Since weve quit plugging in our block heater at night as its become summer temperatures here in Winnipeg, Its been a hard start for the 85 300TD wagon.

I have to keep the ignition turned for a good 6 -8 seconds before the engine can rev up otherwise it will simply stall again. And sometimes it does and I have to do it again. Once the engine is very warm, it starts easy.

Im about to do a Valve adjustment for the first time today. Would this possibly help the issue, and if not, while Im in the guts, is there anything else that would help the smoother running of the engine. It tends to be very bouncy at stop lights (idling) unless I rev up the engine a little too.

Have you checked your glow plugs and fuel filters?

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1984 300td euro turbo

Yes, Glow plugs have recently been replaced, as well as fuel filters

Hmm. After careful consideration of the above, it appears to me that you might have a problem.

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"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

If you are sure the glow plugs are good and your valves are adjusted properly, check this.

How old are your fuel hoses between the lift pump, filter, and IP? I had a problem where I was getting air in the system. I was getting hard starting and rough idle and once I changed the hoses it was like a different car.

Also redo your return lines and don't forget the dead end cap on the last injector.

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The OM 642/722.9 powered family
Still going strong
2014 ML350 Bluetec (wife's DD)
2013 E350 Bluetec (my DD)

both my kids cars went to junkyard in 2023
2008 ML320 CDI (Older son’s DD) fatal transmission failure, water soaked/fried rear SAM, numerous other issues, just too far gone to save (165k miles)
2008 E320 Bluetec (Younger son's DD) injector failed open and diluted oil with diesel, spun main bearings (240k miles)

1998 E300DT sold to TimFreeh
1987 300TD sold to vstech

Im just about to do my valve adjustment now. Its a first for me so wish me luck. Im curious to see if it makes any difference.

Ill let you know. Thanks for the other tips. I have replaced many of my fuel lines when we installed a greasecar system. But there may be a few lagging behind or some that are needing a change again already... Veg oil seems to eat away at older hoses and if ou play around often with even newer ones, they get really soft and seem to degrade fairly quickly.

Wow, what a difference. No more Bouncing at idle, smoother acceleration and easy starting. I wish I had done this earlier.

This is probably the single most obvious improvement to performance Ive ever done with relative ease. I didnt have a bent crescent wrench so it was a little tricky getting two wrenches in there but I managed with fiddling.

It's been said many times before but I'll say it again...

Be sure to go back and recheck your valves in 500 miles or so. If they were that far out, they will need to be adjusted again as they get themselves worked into where they should be.

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The OM 642/722.9 powered family
Still going strong
2014 ML350 Bluetec (wife's DD)
2013 E350 Bluetec (my DD)

both my kids cars went to junkyard in 2023
2008 ML320 CDI (Older son’s DD) fatal transmission failure, water soaked/fried rear SAM, numerous other issues, just too far gone to save (165k miles)
2008 E320 Bluetec (Younger son's DD) injector failed open and diluted oil with diesel, spun main bearings (240k miles)

1998 E300DT sold to TimFreeh
1987 300TD sold to vstech

You may have to check them every 500-1000 miles after that too....I have been checking mine every few months and I always find them tight....my car never had a valve adjust until I bought it like 2 years ago...

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