Fires up the first time when cold, or after sitting for several hours. But once she gets pretty warm (easy down here), you can run the starter until the battery is dead. It will NOT start. It tries to run with a little (or a lot) throttle feed, but will not. Have replaced fuel filter, leaky seal in fuel manifold, and OVP. Great old diesel, but AGGRAVATED! Thanks for your help....

that this is a glow plug issue, even though it's a hot start? I haven't checked them....but seems like very time I have a diesal start issue, the glow plugs seem to come into play. It's just that it's already 90 degrees here, end it starts so easily when it's cold....

If you do a search on this subject you will find it is not that uncommon. One of the issues can be glow plugs, as you noted. Another, especially if you are in the habbit of running the starter until the battery dies, is a bad starter. In hot weather the insulation in the starter gets hotter faster. All insulation systems loose dielectric strength when they get hot, the hotter they get the worse it is, and more likely the problem will become permanent. Remember the starter motor is intended for intermittent duty, meaning a few seconds between cooldown opportunities. Running it for thirty seconds or more is approaching steady state for a dinky motor like that, meaning you are heating it beyond its thermal rating. So, the longer you run it the slower it turns and the slower it turns the less likely it is the motor will start.

You have a machine that generates ignition temperatures by heat of compression of the air in the cylinder as the piston comes to TDC. The block is cooled to well below the ignition temperature of Diesel, so it is always a heat sink for the heat from compression. If the piston moves slowly, more heat is absorbed into the block, reducing the final bulk temperature of the compressed air at the moment of injection.

Diesels exhibiting this behavior are rarely suffering from a single malady. Most of the time it is a combination of issues and involves glow plugs, starter motor and battery. Air leaks into the fuel system and injectors squirting a stream instead of a mist, can also be contributors but you noted you feel this is not the issue. Your car should have self adjusting valves, so valve adjustment should not be an issue. I would try to check the engine speed during a cold and a warm start. If is significantly slower at high temperatures you have the problem identified as either the starter of the battery.

Good luck and I hope this helps. Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

I always do a glow before starting it again, just about five sex is what the 603 seems to need once warm. If it's cool, I'll heat it a bit more... totally cold, 30 sec of so.

At least that 603 starter is easy to swap.

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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

This is probably a fuel problem, not anything associated with the glow plugs, if its warmed up it should start, but verify that they are getting voltage to be sure.

loosen the gas cap to be sure there isn't vacuum forming in the fuel tank.

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

Its a fuel problem, maybe vacum. Come on guys, unless the compression is nothing a 603 will start without plugs almost down to freezing.

It sounds like you are losing prime, maybe an air leak somewhere. Splice in a clear hose in between the pre filter and IP and make sure you are getting solid fuel. Thats fast and a good start.

Now onto the vacum, next time it won't start pop the hood and make sure the stop lever is up. Maybe its leaking down, WAG but you never know.


Other then that I am thinking internal IP issue. Remove for bench testing.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Check to see if the fuel shut-off lever is having a problem going back up to the run position after shutting it off. Use a rubber band or something to hold it up when you crank it or have someone hold it up when you crank it and you have the problem. (fuel shut-off lever is the thing that says "stop" on it in the engine compartment for anyone that might not know)

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Steve Ayscue
'83 300D
'87 300SDL
'98 Dodge Ram Diesel
22' Hydrasport

I'm not starting it properly? Perhpas the 603 is different from all the other diesels I've owned..Usually just a tick of the key will fire them right up when hot. Yestereday, after sitting for about three hours after being up to operating temp, I could get it to start with about half throttle depressed. It acted like it might stumble, but one blip through the revs and she was all good. Does this tell us anything?

Your probably bleeding off while setting. Look at Hatty's post and at least rule that out before chasing a problem with $$'s

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BENZ THERE DONE THAThttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...c/progress.gif
15 VW Passat TDI
00 E420
98 E300 DT
97 E420 Donor Car - NEED PARTS? PM ME!
97 S500
97 E300D
86 Holden Jackaroo Turbo D
86 300SDL
(o\|/o)

Might also be delivery valve seals, any fuel leaking from the top of the IP? Those are cheap to to, I'd just do them.

With the 603 you simply wait for the light to go out and turn the key. You don't need to touch the throttle the computer controls the idle.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

the 603 engines will not start on the tick of the key like other diesels I have driven. I have never figured out why but this has been the case in all of them I've ever tried to start. OTOH a good 617 with high compression (no worn rings or valve seals) when not REAL cold will start in under one half a second on the switch, truly amazing! not so the 603's! they take about 2 seconds of cranking.

Did you verify that the fuel stop lever was not stuck in the down position?

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

I second to chech the fuel lever, mine was bad and was keeping me from starting the SDL.

Thanks
David

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2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

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Bad starter guys.

Why would it not have fuel issues when it is cold?

Any car, not just MB's have the same symptoms when a starter is bad.

BTW, I am rapidly approacing 350K miles on my SDL.......cranks right up, although there is a slight miss when she's cold, I suspect a faulty glow plug.

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Enough about me, how are you doing?

I have had same issue... perhaps not same cause, however

Check for air in the fuel very closely. I found with my 90 300d that small bubbles of air were making their way into the fuel and when hot would lose prime and when go to start again after sitting would be unable. 90 has a high volume primer pump which I don't believe is the case with your model.

Perhaps you are losing prime on the suction side of pump. Again I would thoroghly check for air/fuel leak in fuel system to start.

B

Why would that situation exist only when the car is hot?

Wouldn't air exist in the fuel when cold as well?

Of course it would, that is more than likely a bad starter.

.02

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Enough about me, how are you doing?