All of that "push start" talk fer only if youre needing to move it or bring it home. If thats not an issue for you then just focus in on the problems at hand.

we'll all be interested to find out the results of the autozone battery test. After you are certain the source voltage is good then we'll be interested to find out where is getting voltage and where is not with your new multimeter.

Goodluck

__________________
Current fleet
2006 E320 CDI
1992 300D - 5speed manual swapped

former members
1984 300D "Blues Mobile"

1978 300CD "El Toro"

do your headlights turn on?

__________________
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!

Where in Orlando are you?

I assume you are not stranded anymore. But just in case my assumption is wrong, I would start with the starter circuit because your stated problem is that it won't turn over. (1) Confirm that the battery is good. (2) Check cables by measuring voltage drop. Measure from the Positive battery terminal to the Bat terminal on the starter solenoid while cranking the engine over. There should be as little as possible but no more than 1 volt. Now check the voltage drop for the Negative cable. Measure from the Negative battery terminal to the engine block while cranking the engine over. Again, there should be less than 1 volt. Replace any cable that reads high. (3) If both cables are fine then check if the starter solenoid is supplying voltage to the run terminal (the one that connects to the motor itself) by measuring voltage between that terminal and the engine ground while cranking the engine over. If yes, then your motor is bad. If not, then your solenoid is bad or there is either no voltage or not enough voltage from the ignition switch. (4) Check the voltage from the ignition switch wire (the small wire going to the solenoid) to ground while cranking. It should read battery voltage or close to it. If yes, replace the solenoid. If not, check and replace the ignition switch.

Also, assuming the battery and cables are fine, shorting the Bat terminal to the Ignition terminal on the solenoid with a screwdriver should cause the engine to turn over. If not, you have a bad starter/solenoid.

Thanks for the responses, after all was said and done my battery was drained, so it looks like I need a new alternator, car started up fine after getting it charged. It had enough juice for the lights and sunroof but not enough for the glowplugs or starter.

@Colincoon - I was in the parking lot behind the Ale House on I-drive, all I had to do was stop 1 of the many patrons and asked for a jump, but I was certain that the problem was more complicated.

I have a batt charger at home that I'm going to use so I can get through today and tomorrow and then Fri I get paid and will have to buy the alternator.

In the past 3 weeks I've driven back

and forth from naples once and Tampa twice, the alternator should've charged by then. Also the alternator could be dirty from the small oil leak coming from the vacuum tube that's supposed to go to the air cleaner except the previous owner felt a hot air intake would be cooler and the tube just sits with nowhere to go. I understand that oil leak is sometimes linked to a bad vacuum pump which I have a replacement for just need to get it done.
I guess I'll knock out 2 birds with 1 stone and attack them both, I'm hoping that maybe the contacts on the alternator are dirty but I'll find out when I have it tested

Was/is the chg lamp on? check the reg/brushes first. Also make sure ground strap to chassis is connected. Also check the chg lamp itself if it is not charging and no light coming on.

If lights/sunroof works, GP's should have had enough juice I would think

But thanks for the quick responses, I'l look into testing the wires on the starter, my starter could be fine, it just wasn't getting enough juice. The battery held a charge so I'm hopin It'll be ok.

So as of right now I'll be doin:
A new alternator (Maybe)
New Vacuum Pump
Alignment and Balancing
Replacing seals on AC compressor

Hopefully when all this is said and done I'll be at comfortable daily driver status.

Is the chg lamp the red batt lamp? It would intermittently light up but very dimmly, I saw that the ground was in tact but didn't have a light on it or anything to see if the contacts were clean.

Is the reg the Voltage Regulator?
And what are the brushes?

I live about 5 minutes from where you were. I think I also have a working alternator you can have for free if you come pick it up.

Send me a PM.

On these cars it is frequently just the regulator. It's a cheap repair under $20 and takes no more than 10 minutes from start to finish. You'll need a 13 mm wrench to disconnect the battery and a stubby flat screwdriver to remove the two screws holding the regulator. BTW, the parts store will have it listed as an internal regulator. I find that technically inaccurate. It's more of an integrated regulator since it mounts to the outside of the alternator. I suppose in the "parts store" lexicon an external regulator is one that mounts to the car body (like the old Fords, oops I'm dating myself).

He's going to swing by tonight to grab the alternator. Might replace it too, or at the very least test the regulator.

That is fantastic.

Get some pictures of the car and repair..



.

Absolutely. Going to start by swapping regulators, and if that fails I'll swap the alternator. Battery charger is ready to go to charge during the repair and batter box is charged too. Should be a quick fix.

Hey thanks a bunch Colin! I appreciate it man!