I know everyone is sick about difficulties with starting diesels...but here we go again.

Have a '81 300 SD with over 300G miles and it always starts quickly in warm weather. This winter (80 today!) I had one cool morning 30 to 40 when it failed to start, though other similar mornings it started fine! Glow plug light comes on dash, and I wait after light goes out, and sometimes run it through the cycle again before trying to start. But generally, if it doesn't start the first time, it definitely won't start the successive tries without excessive cranking if I'm lucky.

I have since learned to hold the starter to make sure all cylinders are firing before releasing prematurely. However, I don't understand why it won't start if it fails on the first try. Last time I let it sit for a couple of days and slow charged my battery. Waited for 60 to 70 degree weather and glow light to recycle a couple of times...but it would not start until I let it crank for what it seems like minutes...poor starter. Do the glow plugs get coated after the first failure? If flooded, a waiting period should clear the fuel. What is happening?

Ohms are about 9 across all plugs. Maybe the glow light on the dash is not accurately reflecting glow plug amp condition? I have blow by so I know compression could be a problem and the valves may need to be set. Recently, when the fuel got low, the car would sputter upon acceleration or going up a slope so I suspected fuel pump going bad or sediment or water in the tank. But this has not knowingly caused a problem.

I know someone is going to give me a long list to check, which I will do, but should I check the amount of voltage getting to all the glow plugs, and any help on how to do this would help.

Thanks for any assistance or suggestions...and no I won't junk it.

Bob Brown

Bingo. My bet is low compression. When the engine does not start right away, unburned fuel can wash down the cylinder walls, removing oil, and further lowering compression.

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1989 300 SEL that mostly works, but needs TLC