Originally Posted by Ara T.

My car starts right up. On some hot days, it will crank for a second or two, otherwise I barely turn the key and it'll start. Sorta related question, but there's a kid that drives a 79 300D (non turbocharged, poor bastard), and his glowplugs don't work, so he sits there cranking for like 5 seconds or more...is it harmful on the engine without glowplugs?