I have acquired a 1975 240D with 180K, unknown service history ("driven little in the last year or so...") and am doing some maintenance to make it ready for my driving needs. I was not present when the previous owner started it, my wife drove it home. It was being difficult to start so I have, so far, drained the fuel tank, cleaned and serviced the oil bath air filter system and installed a Group 93 battery with lots of cranking amps. I have purchased and will be doing a Diesel Purge, fuel filters, oil filter, fuel return lines and I am prepared to install new series glow plugs and adjust the valves. It is my desire for now to have the starting system in stock and original condition and from there I will decide if I want to make any modifications to a "pencil" type glow plug system but for now, as I said, I want the system to be as it should for the model year.

Which now leads me to this question; I don't seem to be getting any voltage to the glow plugs. I turn the key on, pull the starter switch to the 1st (glow) position but when I test the wire to the first (rearmost) glow plug I get zero voltage.

I am approaching this as cautiously as possible and have found myself under the dash, driver's side looking up at what I think is a ten-pin relay (the glow plug relay?) that is DISCONNECTED. On the side of the relay it reads HELLA, 12V, 5SA 002 868-00. I have taken two digital photos and posted them to a webshots album that can be viewed by looking here: http://community.webshots.com/scripts/editPhotos.fcgi?action=viewall&albumID=332477711 The photos will tell a quicker story than I can with words. As you see it in the photos something is not as it should be but with it rigged the way you see it the starter DOES crank when I pull the switch all the way out. If I take the bridge wire out and plug the connector into the relay I get NOTHING when I pull the starter switch to the start position.

Can I test the relay and if so how? Is there anything else I should be looking at or considering?

I will not presume that this is going to be as simple as finding out the relay is bad, replacing it, plugging in the connector and, viola, it works... (I can dream though...LOL). But I am hoping I can get some sage advice from some of the more experienced 115 owners. I am new to this type of help but in looking over some of the other diesel questions and seeing the kind responses I feel encouraged and hope to get some useful feedback. Thank you in advance, JV, Reno, NV

Having switched my 77 300d from series to parallel, in my opinion, it's a no-brainer--don't put in series glow plugs. The pencil type are so superior there's no debating the issue. You don't need to add or change relays for the parallel ones. Just install with a jumper wire to each one and take off the ground wire from the last one.
Try putting 12 volts to the first glow plug with a jumper wire from the battery and see if it solves your starting problem.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

You really need a repair manual with test procedures, wiring diagrams etc. I got some for my car for around $10 each on Ebay.

If it was mine I would put it back to stock and start from there. Chances are someone mickey moused your car to get it going after some very simple problem. They just didn't know what they were doing.

German relays can usually be opened up and cleaned or repaired if necessary. But it's probably something like a loose wire or blown fuse.

It's possible that the glow plug contacts of the gorilla switch may have burned out. I have heard that the switch is no longer available (not sure of that's true or not). I have heard of owners in this situation wiring in a heavy duty momentary contact switch for glowing. If you want to keep it original, you will need to troubleshoot using the appropriate pages from a 115 Chassis Manual. I used to have a copy but I let it go when I sold my 115. Maybe someone else on here can copy those pages for you.

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Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

Thanks so far to all who are sending advise. Kerry Edwards, I will probably go to the pencil type set up in the future but like Ganaraska is saying I think getting it back in shape in its original configuration is foremost. Ganaraska, I did open the relay and it looks pretty technical. I am somewhat mechanically inclined but I just don't see anything that I can address. I do have a Haynes manual I will be looking at and I have a chassis manual too, sorry I haven't checked there already. Palangi, Not sure what you mean by "Gorilla Switch"? I will be trying Kerry's advise about jumping from the battery to the glow plug this evening when I get home. Again thanks to all of you for taking a moment to help, I am going to stay with this until it is right and I will be posting my results here. JV

i am not sure what a gorilla switch is either but there is a switch that is mechanically operated on some of these that is mounted near the injection pump and the steering column. the big pull out choke like thingie is a simple cable device that will activate the abouve mentiones switch. this switch can cause problems if i remember correctly two ways: 1 if the cable is out of adjustment 2 if the rubber mounting thingie that it attaches to is worn out and it falls loose and then will fail to operate. this was how my 72 220 was and my 74 240.
good luck.

