1978 300d got too cold?
 

Hard start this am( first freeze in PNW)- got her going but started making a hard knock- tried to turn around take her home but she died. Won't start. Spinning but won't turn over. Took oil cap off lots of smoke and stinky.(ore than usual)Any suggestions would help. She has been running good.

Ok... you are sure you have diesel in it...
how much ?
Ever cleaned the filters.... in the engine compartment or in the actual tank..

I know it is hard not to assume this has to do with the first cold snap...
but check out the regular things also....

Yes, diesel- half tank, last fill put in some diesel purge.. New fuel fillters( both) about 6 months ago- primer pump seal is bad, real pain in the a**! Have not changed the fuel screen in tank. The noise it was making was not familiar to me. I have 1987 300td with fuel issue( converted back to fuelfrom veggie) so I'm familiar with the fuel system- this was coming from the engine-sounded like metal grinding. She's stuck on the side of the road at the moment. Get a better idea this afternoon.

Well if the primer pump is leaking....that right there will cause the issue..

Have you up graded the glow plugs to pencil style?

No, it only leaks when you unscrew it, and prime it. And no, I have not upgraded. I replaced them with the same last year. It's probably a good idea to do it. Last time the car wouldn't start after I was done , took days to figure it out. And frustrating!( bad-out of the box plug) . I'm a little reluctant to do it if I don't have to. Very hard to work in there, tight spot without taking off the hard lines. Not sure I'm confident enough to do it. Or is it no big thing? Taking them off would save a ton of time.

Taking off the hard lines is easy. Just loosen the nuts on each end. There are no seals, o-rings, or anything else to worry about.

There is a guide in the iFixit link in my signature that shows how to remove the hard lines if you'd like to see pictures.

What type of fuel are you running? Have you filled up lately?

Replace the primer pump....its not suppose to leak....when you unscrew it and it leaks....when its screwed down....it can suck air into the system...

Replacing the plugs are simple, I only had to remove my hard lines once to get a stuck plug out..

I TOTALLY recommend the pencil upgrade... one bad plug and none heat... world of difference. Not sure why you stalled though. Air. Fuel. Water. Age... all of the above. ..

If not exaggerated this description sounds a bit like a Head Gasket issue. If it really was Smoke.

Yes, it was smoke. I charged the battery and she starts but sounds terrible. Knocking and squealing. Have to keep on the accelerator to keep her going. I'm going to change oil and filters today. What should I be looking for? I'm good to do the work- if I know what to look/ check for. I'm learning as I go. Maybe a rod?


Hansel: 1987 300td ( veggie rescue)
Gretel: 1978 300d

You need to work on the fuel system, everything from the tank forward...needs to be inspected, cleaned, filters rebuilt, new hoses, new injectors more then likely, new primer.....we can't really tell you want exactly to look for, on these cars there is no pin pointing a problem to one specific part..

last time valves where adjusted?
sounds like injector nailing.
It stalling could be coz of a badly leaking
primer pump sucking in to much air.


what was the color of the smoke?
blue, white or other?

Louis.

+1 on the primer pump. It got cold and the seal said "goodbye".

Should I mention clear fuel lines again?