Hi Guys,

Sorry if this has been gone over 100000 times but I'm in need of some advice.

82 240D (runs great, typically starts immediately in all weather conditions)

Went out to start the car this morning knowing that several factors might contribute to a harder start than usual.

- Have B20 Biodiesel in the fuel tank

- Have Rotella dino 15-40 in the crank case

It's about 9° here in Philly and I am street parked.

Car cranked and cranked and cranked (very slowly) omitting some puffs from the tail pipe until the battery died. I called AAA and the guy (whom asked where the carburetor was) gave me about 5 minutes of his time with a portable jump pack.

He tested the battery and told me it was OK (its like two years old) and that the motor was most likely turning over so slowly due to frozen sludge in it

Anyways, any advice on how to get this thing to crank quicker? Am I SOL for having B20 in the tank and 15-40 in the crank case? Should I just get my own jumper pack?

I'm curious if maybe his jumper pack just kinda stunk? Thinking maybe I'll throw some additive in the fuel and try and jump it off a running vehicle?

Synthetic oil and multiple glow cycles. Block heater if you can.

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon
02 C320 wagon

Yes, agree. I changed the oil in my 1981 300SD to 5/30w(as I remember) and it helped starting in cold weather quite a bit.

You probably just need a jump from a real running vehicle after you glow the plugs. It needs to spin decently fast.

15w-40 is fine if it is synthetic. A topped-off battery is necessary since battery internal resistance goes up sharply in very cold weather.

I use 15w-40 AMSOIL and my engine is running smoothly within the first revolution after i single glow cycle.

Heat your glow plugs more cycle them 3 or 4 times so they have time to get hot then hold throttle down don't over Rev it your car should start

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

All above is great advice. I'd go synthetic for the winter only, such as 5W-40 Rotella. Did an experiment once, put a quart of synthetic in the freezer overnight, it poured almost the same as the quart left at ambient room temp.

Glow and listen until after the light goes out (about 10 seconds?) and then you hear the relay click open...crank immediately when the relay opens.

Use fuel treatment designed to prevent gelling...been there done that too...

Good luck!!!

__________________
"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

I will try all of the above so thank you all!!

#1, drain the oil and fill with cheapest diesel 5w40 synthetic. Around me, wallyworld has deload syn 5w40 for about 20.00 a gallon...

Next FULLY charge the battery.

Then remember, ya need to wait for the glow plugs to click off before trying to start, it's about 45 seconds on pre86 cars.
In very cold weather, below 15F, a second glow cycle can make an easy start...

Of course... bio can make an issue, but B20 shouldn't cause any harm above -15... a can of white bottle power service will safely treat a tank of B20 to handle down to around -15... if you happen to have summer blend in the tank.

Get an old fashioned incandescent bulb equipped lamp and set it on the injection pump plugged in overnight to help, if your block heater isnt working...

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Oh... dont bit her with a jump pack... unless it has a set of LiFePO4 60amphour cells in it, it isnt starting a cold diesel...

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Check valve adjustment.

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon
02 C320 wagon

*2 on the 5w40.

I used to live in the mountains of central new york. Weather was regularly single digits or below zero.

If you have access to a garage, do the following:

1. Get 5w40 in that poor girl. I'd just do a full oil change.
2. Make sure you have a fully functioning glow plug system
3. Do a valve adjustment.

I used to do a valve adjustment and oil change switch to 5w40 yearly every Thanksgiving to prep it for the cold. One year I forgot and the engine was hard to start every now and then when it got close to 0*.

Around March I would switch back to 15w40.

__________________
-Typos courtesy of my mobile phone.

A 616 or 617 starting at 9F with 15w40 in it would take a REALLY good battery, REALLY healthy starter, and REALLY good compression/glowplugs on that engine. Otherwise, likely not happenin.

1. 5w40 synthetic oil
2. New glow plugs
3. Valves adjusted
4. Healthy starter (makes a huge difference)
5. Healthy Battery
6. Glow for full 30+ seconds before cranking

With all that in order it should fire up pretty quickly at 9F if the engine is still healthy.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

5W-30?

__________________
1998 Ford Escort ZX2 5 speed - 279,000 miles My Daily

1992 Mercedes 300D 2.5 202,000 - Pure junk
2000 Mercedes E320 Black - 136,000 miles - Needs repair

Don't forget to grease the screw and threads on the spring compressor.

Also the starter could be getting tired. After the starter failed in both my previous OM617 diesels the new starters cranked the engines NOTICEABLY faster in both cars.

__________________
2004 F150 4.6L -My Daily
2007 Volvo XC70 -Wife's Daily
1998 Ford F150 -Rear ended
1989 J-spec 420SEL -passed onto its new keeper
1982 BMW 733i -fixed and traded for the 420SEL
2003 Volvo V70 5 Speed -scrapped
1997 E290 Turbo Diesel Wagon -traded for above
1992 BMW 525i -traded in
1990 Silver 300TE -hated the M103
1985 Grey 380SE Diesel Conversion, 2.47 rear end, ABS -Sold, really should have kept this one
1979 Silver 300D "The Silver Slug" -Sold

If you're in a pinch, topping off with some Marvel Mystery Oil will effectively give you a lower viscosity of oil. Would help clean out any sludge and free up stuck rings also (worked really well for me).

-Rog