Hi,

I just got a 87 300 DT. I drove it for about 3000 miles without problems.
When I arrived home, I placed the transmission in parking. I proceed to
close the windows. I pressed the windows switch and for about 1/2 sec
the window pane start to go up. Then stoped. I pressed the switch again
and the motor wouldn't move. Again, I tried the other window. The same
happened. I tried the sunroof. It wouldn't move. Then I noticed that the
warning light had come on. Stopped the engine. Then tried to start the
car again, and no panel lights. Nothing. Called the AAA. They jump started
the car. No problem. But now, I had no head lights, the windows still not
operating, and neither the sunroof. I drove home with AAA following me.
What could have caused the problem and how do I fix it?

Thanks,
Demi

Check your battery, it may be nearly dead and not providing enough voltage. The engine will run without electricity on that car, and will shut off, too.

Also, if the battery will charge, it's very likely you have a bad voltage regulator or bad brushes in the alternator -- it comes out (2 screws) with the alternator in the car, from underneath.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Hi Peter,

Like I said, I drove it for 3000 miles with lights, radio and fan on. Only when
I tried to close the windows, the power went south. Looks like there is a short
some where. Tomorrow I will remove the fuses for the windows, radio, lights,
sunroof, seats, ... I will then use a jumpstart and see if the battery will charge.
If it does, then I will connect a fuse at the time, and see which path is causing
the trouble. It is doesn't charge, then time to debug the alternator.

Thanks for the alternator brushes tip. I will let you know what the problem
when I fix the car.

Demi

One over non-obvious thing to check is the glow plug relay. If it is shorted, it will drain the battery (and closing the windows may have just been the straw that broke the camel's back). Engine will run just fine with no battery once you get it started, but if the glow plugs stay on all the time, the alternator cannot keep the battery charged with the headlights on.

I found this out on the Volvo -- coming home from a trip at night, the cruise control dropped off, then the windows got slow, then the headlights started to dim out -- a real problem since the fuel cutoff on that car is a solenoid, and when the voltage gets low enough, the engine stops. I was driving as fast as I dared while keeping an eye out for a place to pull off since I was gonna be without lights on a country highway when I hit a bad bump and the glow plug relay "unshorted". Charged right up, ran fine all the way home. When I checked it, any time the glow plug relay was plugged in, the glowplugs ran. New relay fixed it.

Make sure the battery cables are good, too.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Morning Peter,

1) Charged the battery (with a extrenal battery charger). Car start up.

2) Turn on head lights, just to see what happened. No drop in intensity.

3) Switched engine off. Switch on. NO problem. Strange. Windows,
sunroof, seats, headrests all operating.

4) Voltmeter accross the battery. 13.5+ volts. Rev the engine to 2500 RPM.
Voltage, 14.5+ volts. Assume alternator is charging. Every thing seems
to be working. Car starts up time after time. Cold and hot. Runs very
good.

5) My friend Thomas (a gas cars mechanic) is with me all this time. He has
no clue what happened, when the car died. He thinks it might be a bad
alternator cable contact. He has seen this in a car before. So next
weekend project, is check the laternators cables and connections.

6) Next weekend I would like to chnge the engine oil.

a) Which engine oil should I use?

b) Is the oill filter under the exhaust manifold?

7) There are several fuel lines that are leaking. Some are caramel color.
Others are black pastic. Others are black ruber, covered with a mesh.
And others are just plain fuel ruber lines. Should I use such a mix, or
can I use a clear vinyl line for all? Or what should I use?

Thanks,
Demi

You must use diesel rated hose only. Clear vinyl will 1)blow off the nipples and 2) evenually swell up and leak.

The overflow lines between the injectors I would buy from FastLane in a long piece then cut to fit. The ones on there are probably rock hard. Remove by using needle nosed pliers to crimp them off, they will probably break if you pull, and if you scratch the fitting cutting them off, it will leak. New line is installed by grasping the new hose lengthwise with the needle nosed pliers with just enough sticking out to fit on the fitting and pushing it on. Make SURE all the old hose is removed, they get very brittle and bits can stick to the hipple, neatly slicing the new hose during installation.

The clear (now brown) hoses cannot be replaced at home, they are a shrink fit and are available only as complete hose/fitting sets. You can replace it with standard fuel line if you use hose clamps -- it has about 35 psi in it, without clamps it will pop off.

All the hose on the suction side and the return line from the filter are all standard fuel line, and I recommed you replace it all.

Your dead battery problem is very likely a sticking glow plug relay -- with the headlights on, the alternator cannot produce enough electricity to keep the battery up. Check for voltage on the glow plugs after starting.

Any diesel rated oil is fine -- Delo, Rotella, or any synthetic with a diesel rating (CH-4 or CI-4 is best) -- it MUST have the Cx rating -- Sx ratings are for gasoline engines. I use Mobil 1 Truck and SUV oil (aka Mobil Delvac 1).

The oil filter is in the canister with a bolt in the center and two nuts holding the cap on, driver's side rear up next to the firewall. Remove center bolt (if you can, mine is completely seized), then the two nuts, lift cover off. Renew the large o-ring, and replace two small ones on the center bolt.

You will need to drop the underbody panel to get to the drain plug -- 13mm. Renew the copper seal.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!