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  #1  
Old 08-02-2015, 03:58 PM
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EMERGENCY, HELP

I drove 910 miles yesterday from Chicago to Charleston SC in my 1977 240D, and the car ran beautifully the entire time.

The next morning when I went to start the car, the engine wouldn't start. The battery and alternator are brand new, and the starter sounds fine, but the engine will not kick in. It's not even chugging.

I checked the oil dipstick, and to my dismay there was next to no oil on it. I don't know what to do, I added 2 quarts of oil and still no start. did I total my engine?!

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  #2  
Old 08-02-2015, 04:05 PM
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Let the car sit, and the oil level should go back to normal (unless it was sitting already). Although this will surely cause a flame war among the "experts", give the intake the tiniest blast of ether to see if it will start. Before you do that, make sure it has oil and the engine will turn over by hand. A micro puff of ether will not hurt your car although folks will certainly chime in and tell you the world will come to an end. You need to see if the car will fire. Are you getting fuel?
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Old 08-02-2015, 04:08 PM
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If there was some on the stick, then you didn't run it out of oil. Have you checked to see if your glow plugs are working? On the old system like yours, if one fails, none of them will get hot.
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Old 08-02-2015, 04:11 PM
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I used starting fluid for my initial start-up and Greazzer is right, the world did not end. Nor did the engine blow up. I'd be careful with it, of course.

I'm not clear exactly what your issue is. Will the engine turn over, meaning, do the belts and pulleys at the front of the engine rotate? Over the years I've had people say "the engine won't turn over" when actually it turns over fine - it just won't start. If, indeed, it turns over, the most likely culprit is something to do with the fuel supply.

EDIT: Skippy is right, too. Mercedes Diesels, especially the older ones, really like to get glowed in order to start. There's a relay that can fail and like he said, the older systems were wired in series (like old fashioned Christmas tree lights) so if one fails they all fail. A squirt of starting fluid can temporarily take the place of the glow plugs but is NOT a permanent solution.

Please send us more info and we'll help as we can.

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Old 08-02-2015, 04:18 PM
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It's either:

1. Fuel
2. No GPs
3. Compression

I doubt something caused you to lose all compression or enough for the engine to not start

If the GPs are not firing up, then that could cause it. If you have really good compression, and it's hot anyways in S.C., it will fire up after some cranking

If you are not getting any fuel, then ...
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Old 08-02-2015, 04:19 PM
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Since it was running fine yesterday it's hard to imagine something mechanical failing while sitting, so it's pretty much got to be fuel or glow related. The "ether puff" would overcome failed glow relay. Fuel possibilities include bad fuel, clogged filters, stuck shutoff valve, marginal lift pump, strainer, air, etc.

Where did you fuel up last and what's the current fuel level?

Automatic action (assuming you don't have a fuel pressure gauge) is to replace both filters.
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  #7  
Old 08-02-2015, 04:31 PM
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There are no new alternators for this car. You can buy a rebuilt one but many have problems. First, take a look at the voltage on the battery. You need about 12.5-12.6V in order to crank.

If one or more glow plugs are bad, the engine should still crank but not be able to develop enough compression to start. The same thing for fuel-related issues unless you are totally out of fuel or there is something massive blocking a supply line.

As others have said, if there is oil on the dipstick, the engine wasn't run completely dry by only 2 quarts. When you get the engine running again, you may find you have overfilled it.

Dkr.
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Old 08-02-2015, 05:03 PM
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Are you saying that the engine cranks at normal speed?

Always carry extra fuel filters and tools to change them (even when not on a trip - 2 sets). You'll want to fill the spin on filter before installing. Local chain stores will have the filters even if not the quality you want.

Crack a couple of hard lines at the injector to make sure that you have fuel to the injectors before you mess with the filters. The small shot of ether should have at least made it hit even if it doesn't run.

Perhaps a member is close and can help.
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Old 08-02-2015, 05:18 PM
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I last fueled up in North Carolina, at a BP, using highway grade diesel. It was a truck stop, and the fuel pump was too big to fit into my intake.

Whenever I put the key in, the glow plug light does not come on. Its very hot here, so I assumed the glow pugs must be good? So then I turn the key the rest of the way with the clutch in, and the engine sounds like it wants to start, but it just keeps turning.

When I say the alternator is new, I mean it was installed last Monday, and has less than 1000 miles on it.

Whenever I originally checked the dip stick before adding new oil, there was none on the tip.
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Old 08-02-2015, 05:46 PM
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If the glow plug light does not come on when I put the key in the warming position, is that an indicator that one (or all) of the GPs has failed??
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Old 08-02-2015, 06:05 PM
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If the light does not come on at all, it could be a handful of things. I super tiny shot of ether and the car should fire right up assuming you don't have a fuel issue. If it fires right up, then it's not fuel and not compression. It's most likely the GPs.

Yes, S.C. is very hot ... lol a screen door to hell in the summer.
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  #12  
Old 08-02-2015, 06:06 PM
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My Glow Plug Light does not come on any more but the Car starts normally and runs normally after the Glow Plug Cycle. I assume the only issue is the Bulb is burnt out.

A burnt out glow plug light bulb does not effect the function of the Glow Plugs.
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Old 08-02-2015, 06:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skippy View Post
If there was some on the stick, then you didn't run it out of oil. Have you checked to see if your glow plugs are working? On the old system like yours, if one fails, none of them will get hot.
This is important. Unless the system has been updated, the glow plugs are in series. One bad one means no light and no glow.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greazzer
If the light does not come on at all, it could be a handful of things. I super tiny shot of ether and the car should fire right up assuming you don't have a fuel issue. If it fires right up, then it's not fuel and not compression. It's most likely the GPs.

Yes, S.C. is very hot ... lol a screen door to hell in the summer.
Aside from push starting, this is pretty much the only option if you have a bad glow plug and no way to replace it.
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Old 08-02-2015, 07:18 PM
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Did 2 quarts bring it up to the normal level? I hate to be the pessimist here but, running a OM616 for 910 miles low on oil is not a good thing. Yes, it could have been running yesterday and not start today once it cooled to ambient temp. Ether is your only solution at this point unless you can get the GP working.
Go easy with the ether!
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  #15  
Old 08-02-2015, 08:27 PM
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I'm not too keen on trying ether. I don't want to do any unecessary damage or blow my face off.

It seems the consensus here is that the glow plugs are likely the culprit.

I'm really hoping I didn't total my engine driving it on low oil. It had optimum oil when I left Chicago and the oil pressure gauge gave a normal reading the entire trip. I don't think the little bulb in the dash burnt out.

Thanks for all the help/advice so far. I will post updates once I make some progress.

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