Any clever ways to introduce heat to start car? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

shertex · #1 11-05-2012, 09:02 AM

Getting glow plugs replaced on 92 300D tomorrow....need to start it just one last time!

It will get up to maybe 45F ambient when I try to start. I don't have a block heater cord. Any tricks anyone has learned over the years to add just a little bit of heat to help start the car? At least three glow plugs are toast. I was able to start it last night but it REALLY took a while. Thanks.

charmalu · #2 11-05-2012, 09:20 AM

Build a Bon Fire under it. JK JK JK

Thinking of a creative way to get some heat, made me think of that picture posted a year or so back of the Mongoleans building a fire under a truck engine. can`t find the picture. but just kidding on the fire. JK JK JK.

How about a heat gun for a bit to heat the head. just ply it back a forth so no one area would get too hot. or a hair dryier down the intake, then as the eng would be sucking in warmer air.

Those heat guns get pretty hot, be careful. I have one I got at HF works ok. has two heat settings.

Charlie

kerry · #3 11-05-2012, 09:27 AM

Tray of charcoal underneath and a heat gun

But really at 45 degrees it should fire up with some cranking.

vstech · #4 11-05-2012, 09:28 AM

I have successfully used an incandescent light bulb in a metal shop light sitting on the exhaust manifold aimed at the head to start my 87 with no heater or glow plugs...
but all 602/3's were shipped with a block heater installed... is yours dead, or do you just not have a cord?

giff · #5 11-05-2012, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

I have successfully used an incandescent light bulb in a metal shop light sitting on the exhaust manifold aimed at the head to start my 87 with no heater or glow plugs...
but all 602/3's were shipped with a block heater installed... is yours dead, or do you just not have a cord?

You could prolly make up a (temp) block heater cord with crimp connectors (insulated all the way down!!) & zip cord from an old appliance, old extension cord etc. You'd have to be really careful to keep the individual feeds isolated (read spark free, no fires or electrocution).

If I'm off base here, someone correct me, but I thought it was 115 AC right to the block heater terminals. I'd say it's dangerous, but you asked?

The light bulb (and old wool blanket or tarp) does work too. An old timer from Maine use to use this MO to keep pickled foods (in jars) from freezing, when he went to Florida in the winter. Simply left a 60W bulb under an old canvas tarp lit all winter and it was enough to keep from freezing. Maybe you'd need a couple due to the mass of the engine.....

Still, I think it's still warm enough outside, that she should fire w/o any of these "home brew" methods...

Just my .02

scottmcphee · #6 11-05-2012, 10:01 AM

Ether...

One last time.. like you said.

rscurtis · #7 11-05-2012, 10:06 AM

I agree. If you're sure the GP's are not working, a quick sniff of ether will get you started.

shertex · #8 11-05-2012, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

I have successfully used an incandescent light bulb in a metal shop light sitting on the exhaust manifold aimed at the head to start my 87 with no heater or glow plugs...
but all 602/3's were shipped with a block heater installed... is yours dead, or do you just not have a cord?

Mine doesn't have cord installed. I thought about installing one at one point, but never really thought I'd need one. I guess this is why I need one.

Jeremy5848 · #9 11-05-2012, 10:39 AM

I once put a Primus stove under the oil pan of a gasoline engine I was trying to start at -30F in Battle Mountain, Nevada in 1990. I also put my wife's hair dryer on the intake manifold and covered the engine with the spare tire cover. The thing that worked best was a battery charger, which allowed me to crank the engine every 20 minutes or so until 11:30 AM, when it finally started.

You can temporarily connect a cord to the block heater -- it's just 110 VAC. A stout cord (block heater pulls ~400 Watts) with spade connectors. The block heater should be on the right (passenger) side, back near the block coolant drain. May have a black plastic screw-on cover to be removed. Four hours should be enough [Edit] -- four hours of heating, I mean, not four hours to install the cord.

Jeremy

whunter · #10 11-05-2012, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rscurtis

I agree. If you're sure the GP's are not working, a quick sniff of ether will get you started.

Possible, but risky.
Not more than one second spritz, at the air intake scoop by the radiator.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/85676-ether-use-abuse-*flame-suit-*-3.html

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whunter · #11 11-05-2012, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shertex

Mine doesn't have cord installed. I thought about installing one at one point, but never really thought I'd need one. I guess this is why I need one.

