The UPS trucks are manual trans and a lot of the drivers just pull up to the house and brake to a stop, lugging and then stalling the engine. It irritates me.

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
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I agree Manny, folks lugging in 5 gear in a parking lot makes me sad for the bottom end.

I was repeating what I remember being told. I live in S. CA and not in a place where cold is an issue. Also most of my experience with Diesel Engines has been Engines that turn Generators.

In the old Detroit Diesel inline 71 series manual that I have they show an either cold starting system that has a tank that looks like the propane bottle you would buy for a propane torch. But, I have never seen one on a vehicle.

The only 92 series Detroit Diesels I worked on were Generator Engines in side of Navy Ships.

With Generator Engines in the Navy the Oil is heated and often circulated through the Engine all of the time. There is some sort of check valve that keeps the low pressure circulating oil from filling up the Turbo depending on the type or Turbo that is on the Engine.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

For 3 years I worked for a refrigerated container company and close to 100 Trucks pass through the yard daily to pic up or drop off Shipping Containers.
The sound of gears grinding is frequent.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Most large truck stops in CA have parking stations w/ AC ducts and power so the drivers don't need to idle the engine while sleeping. The state promotes that to lower pollution, though I think the cost savings in fuel and less wear makes it economical regardless. I recall talk of laws to prevent "idling while napping", but not sure of the status. In northern Alaska, I think they keep diesels running all winter since otherwise they won't restart until Spring. As an easier interim shutoff, you could hook a hand vacuum pump to the hose going to your stop valve. A few pumps should stop it, then release the vacuum.

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1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

I have worked on big scraper spreads (like 72 657's). The mechanics started them at 6:30, so they were warm at 7:00. Left running at lunch, & mechs turned them off some time after quitting time. (looking for obvious leaks/sounds), Back in my apprentice days, machines with pony motors were never shut off till days end. Outfit I worked for bought two brand new 1978 5.7 chev diesels for the 2 superintendents. One guy never shut his off, the other was still rollin' when he shut his off. First guy never had any problems at all, 2nd guy kept getting head(s) replaced, quite a few times.

Biggest problem is if oil splash is not enough, cylinder walls can glaze, over time, quick shutdowns allow oil to scorch in/on turbo shaft/bearings, not so good.

-c-

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"I applaud your elaborate system of denial"

A long time ago (25 years at least) while on holiday in Crete I took a cab somewhere. I can't remember where but I remembered the conversation with the owner of the cab. All the cabs where mercedes, diesel and silver. Most were W124 but the cab I got in was a lot older and I asked about it (may have been a W123). Anyway the old guy told me that he had over 700,000 kilometres on the clock and the cab was used 24hrs a day. He did the day shift and his son did the night shift. The engine was only stopped while it was being refuelled and Sunday daytime. Even while it was in the cab rank it was left running at idle. He was wholly convinced that operating it like that was the reason it had lasted so long.

First off, you will not damage your MB 123 by leaving the engine idling. It will idle all day long with no soot or whatever. (I guess I am assuming that your injectors are in good shape..) If it is cold out, or chilly in the car, I quite often leave it idle. A diesel at idle consumes very little fuel. Second, I have a similar fix on your vacuum system, but I have a block in the right spot so I can just turn off the key. Think about your vacuum system, and google 'MB vacuum system'. You will eventually have a 'ah-ha' moment and be able to fix-up your system easily and for very little expense. Congratulations on getting a great car you can fix yourself!

I suppose you didn't read any of the posts in this thread.

You should go back and do that, particularly about combustion temps dropping and contributing to lots of soot at idle.

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
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I went to my pet store were we get Premium rabbit food for Mr Hopper. They had a box of old fish tank air Valves for bubblers. What I do is use my thumb to block a port and open the vac line. This cuts the fuel. Then close the vac line valve, remove thumb so fuel switch opens. I little easier than plug unplug line method I started with. By the way, my speedo cable broke and I use an old gps To determine mph. 44 bucks saved on not fixing cable!

Typical shut off procedure.
Stop car, place in park , set e brake, turn of ignition, remove key, open fuel cutoff, close fuel cutoff, turn gps off. Mike

I'm so proud. Gps, solar panel charger, fish tank bubbler valve and a gopro camera mount

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As far as rolling away....
More than once I have come back to the Mercedes and found that it would not start as I had not put it in Park, still in Drive. My other car is an 86 VW Diesel. I just leave it in gear when I stop.

Oops.

If I left it run, it would surly be Park.

It is funny how we let small repair items go.

Am sure that no one else notes it but I enjoy the uniqueness of the half to one second the engine runs after I pull the key out. The VW uses an electric fuel shutoff rather than vacuum.

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85 Merc 300D - Unwinding 31 years of wear
86 VW TD
Mahindra Diesel
Iseki Diesel

In 2007 I didn't own a diesel.

Good to know a normal Mercedes runs a few seconds with a working turn off valve. That means my bubbler valve is working like OEM.

If 44 dollars is too much money to have a working speedometer, why do you even OWN one of these cars dude? If you want to run the car into the ground, a Honda would be better. These cars don't take abuse very well despite what everyone says. These were very expensive cars and need detailed maintenance. Once the hipsters realized that they couldn't dump trash in the tank and drive it like everyone told them, they moved on to a Honda...

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
http://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/302601.png
http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/sideview.png

Aw Manny, we're is the adventure in buying correct replacement parts for minor problems? Plus, I might get my hands oily installing a $44 speedo cable. GPS is sound solution for this vexing problem. Remember the diff gears don't match the speedo anyway. A new cable won't fix that. Since the gps install, I found out that I was speeding every were I went. Now I'm safer and so are the roadways. Just this week , I looked in mr mirror and there was hwy patrol car painted black tailing me . Low and behold, I was actually going speed limit that day, Thanks to the 15 year old magellin gps with corroded batteries I found in my junk drawer. Mike.
pS
I can also start the car in every shifter position prnds.