it may be easier (and safer) to jump the starter ground first, connecting the body of the starter to the battery negative. instead of going through the starter case, bolts, ground strap and chassis to find its way back to the battery, it will go from the battery, through the existing positive lead and starter solenoid, through the starter and back through the NEW connection (jumper cables from the starter to the negative terminal)

I usually find with problems like this it is about the ground most often, not the positive.


Anyone please followup if you think this is a bad idea and OP as always in life, at your own risk. but that is what I would try to get eliminate a bad connection first.

__________________
1983 240d 5Sp SOLD
1986 300D(LUCO) SOLD
1983 300TD(dreamboat)SOLD
1984 240d (Executive)SOLD
1984 240d (Euripides) SOLD
1982 300sd SOLD
1982 300sd (Ambas)SOLD

There is no negative cable on the starter. There is a positive one. The ground circuit is as I described in another post.

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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.

Does anyone have wiring diagrams for the W210?

So I did a couple of things. I jumped the ground directly to the starter from the battery and that did not do much. It still cranked slowly.

I then removed the started and jumped it directly form the battery and now that it is off the car it moved pretty quickly, but I do not know how that translates to cranking speed.

I then grounded the alternator with jumper cables to the engine mount where it is located and jumped the positive from the cable that connects to the starter just to see how is cranks and jumped the solenoid and it turned quickly just like it did when I jumped it directly from the battery.

My guess is that now it has to be the starter although I have never had this type of a problem with the starter.

While you have the starter out most parts stores will bench test it for you for free.

__________________
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.

I have had better luck with getting useful info from actual rebuilders. I have actually NEVER gotten a box parts store guy who could get his digital machine to test my alternator or starter from a 123 or 126 Mercedes. They tell me it is bad when it is good or that it is shorted out when in fact it is a regulator....

see if there is an electrical shop that rebuilds starters and alternators or don't bother.


have you checked the actual battery voltage with a reliable meter? or tried cranking while jumping it from a running car or high output battery charger?
Sometimes new batteries are not fully charged anymore and these diesels need some juice!!

Keep us updated we will figure it out eventually (you will really but we like to watch, and help)

__________________
1983 240d 5Sp SOLD
1986 300D(LUCO) SOLD
1983 300TD(dreamboat)SOLD
1984 240d (Executive)SOLD
1984 240d (Euripides) SOLD
1982 300sd SOLD
1982 300sd (Ambas)SOLD

This is not entirely true. I can't say for 100% sure about the 606 but I can speak from tremendous experience with the 617 grease car...

The GC conversion keeps the grease and diesel completely separated except for the lift pump. In order to make it work the fuel plumbing is re configured to put the lift pump after the filters instead of before the filters as in the stock configuration.

This opens up the potential for a dozen more places for a possible air leak into the fuel system and it also makes it much more difficult to prime the pumps I the event of running out of fuel.

If n when OP gets the starter situation under control he may still have to do some more fiddlein to get the fuel system returned to "stock"

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

former members
1984 300D "Blues Mobile"

1978 300CD "El Toro"

So here is where I am tonight.

I installed a new starter and at first I thought it was better, but it is still cranking slow. I then to be safe starter my other car and jumped the battery and let is run for 1 hour while I was putting injectors, intake,etc back on.

I tried again to crank and it was cranking slowly. I feel like sometimes it starts to crank faster for split second but then goes back to cranking slowly. The cables to the starter also get very hot. I burned my finger when I touched it.

Not sure what else to try. I then tried to turn the engine by hand by pulling on the serpentine belt and was able to turn it slightly.

I am not sure if the controller had anything to do with this. The controller for the Greasecar system is missing. I can also hear a clicking when cranking the engine. I am not sure if there is a relay somewhere for the starter.

If it is wired correctly and the wires going to the starter getting too hot to touch indicates the starter is working much harder than it is supposed to. Was this a brand new starter? How long did you crank it before touching the wires? Please post a sound clip of the slow cranking.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

I tried cranking for about 10 to 15 s and then went to touch the wires and they were hot.
I am putting the battery on a charger overnight just to make sure and will take a video tomorrow morning.
My worry was the the engine has a problem where the starter could not turn it but i was able to turn the engine freely with the injectors removed and after putting the injectors back in was able to turn it slighly by pullling on the serpetine belt

Wire getting warm from cranking 15 sec I can see happening but too hot to touch? Something is screwy. Or you may have a faulty starter motor, or there is a lot of friction somewhere causing the starter to work extra hard. Check the connection at the starter solenoid for something shorting it to ground.

Test specs for Bosch starters if you take it out again.

__________________
85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Solved the cranking problem

Problem was the alternator the pulley wheel only turns one way and blocks when you turn it the other way.

I took the serpetine belt off and engine crancked super fast.

Still gotta get it started now

OK I also now got it started. but the engine was nailing really badly and smoking black out of the tailpipe.

I may have over-tightened the injectors when I put them in. What is the troque spec on the injectors?

I will loosen them and then tighten to the proper spec and see if that makes the nailing go away.

Check the basic timing of the IP.

Set the crank at 15 degrees after TDC.
Check that the IP timing mark is in the center of observation hole.

__________________
Greg
2012 S350 BlueTEC 4Matic
2007 ML 320 CDI
2007 Leisure Travel Serenity
2006 Sprinter 432k
2005 E320 CDI
1998 SLK230 (teal)
1998 SLK230 (silver)
1996 E300D 99k, 30k on WVO
Previous:
1983 240D, on WVO
1982 300D, on WVO
1983 300CD, on WVO
1986 300SDL 237k, 25k on WVO (Deerslayer)
1991 350SDL 249k, 56k on WVO - Retired to a car spa in Phoenix
1983 380 SEC w/603 diesel, 8k on WVO
1996 E300D 351k, 177k on WVO

I took the injectors out and tighten end to 40NM but still nailing.

Will need to take the injectors out to clean them and reassemble to see if that does the trick.

Just in case does anyone know where to get injector nozzles for these?