Look at this first.
Sources for the 210 Diesel block heater electrical plug?

When you see the price of the factory cord, I hope you are setting down.

Cord, block heater.
MB# 0001592932
Pelican Parts - Automotive Parts and Accessories - Porsche & BMW

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shertex · #12 11-05-2012, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremy5848

I once put a Primus stove under the oil pan of a gasoline engine I was trying to start at -30F in Battle Mountain, Nevada in 1990. I also put my wife's hair dryer on the intake manifold and covered the engine with the spare tire cover. The thing that worked best was a battery charger, which allowed me to crank the engine every 20 minutes or so until 11:30 AM, when it finally started.

You can temporarily connect a cord to the block heater -- it's just 110 VAC. A stout cord (block heater pulls ~400 Watts) with spade connectors. The block heater should be on the right (passenger) side, back near the block coolant drain. May have a black plastic screw-on cover to be removed. Four hours should be enough.

Jeremy

Yeah, love my battery charger. Won't really have opportunity to rig up temporary block heater cord....will install real thing next summer.

BAVBMW · #13 11-05-2012, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremy5848

I once put a Primus stove under the oil pan of a gasoline engine I was trying to start at -30F in Battle Mountain, Nevada in 1990. I also put my wife's hair dryer on the intake manifold and covered the engine with the spare tire cover. The thing that worked best was a battery charger, which allowed me to crank the engine every 20 minutes or so until 11:30 AM, when it finally started.

.

Jeremy

Battle Mountain in 1990? -30f? Sounds familiar...

We were on a trip to Wyoming, spent the night in Elko. Woke up the next morning to -30f. We knew the car would be cold, so dad started it up before we went to get breakfast. That Buick station wagon fired right up at -30f, but that was about all it would do. So we left it to idle and had breakfast. After breakfast the car was warmer, so we set out. First ones on the road, no other tracks in the inch or two of snow. But we figured the rest of the world would be along any minute... At least a snowplow...

About 5 miles out of town, the car died. Dad suited up in cold weather gear and went to check on the problem. Now it's been a number of years, so I don't remember the exact details, but I do recall the problem was due to the diverter that fed the carb either fresh air from a schnorkel, or heated air pulled from around the exhaust manifold being frozen stuck. I don't remember if it was stuck in fresh air or heated, but it needed to be somewhere else. Dad climbed back into the car, explained the situation, and wished for some WD-40 to free things up and get rid of any moisture that was likely to freeze.

My chance to shine! I had brought a can of WD-40 along with my R/C car stuff! It was in the bottom of my bag in the back! So we dug it out and as I went to hand it to my dad, I shook the can, like I would with any aerosol.

It was frozen.

Now, I don't know if frozen is exactly the right term, I don't know exactly what WD-40 consists of, but I do know that it was solid in the can. My father initially didn't believe me, but once the can was in his hands, he quickly reached the same conclusion. After a brief bit of discussion about just what sort of trouble we were actually in, and what we could do about it, we took action.

Stranded by the side of a highway, in the middle of the snow covered nothing, with temps outside the car in the -20f range, and inside quickly falling to below freezing... We sat.

Sat. Sat like mama birds on an egg. We sat on the can of WD-40 until we could stand no more, then passed it to the next family member. I'm not sure how long it took (anyone who has ever held a can of frozen WD-40 under their crotch can tell you, time warps in weird ways), but we got the WD-40 flowing again. Dad headed back out, and with the WD-40 and a McDonalds straw, he was able to get the flap mechanism back into a working position.

And away we went. Onward to Wyoming, still out before the plows or any other traffic. With no further problems. -30f in Nevada? Troublesome car? I believe it.

MV

whunter · #14 11-05-2012, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shertex

Getting glow plugs replaced on 92 300D tomorrow....need to start it just one last time!

It will get up to maybe 45F ambient when I try to start. I don't have a block heater cord. Any tricks anyone has learned over the years to add just a little bit of heat to help start the car? At least three glow plugs are toast. I was able to start it last night but it REALLY took a while. Thanks.

Heat Gun - Harbor Freight Tools

Cold weather starting links

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shertex · #15 11-05-2012, 01:55 PM

Another though I had was to put translucent plastic over engine and let sun shine in....greenhouse effect. Couldn't hurt.