It made it...BUT..... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ktang · #1 02-13-2003, 12:06 AM

Hey guys,

1980 240D MN

Ok..so it made it down to the cities and back this weekend...it finally started, really came down to the wire too - lotta cranking and cursin! Total of about 350 miles at 70mph...go benz! BUT, the thing takes a good 3 hours to start each time it has sat over night now!!! Before it did not do this! It started this behavior after I changed the fuel filter (which i poured in Heet and then it turned cloudy with bits, so I dumped that out and put in some Purge crap and screwed it on) Then I took off the leaky hand pump and put on a new one...with the copper washer..is that right? The car has been a beeeotch to start ever since. I cracked the injectors several times and cranked til the battery died and/or it look sufficiently wet, tightened them up...cranked, battery dies, jump - charge- crank..repeat for a good solid 3 hours so I could come home, - finally it started. I hope this process isn't going to be a normal thing...it has been very cold here (15 to -15F) but I remember when I first got it, it would start...Oh, when I finally did get it running I cracked each injector nut and let it bubble/spit for a bit then tightened it back down. Right now I have the battery on a slow trickle charge and a heater underneath the car going.

What is causing these 3 hours starting sessions? I thought I did everything right? The car is supposed to get better when you change the fuel filters and hand pump?! Right...argh!

Could it be a glow plug issue? Here is my normal starting procedure to date.

1. Get in car, turn get all the way over, but not to the cranking point, notch before that.

2. Wait for the solid glow plug light to go off

3. Turn key back, and turn all the way over to crank.

4. When the car does/did start the light flashes for a bit (20 sec?) and goes off...

5. Drive...woo hoo?

Thanks a ton!
-Kurt

300SDog · #2 02-13-2003, 06:23 AM

>>>2. Wait for the solid glow plug light to go off

>>>3. Turn key back, and turn all the way over to crank.

Am wondering why you turn the key back before cranking the engine??

What you are doing might interupt the electric circuit that glows your plugs..... or initiate another glow sequence that goes unfinished, as you turn the key directly into starter mode.

On my 112k low mileage '79 240D, i glow the plugs until the light goes out then turn the key *directly* into cranking mode. It has never failed to quickly start..... even with the older loop-style glow plugs.

#3 02-13-2003, 06:56 AM

I have seen some 80 models with loop plugs, and US models with pin type (parallel) plugs. If yours is the pin type system, it could be that in all this glowing and cranking to get it started after the filter change, you burned a glow plug. I have seen the shells burned completely through before.

If this is the problem, you cannot tell with a continuity test, you have to pull the plug and examine it visually.

If this is indeed a pin type system, I would make sure there is voltage at the plugs, if so, I would replace ALL of them.

Good luck,

leathermang · #4 02-13-2003, 09:22 AM

First, leave the glowplugs on about 45 seconds after the light goes out ... they continue to heat that long according to the FSM...

If you have electricity for a trickle charger you should have a block heater hooked up... either in the block (stock) or aftermarket( cut a hose)....this ' heater under the car' is not cutting it in such cold weather...

Wasuchi · #5 02-13-2003, 09:46 AM

Are you sure there isn't a leak at the spin-on filter? Since that is when the trouble started I would double and triple check the filters to make sure they aren't leaking (filling with air). Or the primer pump leaking.... getting air in the system. It sounds like you did everything right though. Bubbles when you crack the injectors make me think there is air in the system though.

The Heet you poured in was for Diesels? I haven't seen Heet for Diesels but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

psfred · #6 02-16-2003, 11:28 AM

Sounds like an air leak on the suction side -- either the hand pump isn't torqued down properly, or there was some dirt under the seal, or the hose from the tank is bad.

A flashing glow plug light means a bad glow plug -- did you manage to pull some wires loose while working on the hand pump?

Peter

fz500sel · #7 02-16-2003, 11:40 AM

Do like TxBill says. Glow plug replacement is not that expensive.