Is there a way to clean the strainer without removing it? I have about a full tank

How was the problem with the shut off valve resolved before? Quite common to return to the last issue worked on. Posting the details may give some clue.

When I first got the car it would not shut off, but it seemed like several of the cylinders shut off as the shutoff lever went half way down, I lubed it up on the arm and so far normal shut off. Kent Bergsma said in one of his books that the shut off valve might not be moving back to the start position and he recommended removing the vacuum line to n top of the shut off so I did that, that’s all I did to the shut off valve

The car actually would shut off normally 9/10 times it didn’t shut off a couple of times my early post made it seem like it would never shutoff right

From your general description. Next time it will not start. You want tp remove the vacuum line from the shutoff switch. If it then starts right up.. Retained vaccum or developing vacuum as you crank may be keeping it turned off.

Like the vacuum switch on the ignition switch has a problem. Intermittent or otherwise. Feeding vacuum to the shut off when it should not be. You might even catch it doing that with two people. At this point and especially with an intermittent problem before. It rises to a reasonable suspicion.

That the engine normally lights off fast I believe you mentioned. Is a reasonable indicator that the fuel system is more likely in good condition than not.

First of all you have to live with the problem until it happens again to prove that may be the problem. We see a few cases a year of that vacuum control valve going bad on the back of the ignition switch.

Never an intermittent one before to my knowledge. Yet it being an intermittent problem is not eliminating it as a possibility. Now if it will not restart with the line off. It is the shut down switch sticking or something else. Another clue is you let the car sit and the retained vacuum bleeds off. Then the car starts. Another proof of this is the car door locks. If they still work. I imagine they do not after a time. A good tight vacuum system they would still operate easily the next day.

I would suggest even a fairly good possibility. It will not leave you stranded as if the car will not start just pop the line off at least. If that is the problem.

You are pretty much forced to prove this before going any further at this time. Too strong a possibility from the past to ignore.

I was under the impression all OM617 engines had the manual fuel primer......Someone correct me please if I am wrong. As for your question of cleaning the strainer without removing it, I know of no way outside of removing it. I had to remove the strainer once, and of course I had almost a full fuel tank. What I did do get the fuel down to about 1/3 of a tank was I removed the fuel cap, then took an air hose and blew moderate pressure air (don't go crazy with pressure) into the fuel supply hose I disconnected in the engine bay. It blew enough off the pasted on crud off the strainer to allow me to drive the tank down to about 1/3 full. Yeah, I had to change all the filters afterwards, but I planned on doing that anyway. Just my .02

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2012 Mercedes ML350 Bluetec 91K (hers)
2005 Corvette 55K (fun car)
2002 VW Jetta TDI 231K (mine)
1998 Volvo S70 T5 Turbo 196K (kids)
1994 Ford F150 4WD 249K (firewood hauler)
1983 Mercedes 300D 376K (diesel commuter)

add some startron to the tank, its a fungicide for diesel fuel.

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

I do have a leak at my pump seals around 2 of the injectors

I have been moving my house so I haven’t had time to test the glow plug system, I did get it started again this morning and as soon as it started I shut it off and it instantly started back up, seems like if it’s warm and the engine is still somewhat warm it will restart no problem. And Iam still waiting for a new 80 amp fuse to show up.

About testing the glow plug system, what position should the key be in. I must be missing that part in the diesel giant instructions
Thanks

Starting better warm indicates a glow plug problem or low compression. Not sure of the test procedure being done but glow plugs get power with the key in the run position.

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Your last post sounds like it might be a glow plug problem. You can talk symptoms forever That will not get it fixed. You have to find out if the glow plugs are coming on or not. When they should. First start of the morning does it start up right away? Or do you have to crank the engine a lot?

If you do not own a meter buy one. Cheap digital meters can be had for about ten dollars.

You also could use a test light. Someone turns the key to the glow position best done with the engine cold as the activation cycle is longer. There has to be voltage at the glow plugs.

I am not going back through all the posts. I think I mentioned if the interior cabin light goes dimmer. Is a quick test that indicated the glow plugs are actually going on. The length the glow plugs stay on depends on the engine temperature, They stay on longer on a cold engine.

Why? They draw heavy current and lower the battery voltage while on. No change in the brightness of the interior light is a good indication they are not functioning. Until you start doing things nothing is going to change. If the interior light dims a little. No sense waiting for a glow plug fuse because it is good.

If you were to actually establsh it was open. You would want to check for a solid short before burning out the new one possibly. They can age out but really not all that common.

I also want to caution. It has sounded like you may have some form of intermittent problem. I am not even sure of that. Test things while you can. The problem can go from a frequent intermittent problem to a far less intermittent one, That could be a lot harder to locate if it is an intermittent problem to start with.

A question. Was the engine still running but poorly running and you had the ignition key turned off.

When you removed the vacuum line from the shut off valve did the engine run better?

Can you remember the sequence. Was it still running when you removed the vacuum line? Or was the engine not running and you took off the vacuum line. If that was the case did it start after you put the line back on? Or start with the line off. Running normally.

Or another test. When the car will not start. Take that vacuum line off and see if it will start. You cannot find the problem when everything seems to be operating normally. With an intermittent condition.Can you also mention about how long ago the shut off valve was giving you an issue?