Quote:
Originally Posted by davidschaffer
After 6 hrs of being plugged in, and while being " jumped " by a healthy 7.3, still nothing. I could let the glow plugs cycle for 10 or 20 or many cycles and it makes no differance. I think I need a relay and a battery for starts. There is about a foot of snow around the car that I would like to plow. In the morning, I think I will just pull it to a new spot until I can swap the relay. Would a good relay/plugs allow a cold start even if the block heater didn't work? To what temp? I am sure there are other varibales involved but I am done for the night. Thank you again for the help.  |
You say in your SIG that you plan to put this car onto WVO... just to verify, you hadn't started running any vegoil through yet, right? If you have it changes some of the conversation.
From what you are saying, it sounds like it isn't even
trying to start. Is that about it (doesn't try to fire at all)?
You have to look at the following:
- is it getting fuel?
- are the valves correctly adjusted?
- is the starter turning it fast enough?
- are the glowplugs heating?
You should be getting some puffs of whitish/greyish smoke out the tailpipe when you are cranking, and some odor of diesel. If you are, then at least you know fuel is present. If you aren't, try working the primer pump (and if you have a helper, ask them to pump it while you're cranking). If it feels like you're just pumping air (you should feel resistance when you pump, and hear a pfffft from the pressure release valve, after about 10 pumps if fuel is present) -- then you have a fuel gelling/freezing issue upstream. I had this happen this winter on my 300d, which usually starts like a champ in the cold.
If you are pumping air -- and assuming you have the newer-style black primer pump and not the old-style, white screw-in to lock type -- get hold of some Powerservice
Diesel 911, dump some in and see if it helps. Change the fuel filters after you've let the 911 work. If the car still has the old style pump, change it. It may well be sucking in air.
Make sure all the clamps on the fuel lines are tight, including the very bottom one at the inlet to the lift pump (under the small filter).
Just to repeat what others said, check you have 12v on both sides of the strip fuse in the glow relay and at glowplugs. Make sure your battery posts and terminals are clean.
You ask if it will start without a block heater, that's a factor but not the critical one -- the valve adjustment is the biggest factor.
If you do doubt the block heater is working, put an incandescent trouble lamp or similar under the hood overnight. That generates a surprising amount of heat. You can also try a small fan space heater for a shorter time, maybe an hour, but if so don't leave it unattended.