PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - I'm A Moron, And Now My Car Won't Start, 1981 240D

cirrusman · #10 08-31-2012, 02:19 PM

Welcome to the forum! I hope that it will be just as good an experience as it has been for me. Folks around here are really helpful and knowledgeable.
I fail to see the logic steps between "I'm a moron" and "now my car won't start". Did you do something to the car that you didn't mention above? Going to get fuel and putting it into the tank doesn't sound like an "I'm a moron" kind of thing to me... But anyway. To start a diesel engine you need basically 3 things: Fuel flow, electricity flow and air flow. If any of this three is failing your car won't start. The two sounds that you hear when you start a car, almost, but not quite simultaneously are the "clack!" of the starter solenoid engaging the flywheel, and then the starter itself spinning and cranking the engine fast enough to start the piston cycles. If you're only hearing the "clack!" that could mean that you have enough power to get the solenoid going, but not enough battery juice to get the engine to spin. you got an electric problem. I'd check the battery and alternator. Same if it's spinning slowly.
Now, another possibility is that the starter could be off position. Check that the bolts are firmly securing the starter and that there are no foreing objects between that starter and the flywheel. Keep us posted of what you do!