I have a 96’ E300D, 158K miles. Car runs great for the most part. However I just changed all 6 glow plugs yesterday, because I was having trouble starting the car and my glow plug light in the dash went away, causing the car not to crank and no ignition at all when the key was turned. After I replaced the glow plug and put the intake and manifold back the car did not crank the first time, but the second time it slowly started to crank. I let the car warm up for about 15 minutes and drove the car around the block came back to my driveway and shut the car off. Then I tried to turn it back on and no ignition when I turned the key or cranking. After turning the key about 15 to 20 more times the engine finally turned on for a second time. But I have not been able to turn the car on for a third time, at all.

Brief history, my car has always crank very strong and solid, however about 3 month ago I was using my prolonged cranking method to start the car and smoke and a burning smell was coming from the location of the starter area. From that point the cranking has been very weak, even though it still started.

I am wondering what the possible sources of the problem could be, or if anyone else has had this problem. I almost feel like it has to be starter, computer, or relay related.

Any ideas would be helpful.

Thank
Harold

96 E300D

The earlier 210 chassis has an ignition switch which is kind of weak, they used the same one in other MB's of this era. Not too hard to change. Would just be the electrical part of the switch, not the lock section. Could also try to start it in neutral and see if possibly it's the neutral safety switch or a shift rod bushing.
Gilly

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Thank you, I will try changing out the ignition switch. I 've tried starting it in neutral, no luck.

Where is the ignition switch located?

Again thank you ,

Harold

Before you go to that expense, put a 12v jumper to the starter solenoid to be sure that the fault is NOT in the starter or solenoid.

Right..
...Here is an old post that may fit your chassis.. it if from a 124 posting

< If you look over at the brake booster, right at the brake fluid tank cap level, just to the left on a wall, you will see a plug connector screwed to that wall with 3 wires .. this is plug X/27 and the V/WT wire is the feed wire to the starter solinoid.
If you hook a 12v test lamp to that wire [ back probe it], and that lamp lights every time you turn the key, you know all the electronics for starter are in tack and operational, but the starter itself, or solinoid, are at fault..
There is a K38 relay in the dash, but if this lamp lights , we know that is OK
[ and you are lucky on that]
One last simple test before pulling the starter.
Next time it does it and you know you have power to X/27, grab some battery jumper cables and hook one end to the bat - [ neg] and the other end to the engine somewhere good [ metal] and retry.. this assures a good ground from bat to eng/starter..prob not the problem, but so easy to do, that it's a worth while try ..I like to be sure of the simple possibles first.>>