Would it do any good to let the starter crank a few turns before heating glow plugs to get the oil circulating before actually starting engine?

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1999 E300 TurboDiesel
2007 Ford Explorer limited
1981 John Deere 650 Diesel tractor

Greetings Richard,

Others may disagree but cranking the engine before it is actually ready to be fired off (diesel engines) simply causes fuel to wash down the cylinders as well as residual lubrication and does nothing to thin oil viscosity, but will cause premature cylinder wear over an extended period of time. Try this little experiment. Try starting your diesel up right after turning the key and it will crank excessively and probably won't fire. On the second attempt it most likely will and the fuel basically unburnt pours out the tail pipe in clouds of black smoke. It will most likely run rough because heat in the combustion chamber is not sufficent to properly burn all the fuel being fed into it.
If you have a problem with the glow system, I'd fix it. Preheating on these engines are essential to long life.


Charles

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"Tell me and I will listen, Teach me and I will learn, Show me and I will accomplish, Involve me and I will succeed."
'84 300SD 256,000 Gold on Brown (Mileage Award)
'86 300E 246,000 Blue on Tan

Some diesel engines, such as on small compact tractors, have a compression release lever. It is a good practice on those engines to throw the lever and turn over the engine for a few seconds until the oil pressure light goes out. Then you can apply fuel with the speed control lever (or pedal) and start up. At that point the decompression lever simply lets you get the engine rolling with a smaller starter - you release the lever and it starts running.

This doesn't work well on the MB diesel because you have no way to completely shut off the fuel supply, unless you hold the STOP lever under the hood. Secondly, you have no decompression lever, so you are going to have engine component stress right away whether you start up or not.

Best thing is to go ahead and start normally. Oil pressure will build quickly - just don't roar the engine but let it idle for 30 seconds or so before pulling off gently. The average history of these cars shows that they will last a long, long time this way.

Ken300D