Hello all,

I recently acquired a 1991 350 SD which i was going to use for parts. After receiving the car, I decided it was too nice to part.

I purchased the car from a gentleman who maintained it as a daily driver. He encountered a no start issue and decided to not pay to have it repaired. I purchased the car from the repair shop.

I am looking for assistance in troubleshooting this issue. I have searched the forums using keywords "no start" or "cranks but no start". Some of the post have been informative but i am looking for a checklist.

Is there an FAQ i missed?

Thank You

This time of year, a lot of people have trouble starting their cars due to glow plug issues. Test and verify the glow plugs are working before you proceed to anything else. Also be sure to have a strong battery that cranks the engine fast. Do a search for glow plugs on this site.

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1991 F250 super-cab 7.3 IDI. (rebuilt by me) Banks Sidewinder turbo, hydroboost brakes, new IP and injectors.
2003 S430 - 107K
1983 300SD - Tanoshii - mostly restored ~400K+.
1983 300SD - Good interior. Engine finally tamed ~250K.
Monark Nozzle Install Video - http://tinyurl.com/ptd2tge

Glow plugs link thread

__________________
1991 F250 super-cab 7.3 IDI. (rebuilt by me) Banks Sidewinder turbo, hydroboost brakes, new IP and injectors.
2003 S430 - 107K
1983 300SD - Tanoshii - mostly restored ~400K+.
1983 300SD - Good interior. Engine finally tamed ~250K.
Monark Nozzle Install Video - http://tinyurl.com/ptd2tge

Here's what I'd check:

*Glow Plugs
*Battery level
*Fuel level
*Fuel filters (2)
*Fuel getting to engine?
*Air in the fuel lines?
*Dead possum blocking the air intake (Don't ask...)
*Injector pump
*Cylinder compression (all cylinders)

__________________
[/SIGPIC]~cirrusman

1983 Mercedes Benz 300SD - Wife calls him "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"
[SIGPIC]




1983 Toyota Tercel (Tommy, The little Toyota that could)
1965 Ford F100 (Grandma Ford)
2005 Toyota Sienna (Elsa, Wife's ride)


Gone:
1988 Toyota Pickup
2004 Subaru Outback

1987 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
1986 Volvo 740 GL Station Wagon - Piece of junk.
1981 Volvo 242 DL 2 Door - Hated to see it go. R.I.P.
1987 Pontiac Fiero GT

If it cranks over but doesn't start you know the problem is not the neutral safety switch or shifter linkage. Next step would be to check the glow plugs as has been mentioned.

Make sure you have a very strong battery and another vehicle with a good charging system that can jump start the diesel after you bleed the lines (below.)

If the glow plugs check out fine, or most of them check out (you can get away with a hard start running only three glow plugs) then you should check fuel delivery.

First off just change the fuel filters. Since you don't know the history of the car, the $13 you put into changing those filters can go a long way towards your troubleshooting.

Once you've changed filters, primed and bled them then crack open the injector line nuts at the injectors. They only need to be loosened a turn or so. Have an assistant turn the engine over for a few seconds at a time while you watch for fuel to start bleeding from the top of the injector, the nut or where the line goes into the nut. Once it appears wet, tighten that line down and repeat until you have all six bled free of air. If the car has good compression it may start by the time you tighten up the fifth or even fourth injector line. If that happens, shut off the car then tighten down the remaining line/s and you should be good to go. If it runs rough, you can bleed the lines while it is running just by cracking those nuts open just a bit. Wear eye protection because fuel can squirt out at high pressure. When I do this on my 220D, I crack the lines just enough to see them get wet but not enough to give the fuel a big gap to shoot out of.

If that doesn't fix it, pull the glow plugs and squirt in a tsp of conventional oil into each cylinder, pop the plugs back in and try to start it. If it starts (it will smoke quite a bit) then your compression is low and your engine could use at least new rings or, depending on the head of your engine, you could have greater issues.

Good luck and enjoy that fantastic car once it gets rolling.

Phil Forrest

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1972 220D "Trudy," named by a friend.

"The 220D sounds good... I suspect it is the only car that you need a calendar for, rather than a stopwatch, when doing acceleration tests."
Tom Abrahamsson

We bought a car under the same circumstances. I went into the repair shop and asked the mechanic what was wrong...he told me.

The lack of consensus must be why no one's written a no start flowchart I'd start by loosening all the injector lines and checking for a dribble of fuel from each one while cranking. If there's no fuel, diagnose the fuel side. If there's fuel, diagnose the glow side. While you're at it, check through the oil fill hole that the cam is rotating while cranking. Are there any unexpected sounds while cranking?

See if it helps to disconnect the shutoff vacuum line and hold the STOP lever vertical while cranking. Mind that the engine won't shut off by key if you disable the shutoff actuator.

Sixto
87 300D

The engine in that car does not have a primer pump, nor any way to vent the system, according to the FSM, so crank away. You can proceed as Phil mentions by opening each injector line.

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83 SD

84 CD

Ok so had a chance to run through some of the components

Seems the mechanic was addressing all issues except the injection pump. My guess is the owner did not want to afford a rebuild.

Does anyone know of a rebuilder in the Northern Jersey area. Also watch should i expect for price of rebuild.

Thanks for all the advice

You need to check more things before throwing $1200 at a rebuild. Did you check for proper venting of the fuel tank? Did you check for a restriction in the exhaust system? A rebuilt pump would be great, send the injectors to be cleaned and balanced while you're at it, but I'd hate to see everything nice and shiny on an engine that still won't start. Well, I wouldn't if I were buying the car for a couple hundred bucks

Sixto
87 300D

Where in north Jersey are you? If you're close to Jersey City I'm happy to come over and bash my head against it for a while.

Phil Forrest

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1972 220D "Trudy," named by a friend.

"The 220D sounds good... I suspect it is the only car that you need a calendar for, rather than a stopwatch, when doing acceleration tests."
Tom Abrahamsson

The injection pumps are always suspected by people unfamiliar with Mercedes diesels. In fact they hardly ever are guilty. Check all other things first. Did it quit starting suddenly or gradually?

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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.

Phil I live in Weehawken. The car is in Roselle. I would appreciate another hand to diagnose.

Kushal.mukherjee.nj@gmail.com

Indeed, I had a friend who no longer owns his 300D, but when he did he swore up and down it needed a new injection pump.

All it needed was a new spin-on fuel filter...

Low hanging fruit first, folks!

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1979 300D 040 Black on Black - 1985 300D Maaco job (sadly sprayed over 199 Black Pearl Metallic) on Palamino

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Agreed X2 Don't blame the injection pump. Especially on a car that has been maintained as it seems to have been.

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