I have a 1984 Mersades 300d with 185,000 miles,,,,
no start, drove home from work all ok,,next am would not start,
I have new glow plugs,,battery..and starter..
valves had been adjusted in the fall,strange rytham when its cranked.
thanks in advance for any response,,
Dave

Go to dieselgiant.com and follow the sequence for testing the glow plugs. No start=glow plug problems 90% of the time.

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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

Check out this handy dandy gadget for keeping your block warm.

http://www.endtimesreport.com/Auto_Motor_Heater_Instructions.html

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1981 240d
Newport,RI

can you explain what the strange rhythm sounds like?

I see the WVO...are you using WVO in the cold weather?

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RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

AND how cold is cold where you are?

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Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

I'm having similar problems, drove home, went to bed, woke up no start. Also when cranked there is an odd rhythm.

Had the same situation, cranked, cranked, pumped gas pedal a bit and still nothing. Turned out that the battery was not at optimal charge to surge the glow plugs...

__________________
"Why operate within the law when you can operate above it?"

MB roster
'85 500SE euro Ratrod
'92 500E's x2 / '94 E500 stored
'91 560SEC w/43K stored
'92 Cabby 16V OE 2.1 AutoX car
JDM RHD cars now.

Thanks for the replys. The battery is new NAPA. I'm leaning toward glow plugs as the problem. Is it possible that when I changed them (glo plugs), I didn't ream the holes, that there is carbon build up in prechamber preventing the heat from catching? I don't and haven't for several months used wvo. I've changed filters a couple times since, so that can't be it. Actually, I just did the secondary filter fearing water was plugging it up.

It's almost as if there is one glo plug working cause there is black debris coming from tailpipe. And "burnt" fuel smell. I guess I'll try reaming the holes for the glo plugs (any good substitute for a reamer?) I'd hate to buy the reamer if there is a good sub. Also, how do I get the carbon out. Will cranking blow the crud out?

No, I fear the damage it will cause long term.

I heard of others using a plumbers brush to ream out the carbon, but I bought a real reamer online for $35. Some say you can crank the engine with the shutoff depressed to blow out the carbon, but I feel safer using a shop vac with an extension to vac the chambers clean.

Reaming will help but you may have fouled plugs too.

Carbon is an insulator and also absorbs fuel and holds it until the engine is running and can burn it off. This makes for hard and smokey starts.

On very cold mornings, it's even worse since that cold fuel will sit in the prechambers in the carbon "sponge" giving you a double issue to overcome.

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Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

I kinda had a feeling this might be the problem.

If you used a single tank wvo system for quite awhile with little fuel heat boost. You might have stuck rings. Anyways because of the odd rythym when cranking a compression check is in order.

How cold? What weight oil? I agree on the compression check. WVO sigh.

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http://superturbodiesel.com/images/sig.04.10.jpg
1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

Is it possible that the odd rhythm is just what we describe as the engine "trying" to start? Instead of just deadly turning over and over by the starter, it's actually trying to light off and dying again, and so the rhythm speeds up and slows down as the engine is attempting to get itself going?

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL