Looking for suggestions on fouled glowplugs-98 E300TD - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ready-ronnie · #1 02-07-2011, 01:24 AM

My 98 300 sat at body shop for 3 months( My Sons run in with deer, first week. in Nov.) I picked it up last wk. It was half full of I believe summer fuel.
After I warmed it up good, I gave it a good Italian tune-up and it ran good. The next day I backed it out of garage, it was missing and smoking badly and I put it back in garage. It is going to set for another 4 months. Glow plugs are fairly new. What would you suggest I do when I start it this spring? I have all the stuff for a diesel purge.

Skippy · #2 02-07-2011, 01:38 AM

Glow plugs don't get fouled the same way spark plugs do. Your missing and smoking could have been caused by a couple of things, among them, air/air leak in the fuel system, cold engine with no or inadequate glow plug function, or a partial fuel system obstruction.

When you pull the car out of storage in 4 months, I recommend you start by changing the engine oil, changing the fuel filters, and putting in fresh fuel. After that, test drive and evaluate. If you are still having symptoms, I would then troubleshoot from there.

This is pretty much the plan I have for my 300D, which has been in storage since March, and which I will be reviving some time next month. I've done stuff like this a few times and found that many people tend to make a bigger deal than necessary about a car sitting for a few months.

ready-ronnie · #3 02-09-2011, 04:47 PM

Thanks for reply. Will try suggestions when I take out of storage

vstech · #4 02-09-2011, 05:23 PM

november wreck, fuel from there... your area of the country should have been using winter fuel already. if you are worried, you could pour in the recommended amount of white power service winter fuel treatment. as stated above, missing and smoking at first start up cold, could be several things. I'd go ahead and change the oil while it's in your garage. let the car sit with clean oil in the sump for the 4 months! dirty oil, especially oil that's sat in a garage after a wreck... likely has acid in it. I'd dump it, and fill with the preferred diesel rated oil. start the motor for a few seconds to let the oil fill the filter, and pump out all the old oil from the bearings etc... then let THAT sit for 4 months.

TMAllison · #5 02-10-2011, 01:31 AM

Assuming the GP light isn't on.....Fire it up and look for air bubbles, weeping on top of the IP (DV's), or a wetness around the shutoff valve. Give it some thottle (~1500rpm) while looking for bubbles; are sometimes easier to see when they travel faster and there are more of them due to increased fuel demand. Guessing something dried out while sitting so long.

ready-ronnie · #6 02-10-2011, 07:30 PM

Thanks again for comments. I will not be able to do anything on car for2 1/2 months. I use Mobol 1 oil and it was changed in Sept. I do not understand why the oil would have anything to do with misfiring,smoking etc. What is the white power stuff?

Diesel911 · #7 02-10-2011, 09:41 PM

It is interesting that you have not said you checked the Glow Plugs with a Meter as in the Diesel Giant Pictorial; if for no other reason than to rule them out as a source of the problem.

ready-ronnie · #8 02-12-2011, 12:11 AM

No I have not checked glow plugs with a meter, as I do not have one. I was merely looking for suggestions, as I stated I can not work on car for about 2 1/2 months. I do have a local mech. who I can take car too when I return. I was hoping that A Diesel Purge would do the job.

What is the Diesel Giant Pictorial?

sokoloff · #9 02-12-2011, 01:37 PM

For ten bucks you can pick up an ohm meter and know in about ten minutes if your plugs are good or not.

TMAllison · #10 02-12-2011, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sokoloff

For ten bucks you can pick up an ohm meter and know in about ten minutes if your plugs are good or not.

Mine cost $3.99 at Harbor Freight. Is s higher quality tool than my abilities can make use of.

Ronnie - go to dieselgiant.com and read the tutorial for checking the W123 GP's. Is pretty easy to do even for the electricaly challenged like me. Our relay looks different, but all the principals are the same. I assuming your GP's are good as the light isn't on. I'd look for air in the fuel lines first if it was me......Could also be a leaky/dribbling Inj with a bad spray pattern.

sokoloff · #11 02-12-2011, 02:07 PM

Terry - I was including fuel costs to go get it in my estimate.

What I found interesting is that when I had #2 plug go bad six years ago, the car threw a check engine light and glow plug light. Last month when #3 plug went bad, there was no check engine or glow plug light. Can't understand why?

TnBob · #12 02-12-2011, 03:06 PM

The cheepie meters can be picked up from ebay all the time. The ohms scale is where most have problems of being blown so while you are buying... buy 2 or 3.

I bought 8 from ebay 3 or 4 yrs ago with the sellers disclaimer of unknown condition in mind. Of the 8, 6 worked. Delivered cost on the 8 was about $15.