ps i converted to the fast glow plugs on my 220 and would not do it again. they didnt last very long. in fact i have a set in my garage you could have... i think.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Remember, a 1975 240D is not a 123 chassis and dosn't have key starting.

The combination start/stop/glow knob is fondly referred to as the gorilla knob on these cars.

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

Palangi, okay I understand the Gorilla Switch is the big knob to the left of the steering wheel on the dash that I use to glow (when the glow plugs get the power I'm hunting for) and then crank the engine over. I think t walgamuth may be onto something when he mentions the linkages from that switch... I will be checking it all out when I get home this evening (weather permitting, the cars is outside right now) and hope to have a update tomorrow. Thanks again to all for the imput! Cheers, JV

If you end up having to replace your starter, it may be useful to know that the starter off later model 300d turbo's is a more powerful starter than the ones on non-turbo models. You'll need to confirm that it will fit the 115 240d, but I'm pretty sure it does and is a better replacement than the one you have.
I've had no trouble with lifespan on the newer pencil plugs (over 2 yrs and I just replaced the plugs, not the relay). The biggest benefit I see in pencil plugs is the quicker start they give over series plugs because no heat is lost in the heavy resistance wires the series plugs use. In cold weather, I found the parallel plugs added about 20 degrees to the coldest temperature at which the vehicle would start.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Good point. The 300D turbo starter will definitely fit the 115 240D. It makes a noticeable improvement in starting.

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

Well here is the rest of the story... Turns out that the starter switch was fine and I was just not knowledgeable enough to know I wasn't using it correctly. The position I needed to pull the switch to so the voltage would reach the plugs was a mystery until I spoke with a seasoned 115 driver. Because it needed it anyway I did change the glow plugs, I did the diesel purge and then changed the filters, I changed the fuel return lines, I also had drained the fuel tank and put fresh fuel in with an additive, I serviced the oil bath air filter, I installed a good battery and I did a "italian Tuneup" by driving to Fernley and back to Reno at high speed. When I got home I changed to oil and filter (made me appreciate the filter location on my 123 and my 126 a lot more) and have been driving it back and forth to work for the last week. The real joy was going out the first morning when it had been in the 30s overnight and watching the "fifth" glow plug on the dash glow like the rising sun and the engine cranked to life in about 10 seconds of pulling on the starter switch.
I am concerned that the fuel economy seems terrible at this point but I figure I will get into that by adjusting the valves, checking the timing chain and the injector timing...? Anyway, I want to thank the members who responded to my initial inquiry and to let you know what I found and what I've done to this point. Thanks again, JV

Glad your 240D is alive and well. I was confused the first few times I drove my 240D and couldn't get it to glow as well since I wasn't pulling the gorilla knob enough to position "1.9" when you feel the contact switch close just before the starter engages.

Please do post your mileage on your car. I only get 21.5mpg no matter how I drive it....what are you getting now?

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

I have to say that the odometer on both my 1975 240D and my 1979 240D don't work. I have copied the info about doing a fix to the odos and hope to get to that on both of them in the near future. As far as the mileage goes though I can only guess that it is in the low teens on the 75 and on the 79, with a 4 speed, is in the high 20s at least, maybe even the low 30s. I sure can't say enough good things about this forum. I am a member of the MBCA and didn't get one reply to my post at that forum. Thanks again, JV

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1975 115.117 12 (240D w/ A-T)
1979 123.123 10 (240D w/ 4-SPD)
1991 350SDL (The Wife's Daily Driver)