Cold cold cold start video - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

funola · #1 02-13-2016, 09:29 PM

It's going to get down to 4 F tonight which does not happen often around here. In the morning should get up to 8 F at which time I will shoot and post a video of my 85 300D cold starting w/o block heater.

-It has a good battery and starter
-5W 40 Mobil I
-tight fuel system
-good injectors
-tank has approx 80% winter fuel.

Any guesses as to:

1. How long should I glow it before cranking?
2. How long do you think it will crank before starting?
3. Will it start?

I'd like to see videos of other diesels starting in single digits. Shoot one and post away

dieselbenz1 · #2 02-13-2016, 11:51 PM

With your manually controlled solenoid I would glow for 25 to 30 seconds and it should start right up at most 3 seconds of cranking. Would be nice to see the exhaust on startup.

Clemson88 · #3 02-14-2016, 10:19 AM

F5 F5 F5

CTD · #4 02-14-2016, 10:24 AM

I got my old 220 Diesel going with no block-heater yesterday morning in 9-degree temperatures. Ran the glow plugs for about 5 cycles (I retrofitted the vehicle with automatic key-controlled pencil plugs) and then cranked for about 15-20 seconds.

chrisgt · #5 02-14-2016, 10:43 AM

It's been -10 or colder here overnight, my 84 300td doesn't really have too hard a time starting. Usually let it go two glow cycles, give it about 1/4 throttle and crank until it fires up. Usually less than 5 seconds it's running. I really wish it had a high idle knob like the older cars, I have to hold the idle with the accelerator for 20 or 30 seconds or it idles low and stalls. But otherwise not an issue. It smokes just slightly dark white smoke, every car blows some smoke when it's really cold (it's actually water vapor from differing temps in the exhaust system). I'm betting my car has original injectors at 145k miles. But a fuel system that doesn't leak, new lift pump, clean filters, adjusted valves, and T6 5w40 it starts fine.

funola · #6 02-14-2016, 11:41 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVZXW5IelS8

Gave it about 35 seconds of glow time once and it started and stalled. Did that twice. The second time there was a grinding noise after it started then stalled. After that, turning the key would not crank again. I did not have the throttle fully depressed while starting (old habit which works fine in warm temps), if I did maybe engine may not have stalled. I have not done any investigation yet. Hope it's something simple and I don't have to pull the starter! At least my keyless entry worked.

dieselbenz1 · #7 02-14-2016, 12:50 PM

The cold always seems to discover the weak things! Sorry one was discovered for you but it'll become a better car.

Clemson88 · #8 02-14-2016, 12:51 PM

Starter gear stuck in flywheel?

funola · #9 02-14-2016, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselbenz1

The cold always seems to discover the weak things! Sorry one was discovered for you but it'll become a better car.

Don't be sorry! I did this as an exercise for preparedness to learn what this car and cannot do so I don't get stranded.

funola · #10 02-14-2016, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clemson88

Starter gear stuck in flywheel?

After the temps rose to 14 F and the interior of the car heated up by the sun I tried cranking again and it cranks fine. I think the starter solenoid and centrifugal clutch was sticking due to the cold and made the noise. I think the ignition switch was also stuck (open) and caused the no crank. It was slow to retract when I let go of the key. You can see it in the video as I let go of the key.

If I were to live in a climate with regular temps in single digits, I'd take the starter motor, ignition key and ign switch apart, clean and lube with synthetic grease. For around here I'll just plug the block heater in for days like this.

funola · #11 02-14-2016, 01:47 PM

Watching the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVZXW5IelS8 more carefully, after the grinding at 1:01, I do hear a click every time I turned the key to start, so the ign switch was not stuck open. I think the starter solenoid was hung and didn't retract fully, resulting in the no crank.

I'll wait till spring and take out the starter motor and do a full clean and lube and any rebuild if necessary.

Can anyone tell why it stalled? The engine sounded good and ran on all cylinders before it stalled. Giving throttle after it started did not prevent it from stalling. Was it gelled fuel or just too much friction in the engine due to extreme cold which caused the stalling?

funola · #12 02-14-2016, 02:25 PM

I plugged in the block heater for about 1/2 hour, also popped the hood and let the sun hit the engine and it started right up with 18 seconds of glow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szs10tCua8w There is some light gray smoke and it smelled of unburned fuel. I put in new Monark nozzles, popped and balanced them myself a few thousand miles ago. Maybe I didn't do such a good job? I'll take them out to check when it gets warmer.

dieselbenz1 · #13 02-14-2016, 03:12 PM

Or glow longer before and continue after startup.

chrisgt · #14 02-14-2016, 03:16 PM

I've always been wondering about installing an intake grid heater like the cummins use. Heating the incoming air during cranking and after start is a HUGE help on diesel engines. Friend of mine had a cranky old ford that wouldn't start one day so I put a hair dryer into the intake, a bit of warm air helped the thing fire right up.

mannys9130 · #15 02-14-2016, 04:00 PM

It stalled because the temperature of the compressed air was not high enough to ignite the injected fuel. A cold prechamber engine has a lot of surface area internally to dissipate the heat made by compression. Once the heat soaks into the block, no more auto-ignition.

That's why afterglow is a thing. Even if the air gets colder than needed, the glow plug tip is extremely hot and it provides a point of ignition. With afterglow enabled on my 190D, the OM601 idles perfectly down into the teens F.