I was reading the manual to my 1984 300SD. I was surprised that this car could be push started. I know that diesels with manual transmissions can be push started, but this is the first car I have heard of that could be push started with an automatic transmission.

Has any tried to start their diesel? What was it like?

I have.

When I was in high school, my buddy and I went to his parents cabin in Big Bear in the middle of winter. We drove his parents W123 300 TD.

We got snowed in over the weekend, and dug the car out Monday morning. It was so cold the car wouldn't start. We cranked and cranked and cranked, but it wouldn't start.

We pushed the car to the main street (it was sort of down hill), and waited for a truck to show up.

An old man showed up in a beat up Dodge truck and he agreed to push it. He got us going, we gave him the signal, and he backed off.

My buddy put the car in gear, and the engine caught, and a huge cloud of black smoke came pouring out of the tail pipe.

We whooped and hollered, went back to the cabin, kept the car running, and drove down the mountain.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Yeah, you have to go over 30mph though. Its very bad for the tranny, but if you have to get somewher, you have to do it. Dont ever let a mercedes be towed on anything but a flatbed, in neutral after 30 the tranny will lock up and it will fry the tranny.

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Current Stable:
1994 S500 v140, 210k miles, white with grey.

Former Mercedes in the Stable:
1983 300CD Turbo diesel 515k mi sold (rumor has it, that it has 750k miles on it now)
1984 300CD Turbo Diesel 150 k mi sold
1982 300D Turbo Diesel 225 sold
1987 300D Turbo Diesel 255k mi sold
1988 300 CE AMG Hammer 15k mi sold
1986 "300E" Amg Hammer 88k mi sold (it was really a 200, not even an E (124.020)
1992 500E 156k mi sold
etc.

This may seem to be a dumb question, but how difficult would it be to disconnect the driveshaft from the differential? That way, you could tow it on the rear wheels and not be spinning any part of the tranny...that's what I did when I towed my Scout from here to Eureka...

After reading omegabenz's comment about having to push the car at 30 mph to start it, I would rather use jumper cables!

Well, you see one time the starter bendix got stuck on my brothers 1987 300D turbo, and I tried overriding the ignition switch by jumping the starter from the battery to the connector on the firewall which goes down to the soleniod, but that didnt work, and we had to get the car home so I took the range rover and drug the car uptil about 35 mph, then put it in drive and it started. Jumper cables wasnt the problem.

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Current Stable:
1994 S500 v140, 210k miles, white with grey.

Former Mercedes in the Stable:
1983 300CD Turbo diesel 515k mi sold (rumor has it, that it has 750k miles on it now)
1984 300CD Turbo Diesel 150 k mi sold
1982 300D Turbo Diesel 225 sold
1987 300D Turbo Diesel 255k mi sold
1988 300 CE AMG Hammer 15k mi sold
1986 "300E" Amg Hammer 88k mi sold (it was really a 200, not even an E (124.020)
1992 500E 156k mi sold
etc.

I have done it. Followed the directions in the manual, I think it worked like a charm... I was towing and my wife was in the Benz. ONe hint - make sure the key is on. I had it turned enough to unlock the steering, forgot to tell the wife she would have to turn it on to keep the car running. took a while to figure out why it kept killing after it started up.
I have never heard that the tranny would lock up over 30 mph - i have shifted into neutral for short periods when on the interstate, and I think you have to go around 30 to push start these things.

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andy t
'78 300d
'95 volvo 850, wagon
'86 300sdl - engine out, maybe I'll have it rolling by June

whole bunch o' bicycles

I just did it for the fun of it. She coasted down the driveway and close to the end of the driveway I put her in D and she fired up and ran. I thought that was pretty neat! It's not something that I will do again "just for fun". I would imagine that it would have to be bad for the tranny if done repeatedly. Then again, I am no expert.