Hello, So, we spent the day trying to get the 85 300TD started. It had been starting fine even down to - 30C.....then all of a sudden it has been acting like it has a dead battery.

This afternoon, I have put the battery on the charger and even brought it into the house and the light on the charger keeps saying it is fully charged.

I cleaned the posts up and had block heater and lower rad hose heater plugged in. I even added a litre of nice warm oil from inside the house. I hook up the warmed up battery and turn the key...it is unusually hard to turn the key this time and now the friggin glow plug light won't come on???
I got it to crank over and it seemed to be normal cranking speed for only 15 seconds and then all of a sudden it reverts back to seeming like the battery is drained too low and the starter is barely growling. The battery is only 3 years old.

I tried a few more times and the ignition seems to be getting more difficult to turn each time. I can't help but think this is why the glow light is'nt coming on....I was wondering if it is possible that there is something inside the ignition tumbler mechanism that is causing a dead short and draining all the juice out of the battery leaving me with slow starter speed. Also is there something inside the ignition that would have something to do with the glow plugs not coming on?

I have a steering column in the garage out of a 1983 or 84 (not sure) euro model 300D and I also have a steering column out of a 1988 420 sel. The newer w126 420 sel column has the telescopic power feature that moves the column in and out. It is kinda cool and I was wondering if anyone knows whether or not the w126 steering column will fit the w123 wagon that I am assuming needs a new tumbler or ignition mechanism.

I have heard this is not a fun job, and was just going to swap out the entire column to make this easier. I will be working outside and it is like -41C out there so I have to be quick. I'll hook the telescopic wiring up later in the summer if the w126 column bolts in or if it does'nt fit at all, I'll put the euro w123 column in. Thanks.

I wouldn't be surprised if they are the same but am skeptical about whether that will solve the problem. Have you tested your battery? I will always recommend starting with the most simple things as they are easily overlooked in times of stress. Grounding both the engine to chassis and battery to chassis, positive cable to starter from battery and good connections at the battery. A jumper wire can be used to bypass the ignition switch if the switch is suspected and these cars can always be started by pulling them. If they have fuel, compression and air they should start.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

How could you tell I was severely stressed last night when I wrote that post? That might even be an understatement...perhaps my brain was frozen and I was tired. It was -41c last night. I plugged my car in at school the night before all these problems came up. I mentioned to the chem. teacher at the end of class that I was thankful that they had plug-ins at school cause I was not sure my car would start without being plugged in. He said that he never plugs his truck in at school cause he is worried about having the block heater ruined cause the plug-ins oscilate between being turned on for 15 minutes and then off for 15 minutes and he heard a rumour that it is not good for the block heater.....

Well guess what....my block heater now is not working! I will have to tell him.
Any reason or truth to that rumour?

Tried again this a.m and it is no go again. I am going to try to bypass the ignition at the terminals on the fender.
What is needed....so far I figure that I need to unplug the vacuum from the shut off port on the injector pump. Anything else? I guess I'll be going it without glow plugs if this is done or is there a trick to making those come on without turning the key?

Trying to work out problems at those temps turns everything into a stressout exercise.

I had an identical failure mode last winter when it hit around -20 C. The relay was not activating, but I also thought it was my ignition switch. I also had the sudden change in cranking speed you describe.

As soon as it warmed up the relay worked again. Then died when it hit -25 the next time, only this time I knew it could not be the swtich. Put in a used one and it worked fine after.

Do you have a spare relay you can try?

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22