After not having any problem starting, even in our limited Memphis, TN cold weather, I got in my '83 240D yesterday afternoon to go home(after having drove it to work yesterday) and my glow plug light only came on for about three seconds and went off. This has been an intermittent problem for some time now, but I have always been able to turn the key off then back on to get the glow plugs to burn. Yesterday, nothing would make the glow plugs come on. I tried starting it anyways, and it almost started but after some time the battery went down. I charged the battery back up and tapped on the side of the glow plug relay and got the glow plug light to come one, but after trying for quite some time to start the car, it turns over but doesn't even try to hit. I even pushed the car inside my building to warm up to 72 degrees and put the battery charger on it and gave the battery a full charge, but it still won't start this morning. At 72 degrees, the car would pretty much start even if the glow plugs didn't work in my experience. Now my car is stranded at work and I was looking for suggestions before I give up and have it towed home. Could it be flooded? If so what do you do to get it started? Could my fuel pump or fuel pump relay have gone out during the extended periods of trying to start it? Help! I'm desperate.

I think the things you have said are correct... and keep in mind the actual " glowplug light" has little actual connection with the glowplugs working.. are you using the 45 seconds of the key in the glowplug position ? They keep heating for about that long after the light goes off even when it is working normally ( like the 15 seconds)....
But you are correct that a normal engine Turned fast.. should start without the glowplugs AT ALL.... not easy on the starter sometimes... but the physics are there in the FAST compression of the gases...
So at this point I really suggest you get a new battery and be sure the wires connected to it are connected WELL . The chances of " flooding" are one in a zillion.. go for the simple things like your engine is not turning over fast enough to give you combustion temps ... then check your fuel filters.... do you have the clear " inline fuel pre filter' ? Any chance you have algae in your system ? Are you sure you have fuel in your tank ?

Check the strip fuse in the glow plug relay. It could be cracked, so the best thing is to remove it completely to make sure it is intact.

__________________
Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

I'm with Rick here as I've faced this issue:

1. Make sure the little metal fuse is not cracked or even 'bent'.

2. Tap the glo relay box on the side and see if you have a loose connection. We were able to smack ours to action a couple of times before we replaced it.

Don

__________________
DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed

You guys ganging up on me... then the question is... would that keep an engine from starting and running ?
I now think it is probably fuel filter related....

Is the car by any chance a manual transmission car?

I am pretty sure the car is not starting now because the starter and battery are not spinning the crank fast enough to support ignition of the Diesel fuel. And the longer you crank unsuccessfully, the slower the engine spins as the weaker the charge on the battery gets, the hotter the starter gets, and I think extended cranking may increase friction between the cylinder and the piston as the unburned injected fuel washes the oil film away. A push start will get things going again, and clean out the combustion chambers (only really a practical solution if you have a manual transmission).

I would check all the glow plugs as when it gets chilly a bad plug or two will make starting much harder than it needs to be. Bad plugs, a weak battery and possibly a weak starter will conspire to make your winter miserable.

Also, based on my own experience, I would check the motor movement when the starter is engaged. If the engine is flopping around and the driver's side mount is broken, you are expending an extraordinary amount of the available energy from the battery and starter lifting the engine up to let it drop a few times per crank revolution. I had this situation on our 1982 240D and it eventually broke the starter and loosened the exhaust manifold joint to the head. The problem is very obvious if you watch the engine while someone else engages the starter.

Well, good luck and I hope the car has a manual transmission. A couple yards at a decent clip, drop it in 3rd and let the clutch go with the starting key in the run position. Should fire up in a few feet. Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Make sure you have fuel in the tank.
Had this happen to me, fuel gage read about 1/3 full, when it sputtered and quit running.
Took me awhile to figure it out, now I reset the trip odometer every time I fuel up.
You'll have to bleed out the fuel system, to get the air out.
And yes, they will FLOOD OUT with to much fuel, washes off the cylinder walls causing low compression.
Been there with one that I bought that would not run, they tried to start it to many times with bad glow plugs and either.

edit: had to go,
But to get it started, after tow truck brought it home, pulled nozzels out, put motor oil in each cylinder through the nozzel holes.
Spunn engine with starter, (with nozzels OUT) did this three times, adding engine oil each time, to make sure engine oil lubricated the cylinder walls.
With new glow plugs, bleeding the fuel system, finally started, hitting and missing, but cleared up, after a lot of smoke and shaking.
Had a lot of blowby out of the valve cover, but that did clear up after a hard drive.

ARkie, What happened ?