Well it has been friggin cold lately and right now I've been honored with my Benz not starting after trying several times with many glow plug attempts (about 0*F outside) with the assistance of another vehicle for electricity. It is turning over so slowly I think the fuel is flooding it or it just plain doesn't feel like starting even though the dash lights seem fairly bright. While I have somebody coming to pick me up from the university right now, tomorrow will be just as cold (peaking at maybe 15*F) so what can I try different? I'm several hundred feet from the nearest building so no power for a block heater, as previously stated the motor doesn't want to turn anymore. Is it possible it has so much fuel in it that it is nearly vapor locking?! If so it should clear itself out overnight, right? Any good suggestions? I think ether and oil are out of the picture because of my glow plugs, does a torch really help? I'm not wild on having a open flame right on my turbine (I have a K&N filter). It was SO close to running, fired on a few cylinders but couldn't carry itself... then died off to barely turning from there. I've also found that with the ~2ga jumper cable wires that even they don't have enough capacity to carry the charge across so it is like charging the battery and running off of that (1 month old).

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

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Jeff M.
Mercedes W123 DIY pages are now located here.
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take your battery with you and put it where it will warm up. may be also get it charged. raising the battery temp will give it almost twice as much power as at 0 degrees

john m

This is good advice. I was shocked the other day to discover that my real problem was the battery. This was so even after it tested fine. Stranded and cold.

Towed it to a plug and warmed it up. Transferred another (used ) battery in and it is tons better.

However, one of my MB's (one of the good ones) is just simply frozen to the bone. Sits outside at college for my daughter and has left her without a car 5 days this week.

I'm trying to figure out how to heat it with a second battery. Even a drop light may work.

I don't think your issue is fuel related whatsoever. Even with a new battery, it will spin the heck out of it for two or three tries before firing. Like coming out of a cold, coma....

Don

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Having suffered with poor starting in these low temps, I can offer the following......
Like was posted above, take your battery inside, warm it uo and charge it.
You probably have a few bad glow plugs. I checked mine with an ohm meter anf thought they were OK, but when I replaced them, my diesel started perfectly. The same is true for a friend--he bought a new battery, but what helped most was the hour ir so it took to replace all glow plugs.
Don't worry about vapor lock; thats a g*s malady--not a diesel problem. You can't flood these engines like a g*sser.

like everyone else-- battery battery battery!!!, could be many things wrong with the batter, but remember that (as far as i know) if the engine is cranking slowly it has to do with not enough juice. be sure to check for corroded battery cables and ground cable, there should be one that attaches from the engine to the frame, at least on ACVW's these are often over looked and money is wasted on other things that are not the problem.
good luck
will

__________________
'73 VW camper
'80 300td wagon

It all depends on how much effort you want to spend in cold weather. It may be less hassle to take a taxi or ride a bike for a few days and wait until it warms up.

I bought a propane heater as a back-up for my motorhome. It cost about $60 or 80 at HOme Depot. It takes a one pound propane bottles and requires no electricity. You could drape some blankets or something around the engine compartment to contain the heat and put the heater in there for a few hours. Even without blankets, if it's not windy it should raise the underhood temperature by quite a few degrees in a few hours. Combine this with taking the battery inside and your problem might be solved.
Using one of the portable jumping batteries also might be enough to fire it up.

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Starter fluid sprayed into the intake manifold.

Hello Everyone
Three hundred foot of cord to plug in your block heater or a two hundred watt bulb to warm the head.

Do you have a kerosene heater?
If you do, set it up far enough not to scorch the front bumper, use a tarp and rope to make a heat tent.

If you can get nose to nose with another car; open both hoods, use a tarp and trap the heat in the two engine compartments.

The hard way: pull the battery, have it warm and charging, remove the thermostat; reassemble the housing, pull the bottom radiator hose, catch all coolant, reattach the hose, take the coolant and get it as warm as possible (not in a house or appartment, toxic fumes), reinstall the warm charged battery, refill the engine with hot/warm coolant and start as soon as possible, the coolant will loose all heat to cold engine within three too five minutes, I did say this is the hard way.

The simple way is to have it towed to a local garage, get it in a nice warm shop all day, then start it.

Sounds like you need http://www.espar.com/
Got the link from VeeDubTDI in post "Engine Heater ideas"..

Have a great day.

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Well..., if all else fails...., shave your legs and use your left thumb.

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"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there". Lewis Carrol

Shouldn't that be the right thumb ?

a simple camp heater under the oil pan. if there is a lot
of wind block with snow.
no heater; drain your oil into a pot, heat on stove and
replace.
thick oil is in resistance to starter motor

don

If you have a rental place reasonably close by you can perhaps rent a portable generator for a few hours. You can then plug in your block heater and charge your battery at the same time. 3-4 hrs should more then do it. If they will deliver the generator to you its even better.

Much cheaper, safer and faster the a tow and garage charges and much more convinient then removing and re-installing the battery.

__________________
'95 E300 Diesel, 264,000 Miles. [Sold it]

Yall are working too hard on this.... spray starter fluid into the intake....

Thanks pberku
I did not think of that idea, just measured the two generators in my garage, one will fit in my trunk.
I will have an adult beverage and sleep on this idea.
Have a great day.

If you have a typical gasoline powered generator ( hum, just thought about the smell inside the car from that ) then when you pull it out to start it ....
Spray a little starter fluid into the intake....I could not keep 50 year old farm implements going ( many hand rope pull start ) without spray starter fluid....