Guys, in the interest of saving space, this is a multi response email.

TheVirginiaDude, thanks for clarifying the color of exhaust. No doubt, my bluish color is the result of oil burning and I'm going to insist on a compression (wet/dry) test.

Aaron, as a factory recall, the Mercedes dealer replaced the trap oxidizer back in '96 and it made a world of difference in acceleration. After the repair, she ran like a scalded rabbit. Couldn't believe the difference.

Ken300D, with the old glow plugs and the new, on a cold engine start, the engine kicks over quickly but it's accompanied by a definite engine miss. If this was a "normal" occurrence from day one, it wouldn't have concerned me. But since it first started about two years ago, it was sporadic and only occurred during the winter and I thought it was weather related. Now, it happens no matter how hot the outside temperature is so there's no doubt the problem has become progressively worse. After about 5 seconds after a start, depending on how long it's been since I last started the car, the exhaust becomes a bluish color which then disappears along with the miss when I increase the RPM's.

The more input I receive, the more I'm leaning towards a bad glow plug relay although I'm not eliminating any advice. Although he doesn't know it yet, I'm firing my present mechanic of seven years because although honest, there's no doubt this problem is way over his head.

Additionally, I'm making a list of all the input I've received from this forum, will prioritize it, and take a printout of our exchanges to back me up because it's evident that you guys really know what you're talking about.

P.E.Haiges, my mechanic never did a compression (wet/dry) test and because of my ignorance about the diesel engine and the fact that I've only got 45,500 miles on the engine, it didn't dawn on me either to ask him to do one. I have no way of determining which cylinder(s) are missing. The longer it sits, the worse the miss. If I had to make a guesstimate, on a bad day, two cylinders miss on a cold engine start; on a normal day, one cylinder; and when the engine is warm, there's no miss at all.

Thanks all for your responses. Good info!

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