SRJ has an '06 211 with the OM648 straight six CDi engine. I'm sure it has provisions for a block heater, but no idea whether it comes pre-installed.

I wonder if it is the same as the w210/OM606 combo. We got those with the block heater installed, but you had to amble down to the dealer and get a cord to plug it in...

Here in Virginia Beach, VA this morning we had 15 deg F temperatures.

My 2005 CDI glowed for a few seconds, then fired right up.

Since it's a Texas car, I have not seen a plug and harness for the block heater, but if it starts like this when it's 15 deg F, I don't see any need for one.

Jim

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Not for here Texas necessarily, but when in Nebraska or on-the-road in the wintertime.

I referenced Bluetecs for any other W211 owners of the V6 that may have had experience with the block heater too.

Yes, the M648. I too, had the block heater install when I bought it new from MB dealer. I specifically instructed that it, and the front license plate holder on the W210/OM606 be installed from new, as complimentary add-ons included from MB.

Jim, I don't guess it's necessary to start down to 0 deg F, I just want one for up north and easier starts.


This is a good place to perhaps get my thoughts and other concerns/Qs out there on these (newer diesels).

My 1st MB diesel was the 83 300SD. It's Owners Manual gave explicit and complete Cold Weather starting procedures. I followed those procedures one cold morning down around 15 F, and they worked.

The W210/OM606's Owners Manual had no such instructions as I recall. However, I would glow it twice before cranking a cold start without the block heater plugged-in. The glow plug dashboard light on the OM606 indicates a several second time delay before it's ready to crank.

The W211 M648 glow plug indicator seems to be just a formality of sorts because it flashes for about 1 second, before indicating the engine is ready to be cranked.

Does the glow continue, or does it extinguish electrical glow when the light goes out? If it does keep glowing, would it not make sense to wait a couple three more seconds to let it do a bit more preheating?

My thoughts on the short glow-cycle indicator are these; does this engine not require much of a glow time because of advanced glowing capability on this car model? Or, is it just a formality because of this engine's lower compression than previous MB diesels? Which doesn't seem to make sense, because after all the explosion process is because of the compressed airspace. So, why the short glow-cycle?

Further, if these newer MB diesels, CDI and newer have lower compression, do these lower compression engines not need much if any glowing? Which brings me to the notion that maybe they won't benefit from a technical standpoint from a block heater, as much as the previous MB diesels did.

Your thoughts please?

I think there are two things contributing to the short glow time on the newer diesels. One is that they are direct injection engines rather than the prechamber design used on the OM606 and earlier. The older indirect injection engines lose significant heat through the prechamber, which makes them more difficult to start (and is also why they deliver lower MPG).

As well, glow plug technology seems to have improved. They heat more quickly.

As to whether the glow plugs stay on after starting on the newer diesels, I am not sure. I think the answer is yes, but am not certain.

I'm not sure if the CDI engines have better glowplugs but from the limited number of cold-starts I've done it seems you can add 'cold-starts' as yet another area where the CDI engines out-do the old IDI pre-chamber designs.

I've done about 10 cold soaked starts under 20F and my engine seems to fire on the first compression stroke. It starts the same in 12F weather as it does in 85F weather.

With the advent of synthetic oil requirements in the newer engines I'm not thinking block heaters are all that necessary anymore. I can vividly remember trying to start 220D's with 15w-40 oils in 5F conditions and after a couple of hours of block heater usage the difference in cranking speed was amazing - thick oil is just a huge drag.

Also remember a block heater won't do anything if your fuel is gelled in the tank screen or fuel lines. I've found that even winterized #2 starts to have flow issues below 0F.

Hopefully somebody from Wisconsin or Minnesota with a CDI could provide more helpful data. Two people from Texas and the mid-atlantic region really aren't the people to talk to for true cold-start data.

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Good point, and I am quite happy to be ignorant in the area of cold starting. During the last really cold snap I did have to get my diesel running; it was parked in the street because the driveway was too icy to traverse. It was a 123 with OM617, so I guess it's been a while since we had single digits down here in Dallas.

I've been living in Minnesota since 2008. Same year I bought my 2005 E320 CDI. The coldest I've ever seen it here so far was -30 F . At that temperature I simply cycle the glow plugs twice. It starts immediately after that. Rattles for about 5 seconds, then back to normal. This is after 9 hours, parked outside, -30.

I have inquired about an engine block heater. My dealer says there is no OEM option because these cars simply don't need it. There are a few options when it comes to oil pan heaters. Problem is you'll have to cut a lot of insulation that's around the oil pan to be able to attach the heating pad. To me this didn't make sense. I trust the Germans knew what they were doing. These cars drive all over Norway, Sweden, and such without issues. Like I said, in the six years that I've owned this thing I've never had a problem.

If you want info on that oil pan heater let me know. I'll dig it up somewhere.