I haven't posted here in ages. Been lurking, but life has been crazy and I've been somewhat in denial about the bigger things that Hilda has needed.

Today, I have a dead car. I think I've been running on two or even one glow plug for longer than I care to imagine. I am going to replace all of them and the relay just for good measure anyhow; but, I wanted to run this by you and see if you all think I should be looking at other things as well.

Symptoms:

*The glow plug light has not gone on since we got the car. (2003) There are some other instrument cluster problems, like the clock not working, so I was chalking that up (in denial) to electric problems that I needed to tackle, but didn't have the time and it was continuing to function so they're on the back burner.

*About a year and a half ago, I noted that the glow plug relay seemed to keep cycling. This happened for about another two months (I'm not sure how long it had happened before that); but, I only had one episode of a battery not willing to start. Replaced the battery, meant to replace the relay, got ill, it dropped from my radar for a few weeks, then the problem never happened again. (I did nothing to the relay to make it stop cycling all the time. Nor did anyone else in the family that I know of.)

*About a year ago now, maybe ten months, I noticed that the car was a little rough on start up but smoothed out after a minute at idle. It never didn't want to start. Real trooper.

(Kept thinking I really had to get to the glow plugs. Life kept getting away. Yeah, yeah, thousand violins.)

*Did notice that I was getting a little "more" smoke in the last few weeks, but, again, that wasn't consistent and it seemed to stop when the banjo fitting and line was cleaned and the alda adjusted.

*Which brings me to -- Friday and Saturday afternoon and Saturday morning (today is Sunday), when the car was started by the DP white smoke came out of the tail pipe. Started up very rough, even though in the case of the pm startups, the engine wasn't stone cold.

*Then, this morning. Starter fine, oil pressure fine, in-line filter and canister filter fine, fuel in the line ... smoke came out of the tailpipe while I was cranking her. Would not kick over.

*Used a voltmeter on the relay. Seemed to be getting and sending power.

So, whaddya think?

Thanks in advance.

__________________
Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. -- Edward Abbey

1984 300SD: Hilda the veggie vundercar

How about doing some glow plug tests?

You need a VOM that can accurately measure ohms down to 1 ohm.

Pull the plug out of the relay and check each socket on the plug. The second lead on the meter should be connected to the negative battery terminal.

The readings should be between .8 and 1.2 ohms.

Any readings that are greater than this (or infinite) means the glow plug must be changed. I'll bet you have three bad one's.

sohj,

White smoke from the tail pipe is atomized unburned fuel which is a good indication of the GP not working.

Do a resistance test on the GP. Any that read higher than 1.2 ohms should be replaced.

P E H

PEH, that's any GP above 1.2 ohms.

Brian,

I stand corrected: 1.2 ohms.

P E H

..........you look out for me..........I look out for you.

I edited it for you.....as well.

.........then these last three posts can be deleted.

what is .2 among friends?

tom w

__________________
[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.

Uh, that's 1.1.

Thanks, guys. I was worried I was missing something obvious. It has happened before.

__________________
Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. -- Edward Abbey

1984 300SD: Hilda the veggie vundercar

Check the glow plug harness along with the plugs. All my plugs test good at the block, but I have 3 that have variable resistance (now getting to the point of open completely) when I check at the connecter on the relay. With a car this age, wires get old and brittle and can crack like mine did.

__________________
Adam Lumsden
(83) 300D
Vice-President of the MBCA International Stars Section

I like to keep it simple. Take a stop watch and time out the gp system, then take a long probe, w/light, attach ground to battery the other to each gp, have someone run the ign. switch for each gp, you have light the relay most likely is OK, then you are pretty sure it is a gp problem, then plug in your cold weather heater cord, leave it on over night and try starting the car, if she starts and runs like a trooper you need new gp's.

Or trade it and let someone else worry bout it. ha

__________________
Den
1993 MB 300D 2.5
2001 VW Jetta TDI 5 spd.
2001 new bug TDI 5 spd.
Motorcycles

That is not an option...yet. I didn't think the block heater would get it sufficiently hot where the combustion happens to do that. I'll give it a shot.

rg2098, thanks for the tip on the wires. Won't neglect them.

__________________
Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. -- Edward Abbey

1984 300SD: Hilda the veggie vundercar

Running a block heater overnight won't warm the engine sufficiently to start it without glow plugs. It may start if it's in top condition, but, it won't be instantaneous and it will be a bit of a struggle.

It's not a valid test.

Well on my 93, 300D the block heater was keeping my tem. gauge at bet. 40 and 60 Deg. C, now maybe one or the other is giving me a faulty reading but I can tell you when the gp light went out it started right NOW, and it never missed a beat, smoked or did the shake rattle and roll, or even stalled. Without the heater it took several cycles of the gp system and then it would act up and not want to run. SO.
Whatever trips your wagon, use it, it worked for me.

__________________
Den
1993 MB 300D 2.5
2001 VW Jetta TDI 5 spd.
2001 new bug TDI 5 spd.
Motorcycles