Please help I am stranded
 

My 300D has been giving me lots of problems recently. It will not start when the engine is warm. I replaced the glow plugs and the starter and that did not fix the problem, it just put a rather large dent in my wallet. As I was driving out of my Indy's shop I drove to the very first stop of the afternoon and I turned off the car. Well, it would not start again, so I got a ride. Then I returned 4 hours later to check it and pull the battery so I could charge it overnight, WELL IT FIRED UP ON THE FIRST TRY. What the ????

I do not understand it and I do not want to take it back to the shop to drop another hundred or two on this problem.

The alternator seems to be charging the battery fine.
I have changed the fuel filters.
The glow plugs are hot.
I have checked for air leak in the fuel system.

Please help me, I need my MB on the road.
Zack Smith

if you just had it at the shop take it back and demand they fix it right.

Yeah I might try that but the problem is that I was convinced that it was the starter and so that is all that he did.

Does anyone have any ideas what it might be?

x2 any decent shop has a warranty on their repairs. Take it back and politely express your frustration and ask that they "make it right".

the only thing i can think of is that your tank went has clogged and is creating a vacuum.

are you running a single tank wvo system?

huh,
that is a very good idea.
I will check that first off tomorrow..
Any other things to check??

yes I am running a single tank wvo system and I have some weird wax growth in the tank that grows in the summers.
that just might be the problem.

Perhaps supplying some more background would help. Why is it that you were convinced it was the starter? What symptoms were you experiencing that made you belive your starter was bad?

You say the car won't start. Will the engine crank?

More specifs leading up to the problem and more specifics about exactly is happening when you are turning the key. Thanks.

When I turn the key and the engine is warm it will turn and turn and turn but it will not catch and start to run.

So the engine is actually turning it just sounds as though it is not turning fast enough.

I thought that it was the starter b/c last time my starter went out it did this exact same thing that that was the culprit.

Okay, so when this problem started getting bad I needed to give it some gas for it to start. So not it will not start at all unless I press the gas pedal down then it catches just fine, when it is cold.

I have a vague recollection of your previous thread on this topic. Have you tried priming the bejesus out of it when it won't start? What was the result? Have you tried using an alternate fuel supply in a bottle under the hood when it won't start to rule out a fuel supply problem upstream of the engine compartment? Have you tested the glow plugs when it won't start to confirm they are getting 12 volts and have proper resistance?

I can only wonder what that WVO is doing to the poor engine.

I'll bet if you were running diesel, like is intended....you'd not be having any of these issues.

Ooops, I missed the post about a single tank WVO system. I consider my troubleshooting tips inapplicable.

Just a quick is the manual cut off lever coming up. When my dad held it down he pushed it in toward the injectors and it was hanging up. I just had to bend it back to the correct position.

I have pumped the primer a lot and it does not help this problem. I can try to pump it until my hand bruises next time.

I have not put the alternate fuel supply in the engine bay and tried that in quite a while. That is a good idea.

OK, so I wait for it not to start and then I will check to see if the gp's are getting current.

Good, Great Help Guys',
Zack