What an adventure.
I flew down south and snagged a fairly rust free 300TD.
It has sat for a while and hadn’t been run. The guy I bought it from put a couple of fuel filters on, checked the fluids and ran it a bit.
I flew down with the intention of driving it six hours home. Here’s a portion of what happened.
I took it to a car wash and it wouldn’t start right away for me after that. I wasn’t surprised. I gave it five minutes and it started for me.
Then I drove to a gas station, turned it off and couldn’t get it started again without a jump.
I drove it for two hours and pulled over for a break. I then noticed and re-searched the hydraulic fluid for the SLS was all over the place under the reservoir and below the car. I didn’t see any of the lines leaking, but the dipstick cap was cracked. I’m assuming that’s where all the fluid was pushing its way out.
With little options, I decided to go ahead and push through with the trip leaving the reservoir as it was to leak out more fluid.
I stopped again after a couple more hours of driving. It wouldn’t start even with a jump. Then I noticed that the big fuse with the metal strip across two Phillips head screws was broke. I apologize for forgetting the name of that part. I even looked it up and couldn’t find it. I’m tired. It’s on the driver side wheel well inside the engine compartment with a square plastic cover.
I know I shouldn’t have done it, or at least I think I shouldn’t have done it… But I was a couple states away from home so I took a wire and bridged Between the two Phillips head screws and it started. I left the wire there and drove until I had to pull over and fall asleep.
I left the car running fearing any further starting issues and fell asleep. I woke up to a fairly loud whirring sound. It made me immediately turn the car off.
When I turned the key to the on position, the whirring would start again. I kept trying it with the same result. The sound definitely came from the engine compartment and it’s hard for me to tell what it was. The engine wasn’t running and I couldn’t hear the valves or the exhaust… I could just hear a loud winding or whirring sound like something was turning. I didn’t turn the key to the start position… Only to the on position.
Since I’m still an hour or so away from home, I decided to post here for help.
Then just a moment ago I turned the key to the on position and there was no sound… And then the car started normal.
So I’m going to drive home now and hopefully hear from you all about what the heck just happened.
Thanks in advance
I’ve owned a few diesel sedans. This is my first wagon. It has a couple a few rust spots that I wasn’t expecting… But it is fairly rust free. But man oh man is there a lot of repairs to do…
Any help finding two rear tail lenses would be appreciated as well. Like a clear used set? I’m seeing nasty used ones, Chinese knock off ones, and $400 new ones.
This journey has only begun

OneNote… When I was turning the key to the on position and hearing the winding whirring sound, I did start it once. The car started and the winding whirring sound was still there. I didn’t leave it run long. I turned it off immediately

When you say that it didn't want to start was it a crank-no-start or nothing at all from the starter?

Whirring with the key on but engine off is either the aux fan in front of the car or a blower motor under the dash neither of which is serious.

If you run the sls dry the sls pump will wear out from lack of lubrication. Maybe someone on here knows a commonly available substitute to the original fluid that can save your pump.

As far as the rear lights you can sand off the oxidation and then polish them plenty of online tutorials on that.

Good luck!

Also sleeping with the engine on is not always a great idea. If it loses coolant or overheats you won't know. And if the blower stops working then thats not ideal either because then its possible for carbon monoxide to accumulate in the car and you know how that can end.

About the fuse

You can easily install a single fuse holder that they sell at any autozone, oreillys without altering the original wiring

Yes. When I say it didn’t start, the lights on the dash came on with the key in the on position… Starter didn’t engage at all.
I would have recognized the sound of a blower motor or an auxiliary fan. The winding or whirring sound was pretty major. Almost a grinding.
Rear tail lenses are broken

Regarding the fuse.
It was the glow plug relay that I was referencing. The metal between the Phillips head screws broke

Next time the starter doesn't engage try staring it with the transmission in Neutral. Just make sure your car doesn't roll while you do this.

The metal part that broke is an 80 Amp fuse called a glow plug relay fuse here is example of just one of many places to find them https://**************.com/store/80-amp-glow-relay-strip-fuse-3-pack

Don't worry about bridging it with a wire....it is a common TEMPORARY fix. Just get a new fuse and if that blows there is an issue with either the glow plugs (which I would change out anyway) or the relay itself. Both are readily available.

From the sounds of it, the loud whirring sound may be the starter itself shorting out and trying to turn/engage while the engine was running. If it does it again, turn off the key and if it still does it, pull the cables off the battery, that should definitely stop it.

__________________
2012 Mercedes ML350 Bluetec 91K (hers)
2005 Corvette 55K (fun car)
2002 VW Jetta TDI 231K (mine)
1998 Volvo S70 T5 Turbo 196K (kids)
1994 Ford F150 4WD 249K (firewood hauler)
1983 Mercedes 300D 376K (diesel commuter)

Definitely was trying the ‘putting it in neutral’ trick to no avail.
Here’s a question that I think will help me understand what was going on. And I don’t think it was the starter trying to engage necessarily.
When I turn my key to on I know that the glow plugs are working. What else is going on in there in the ‘on key’ position? Any pumps? Oil pumps?

Perhaps someone added an electric fuel pump to the car? Creating the noise you hear. Car been on veggie oil? Big deal is no real serious issues with the engine or transmission showed up on the trip. Actually just some far less serious items..

Hmmm. I’ll check about the electric pump. I know some biodiesel was burned thru it, which I realize wouldn’t necessitate any mods to the system. But I’m without the cars full history so that’s a great guess. And would be a lot closer to the sound I heard. Now that I think of it, it did sound like a dry pump.
Yes, the best news was the car made it and mechanically, it seems like what is going to be needed is just normal maintenance and repair that was let go.
There’s a lot I didn’t mention, however.
I was crushed to discover that when it rains outside, it rains inside.
And there is some missing oil from the trip. I can imagine cranking this girl up over 80 miles an hour for hours at a time… after not being driven for quite a while… it might burn some oil. But I’m Thinking more oil is missing them could have been burned. I’m going to have to clean off the hydraulic fluid off the entire bottom of the car and inside the engine compartment before I start digging into that question.
Lots and lots of work ahead.

Other than radiator fan, the only other underhood motor I can think of is the "aux water pump". It is powered by the pushbutton switch. They can be problematic, even start a dash fire if they stall, but not in my two 300D's because I ripped them out. There are some electric vacuum switches in the convoluted EGR system, but those are gone in my cars too, other than the "switchover valve" on the firewall (might be just 1985). If chattering, you would hear it on the firewall. The heater monovalve is also a solenoid, even bigger, so perhaps could chatter is something is a bit off. Also on the firewall, so easy to hear.

A "no crank" issue is usually easy to find and cheap to fix. It could be as simple as the battery terminals need brushing clean. You can jump power the starter solenoid at the small terminal strip in front of the battery by jumpering the little screw to the big screw.

__________________
1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

Not understanding some of it. If you can reliably make the sound return you should be able to open the hood and try to find where the sound is coming from.

Some people have lost engines driving old Mercedes they have not worked on previous to it getting back on the road. Leaking Oil Cooler Hoses have come off their connections and so on.

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Not understanding some of it. If you can reliably make the sound return you should be able to open the hood and try to find where the sound is coming from.

Some people have lost engines driving old Mercedes they have not worked on previous to it getting back on the road. Leaking Oil Cooler Hoses have come off their connections and so on.

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

The motor mounts on my ‘85 300TD collapsed so badly that the oil pan crushed the hard steel SLS line that runs on the crossmember under the engine. Its just a low pressure line ( I think?), so I just bypassed it from above with a long piece of rubber fuel hose. It made a mess of the underside of the engine area as a bunch of the fluid leaked out before I noticed. My rubber hose bypass was just supposed to be temporary but it’s been running fine this way for around 5 years now.
I think some people have had incidents of collapsed motor mounts cause the motor to lean over and cause the power steering belt to saw it’s way through the oil cooler lines. That would really make a mess and cause catastrophic engine damage in a very short period of time. Hopefully that’s not your whirring noise or part of the oily mess you have?