turning key, then light goes off for about 30-40 seconds then light starts blinking again.

Gas: Regular walmart diesel. No additives. Bad i know.

I've always had to pump the gas a bit to start her even if it was just a little bit cold. I figured that was normal.

Further input needed.

Peter: Also, the starter seems to be cranking adequately (same as every other day of the year), but it did slow down over time as the battery slowly wore down.

If the preglow indicator light comes on and blinks after you start the car, you have serious glowplug problems. It should stay off once it indicates the car is ready to start. You have multiple failed glow plugs and/or a failed controller - that's your problem.

It shouldn't be at all hard to start a diesel around 32F. Just glow 10 seconds or so, and crank for another 2 or 3. That's all it takes for my two current diesels, and all it required for old 123.

Bill, Does he need 'flare'line wrenches to take off those metal fuel lines ? Rather than plain metric wrenches ? Greg

Could be as simple as your battery is not up to snuff. a slightly weak battery gets even weaker when it's cold, your engine has to turn at a certian rpm or more to start.......
William Rogers.....

Commiserations, Anthony.
We are in mid-summer here but I got my 87 300d (130,000 miles) in July, with temp mins in the 20s. Three things transformed my car's starting: synthetic oil, redline 85+/dfc and a new battery (even tho' it is only 600cca). Now it spins up like a top no matter what the weather. The synth is fantastic, this change alone seemed to double the crank speed, all important to the starting system. It also allowed the motor to warm up quicker. Dino oil hardly pours at sub-zero, so imagine your crank churning that treacle through the oil passageways. The Redine prevents low-temp gelling and boosts cetane, good enough reasons to use it. The new battery helped a lot too. I give the glow plugs 10-20 seconds after light out, then it fires up. When your current troubles are over, changing to synth oil and a good additive has got to help. all the best, philip.

My car has been starting great with the Shell Rotella Synthetic 5W40. I think I've only plugged in twice this year, and it just this week fired up on a 15 degree morning not plugged in. I dump in a half bottle of Redline DFC every other tankful. My Optima battery will be 3 years old this summer. These are a fast-charging, high capacity battery.

Using Dino 15W40 I was able to get started at 8 deg F, but I felt like I was stirring molasses as I had to crank about 15-20 sec before any signs of kicking over. Synthetic oil should lessen the need for long cranking. Without glowplugs, though, my car would barely start much below 45-50 deg F. Lots of cranking, and lots of smoke upon initial startup, means the glowplugs are doing nothing for you. I keep a small digital voltmeter plugged into the lighter, and if the glow cycle doesn't sag the voltage 2 or 3 volts, they're not glowing.

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Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic

Robert:

Where did you find that plug-in voltmeter? Sounds handy and I'm sure my wife will just LOOOVE something else she has to pay attention to on our diesel!!

Txbill,

I have heard a few DIYers remove the fuel lines. I was not really interested in meddling with another system, especially the fuel system. Are there some hints to ensure that you don't screw anything else up? Do you have to bleed the system on the high pressure side? Is R&Ring the fuel lines straightforward?

Now that I have done mine, I'll probably do it the same the next time, leaving the fuel lines alone. But if it would save time, and is worry-free, I'd try it your way.

Peter
1985 300TD

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Peter
1985 300TD 4-speed 212K
1992 400E 343K
2001 E320 72K

If it was starting ok until temp fell, glow plugs are good bet. The block heater may not be working.....if engine doesn't get warm after several hours.

Have the plugs every been changed? Won't hurt to do them except for the frustration of accessing small spaces. Take metal fuel lines off first for sure. Careful to keep the fuel lines super clean (put in plastic bag for duration of repair). Once they are off, getting to the plugs becomes managable, if still irritating.

There is also a in line fuse on my car ('85 300CD) that can go bad....don't know about yours. My fuse is on the driver's side near the front of fender.

Nic

A couple of home remedies...first, if its a really cold morning, cycle the glow plugs three times before kicking it all the way over to "start." Think this helps "vaporize" the fuel in each combustion chamber and give the engine a chance at turning over on the first try. When really cold, I also add a gallon of gasoline to each tank of diesel...just helps "loosen up" the phlegm-like goo which is cold diesel fuel, as well as making things a little more volatile at start up.

Its a warmer day today but she still doesnt start, I gave her the cycle on the glowplugs 3 times like one person here suggested, but didnt help. She does seem to get closer to starting that yesterday, but still wont do it.

The glowplug light has always blinked post-startup ever since I bought the car 6 months ago, and a cold start is always accompanied with lots of white smoke.

Ok more info: My friend opened the glow plug relay box and found something interesting. The 2 wires leading into the box were jumped over to each other using speaker wire. Im not sure if Im the only one going "eh?"

Tony

Peter,

I found this little Bescor voltmeter at a camera shop years ago. I guess the original intent was to check battery life on those big external 12 V battery packs that pro photographers (used to?) use. I can look for a part number the next time I'm outside. It reads from 10 to 15 volts with handy red, yellow, green and light blue areas that correspond to different voltage ranges. It's handy for those of us neurotics who wonder if the battery is charged, and how the alternator is working, etc.

Hope this helps,

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Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic

I looked at my voltmeter. The part number on the meter is BVM-12. I didn't find it on Bescor's web site, nor on Ebay. I do have two of them; not sure if I want to part with my spare. I know they don't read exactly the same. Perhaps something from an autoparts store would serve equally well; if you removed the ashtray you'd even have a place to mount it. Or maybe a tiny project box from Radio Shack with a cig lighter cord. My meter fills up the space in front of the ashtray where most people would place sunglasses, etc.

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Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic