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#1
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Minor Starting Problem Today With 300D
This morning was the coldest since I've owned the car (40f). I let her glow for 5 seconds after light turned off, cranked and fired right up! however, after about 2-3 seconds, she quit? I glowed again, fired up and off we went on our 75 mile commute. The same event occured on the way home this evening. Am I right in assuming my glow plugs are bad? Even though it started and ran for a couple seconds? Thanks
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2012 550CLS 1982 380SL 1985 300D 1998 ML-320 1997 E-320 1984 380SE |
#2
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You should start your car as soon as the light goes off...by waiting 5 seconds you have let the glow plug cool off.
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1983 300SD 343K everyday car 1983 300SD 285K from junk yard-tooks parts from deer car- runs great. Brothers car. 1984 300SD parts car-Hit deer 1979 300D 175K non-turbo "Doctor" 1979 300d parts car |
#3
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The glowplugs should stay on a while after the light goes off. More likely the problem is dirty fuel filters or an air leak in the suction line. A friend on mine always changes his mother's fuel filters every fall, she no longer has starting problems.
A rotten suction line will cause air to get trapped in the injection pump, and when cold with the concommitant poor initial combustion, the engine stalls. The glowplug light doesn't blink once in a while does it? If it does, you have a bad glowplug. You may, anyway -- I had terrible starting problems with the Volvo, turned out to be the Champion glow plugs I put in (same part as for the MBs) -- filament pulled off the end, leaving a nice little hole, and welded to the side. Still pulls current, but doesn't heat the tip, won't start. Inadequate glow plugs will certainly cause stalling a few seconds after starting -- usually also cause rough initial idle and while smoke. Peter
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1972 220D ?? miles 1988 300E 200,012 1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles 1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000 1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs! |
#4
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My bad Guys!! I feel stupid, but my answer awaited me in the owners manual. I guess I have to pump the gas pedal a couple of times during cold start. So I did, and the car started fine and continued to run fine. Duhh! Although I still think my glowplugs could be on the way out. Thanks again.
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2012 550CLS 1982 380SL 1985 300D 1998 ML-320 1997 E-320 1984 380SE |
#5
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Waiting a few seconds after the glow plug light goes off is a good idea
in cold weather. It's true that the plugs no longer get current and begin to cool, but their heat is being transferred to the air in the prechamber, which is exactly what is needed to start the car.
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#6
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If you listen very carefully, you can hear the glowplug relay "clink" as is shuts off, well after the light has gone out. ( at least another 20-30 seconds, but possibly up to 90 secs.)
-Larry
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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein 09 Jetta TDI 1985 300D |
#7
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You beat me too it, Larry, the light is only an indication, you can hear when the relay drops out.
There is a circuit that provides a fast idle for startups (Cadillac uses a similar system, btw if anyone cares). I am told it is a high failure rate item, and apparently mine has failed, because I always have to put a little pressure on the accelerator pedal to rev the tach up to about 800-900rpm until the engine holds that idle speed by itself. However, as the repair part is around $100, I feel confident in my ability to provide a "manual" fast idle for startups... |
#8
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You might also want to change your oil to winter weight (10W30), or to synthetic, for easier starts.
Peter
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1972 220D ?? miles 1988 300E 200,012 1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles 1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000 1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs! |
#9
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psfred,
You have been posting a lot today that hasbeen sparking my interest... You asked about if the glow plug light comes on once in a while, indicating a bad plug. Is there any specific timing as to when it would light up? I knwo this summer when I would be commuting very early in the morning, my seatbely light would often blink even though it was attached, but sometimes the glow plug light would come on, which I thought was quite odd. but it was completely random, and often it would not even light up all the way, it would just flicker a bit then go out. Any info on the glow plug light would be appreciated. Thanks JMH
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Current Diesels: 1981 240D (73K) 1982 300CD (169k) 1985 190D (169k) 1991 350SD (113k) 1991 350SD (206k) 1991 300D (228k) 1993 300SD (291k) 1993 300D 2.5T (338k) 1996 Dodge Ram CTD (442k) 1996 Dodge Ram CTD (265k) Past Diesels: 1983 300D (228K) 1985 300D (233K) |
#10
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Alan S,
If you engine starts easily, the GP have done their job. They are shut off when the engine is running therefore have no effect on the engine after it is running. Stalling when an engine is cold is normal if you don't rev it up a little. P E H |
#11
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I'm not sure of the exact sequence, it is different for different models, but I think that if one plug is out, the lamp will flash after you start, if two are out, the lamp doesn't light, but flashes after you start, and if more than two are out, never comes on at all. Distinct one second or so on-off sequence, not dull glow.
I would suspect you have a loose wire on the ignition switch or on the glowplug relay, so it gets false on/off signals, or a bad ground in the dash so that you have current backfeeds. I had a bad ground on my Volvo headlight, left side low beam -- caused the dash lights and gas guage to "flash" with the turn signal, all four lamps were on, very dim, on low beams, and would go out with the flasher. Put the ground wire on a good terminal, entire problem vanished. Weird. Peter
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1972 220D ?? miles 1988 300E 200,012 1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles 1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000 1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs! |
#12
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Could someone explain what the 'increased idle speed' system is on the newer 617's without the manual idle control knob. Mine may not be functioning wellon my 85td.
On my 77 300d if I try to start immediately after the glow plug light goes off it takes a few revolutions of the crank before it fires up. If I wait 40 seconds it starts on the first compression stroke. So, the glow plugs can't be cooling down in that period.
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1977 300d 70k--sold 08 1985 300TD 185k+ 1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03 1985 409d 65k--sold 06 1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car 1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11 1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper 1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4 1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13 |
#13
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Kerry is right. The GP continue to heat until the relay clicks off and not when the dash mounted GP indicator plug goes off.
The longer the GP are on, the quicker the engine will start. P E H |
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