My guess here is that you are missing the point being passed on to you. The fact is that people in this forum are running vehicles with very high mileage. They've gotten there as they've paid attention to the warning and cautions regarding what to and not to do with their engines. This goes along with religious maintenance. We do not need to "try for ourselves" to see what kind of damage can be done with starting fluid in a diesel.

The reality is this - ether is BAD for a diesel engine - even the direct injection ones. The 75 240D in my yard decided to lose fuel prime the day I picked it up. We cranked on it for over two hours trying to get that car started again. Finally, in despiration, the mechanic pulled out the can of ether to get it fired. I can tell you first hand that the car was NOT happy having that stuff shot down the intake. The starter bound on that stuff several times before the car finally caught on some fuel and ran on its own.

The moral is, if the situation is a life or death one, and merits the use of the stuff - use it CAREFULLY. Do NOT use ether as a means of "getting it started" just to avoid finding out WHY it's acting up to begin with. You WILL encounter engine damage with repeated use.

Ether can damage the prechambers as all but the smallest fraction of the air ingested during the intake stroke is compressed INSIDE the prechamber. The ether contains enough energy to blow th prechamber apart in the engine. It has happened - all you need to do is ask any diesel mechanic about ether damage to diesel engines.