As mentioned : #1 : adjust the valves first ! they need periodic adjusting and once adjusted need to be re checked at every oil change until they stop closing up then you can go to the 12,000 mile / annual valve adjust .

Tight valves cause hard starting due to compression loss, this is exacerbated by cold weather .

Go to F.L.P.S. / truck stop and buy a bottle of "DIESEL 911" and add the maximum dosage for your 18 gallon tank, do this when the tank is full or fill it right after adding the elixir .

On the top of the glow plug relay is a square MPC plug you can disconnect and use a simple test light to ascertain if each of all four glow plugs is a complete circuit .

As mentioned, don't replace them unless bad, if you can afford it replace all four .

DO NOT buy Champion / Autolite brand glow plugs ! they're worthless, often bad right out of the box and almost always fail in a month or so .

IIRC (possible, stop laughing) I used some Monark brand, German made glow plugs in my old NA 300CD to good effect and no problems .

I had a set of prefect used BOSCH glow plugs, oddly no one wanted them, not even free .

If your seat belt lam on the dashboard works, use it to time the glow plugs, it's *just* enough longer to ensure a rapid easy start .

It's not uncommon for the cold 240D engine to stall out if you don't use the fast idle knob .

Don't panic, look at the clear plastic fuel intake screen and see what's in it and what color the fuel is ~ if there's crud be aware the filters both need changing but let the Diesel 911 do it's job first .

Don't over speed the engine when it's cold ! give it just enough throttle to remain running, then fiddle with your set belt, radio and lights before dropping it into gear and moving off .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better