Cold Weather Advice Needed - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

rmmagow · #16 01-21-2003, 11:16 AM

I found this heater. How and where is it installed? Is it difficult to put in? I'm still looking for a simple magnetic sitck on the oil pan type but have had no luck so far. It started this morn at 6 degrees but I really don't like running the starter so hard. I'm picking up a small 1500 watt space heater to try for tonight's cold. Plan to turn it on at about 4 AM and let it run for two hours or so. If pic didn't come thru it is a heater specifically for the 300D found at a MB parts site.
Thanks for all the advise.

84300DT · #17 01-21-2003, 11:22 AM

back in november there was a thread about installing block heaters
here it is-

block heater 1976 240D

wheelguru · #18 01-21-2003, 11:23 AM

It goes on the manifold side of the block, about in the center both fore and aft as well as up and down. There are some plugs in the block, the one you want has a 14mm? allen head type top. You can get a few things out of the way and snake your arm up to it from the bottom, but you will probably need a big ol cheater bar to give you enough leverage to break it loose. I managed to get a small impact wrench worked up in there and that did not do the trick when I tried it. I gave up and got an adhesive oil pan heater instead. It worked fairly well, not quite as well as the block heater, but it made the car startable even at 20 below.

rwthomas1 · #19 01-21-2003, 11:40 AM

www.engine-heater.com
www.espar.com

RT

rmmagow · #20 01-21-2003, 03:17 PM

I think I'll go with the one from engine-heater after reading about the grief trying to remove the freeze plug. There's so much involved with the freeze plug install, I'd have to wait 'till spring to do it then I wouldn't need it :-) Well 'till next winter anyway if the car lasts that long.

#21 01-21-2003, 04:47 PM

AS SOMEONE WHO DRIVES DIESELS YEAR ROUND...... AND LIVES IN A PLACE THAT ACTUALLY GETS COLD..... SASK CANADA.... TEMP HERE - 38 F ON SUNDAY..... I HAVE REMOVED THE WINDSHIELD WASHER TANK AND INSTALLED A SECOND BATTERY.... IN ITS PLACE..... USE A CIRCULATING HEATER THAT PLUGS INTO RAD HOSES..... AND A BATTERY BLANKET..... THE WRECKING YARDS ARE FULL OF THEM HERE!!!! ($2.00) TO PURCHASE...... THIS IS THE FORTH CANADIAN WINTER FOR MY $275.00 MERCEDES 1980 300D .........................AC.........

84300DT · #22 01-21-2003, 06:13 PM

ac - at minus 38 why do you even turn the car off? would lit not be easier just to leave it running

?
after all who would be out stealing cars in that weather...

bob in CT (expat canuck who hates the cold...)

cheers!

diesel don · #23 01-21-2003, 06:43 PM

I have found that SYNTHETIC oil bought me about 10 degrees of lower starts. Sitting outside all day today at 5 degrees was no problem.

I've also kept a drop light with 100w bulb in the engine bay overnight when not using a block heater. This has helped. But nothing and I mean nothing compares to a block heater. Have installed two and they are a pain in the butt to put in, but its worth it.

Don

mndwgz · #24 01-22-2003, 09:02 PM

-25 and the windchill brings the temp down to -40 all week and it starts! Tonight is the first night it'll get it pluged in because I'd been too lazy to replace the block heater plug 'til now, kind of rotted off.
-> Using 5 / 50 sythetic, fuel additive, cycle the NEW glow plugs 'til it starts to fire as many times as it took (3 or 4), then it would start on three or four cylinders and run. Rough on the old *****, but she warms up faster than gas cars I've owned and runs on 5 in a minute or two. Charging system up to snuff, and all the filters are fresh helps a bit too I suspect. Run it hard and fast once it's warmed up and it never fails to start the next time.
Oh yea, and it was 100 in Alcapulco three weeks ago on a trouble free 4 1/2 week tour.

oilslick · #25 01-22-2003, 11:03 PM

My mechanic said that he would install a block heater for me for the tune of $40.00! Sounds good to me! I have already bought a block heater for $50.00 and plan on having it installed soooooon!

Chris Blanchard · #26 01-23-2003, 08:15 AM

Got my 84 300SD started with only a little bit of hesitation this morning at ~5F (-15C). The car has been sitting outside in all this rotten weather because the garage is 1/2 full of building materials. The wife's car is in there though...

The car is in need of a valve adjustment and fuel filter change as it has been 15k miles since they were last done.

The glow plugs are one year old, the battery is a two year old MB one, the glow plug relay is a month old.

The oil is Mobil 1 0w-40.

So, it _is_ possible to get these things started in very cold weather, even if everything is not completely optimal (valve adjustments are probably _my_ limiting factor).

I do doubt that I could have started it if it were another 10-15F colder than it is. I may start using my block heater, and see what kind of margin that gives me.

I have to give my oil a lot of credit - I seriously doubt that the starter could have run fast enough if it were slogging through a load of frozen Delvac 1300 (which is what I use when it isn't winter).

Chris Blanchard
1984 300SD 166k (starts OK at 5F....)

rwthomas1 · #27 01-23-2003, 10:34 AM

As much as I am a champion of getting everything just right so you can start your car at subzero temps there is something to be said for block/oil heaters. They make the car so much easier to start with less stress on the engine. Heat comes out of the vents much sooner too. Just as long as you are not "masking" another problem by doing this. Eventually this will bite you in the a$$. You'll be in a cold Mall parking lot late a night with a dead MB. Not fun. RT

rmmagow · #28 01-23-2003, 07:01 PM

Did a true poor-boy trick for my old beast. Went to the local liquidator called JOB-LOT, bought a 500W halogen lamp for 8 bucks, put the lamp under the car up against the oil pan and threw a moving blanket over the motor. I also picked up some kind of diesel fuel conditioner called Power Service Diesel Fuel Supplement. This stuff is obviously meant for OTR truckers, "add 96 oz to 300 gals of fuel", I put in a cup for 20 gals. I was exactly 0 this morning when I went out to start it. It was a difficult start, starter kept popping off the flywheel ring thing but eventually it got a good bite and the car sort of transitioned from the starter spinning it to it running by itself. Ran rough but only for a few mins. I did do the glow plug thing 5 times before lighting it off. I'm either getting the official block heater put in this spring or an oil pan heater from engine-heater.com. This diesel fuel additive guarantees no gelling so maybe that helped. Runs ok once it starts but the block heater sure would make life a lot sweeter. Funny thing this morning, you know how near the tail-pipe there usually a spot of soot from idling, this morning there was ICE I guess from the water vapor by-product of the combustion process. First time ever saw that !

Piotr · #29 01-23-2003, 10:40 PM

It works for me EVERY time ( single digits this morning):
depress gas pedal all the way 3X. Depress 1/2 way, crank the engine, continue revving until idle stabilizes. did not fail even once in 3 winters!
Plus-check if you need to add distilled water to your battery. My Merc gets servce regularely. I checked a week ago- I had to add a quart of water!!! the same with my 1996 "maintenance -free" battery in the Mustang. If you do that, the battery will last for years.