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300D hard to start when cold

10K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  HotPapa 
#1 ·
Hi:
I've been having great difficulties to start my 300D turbo in the morning. The engine is acting as if the glow plugs were worn out, but I changed these not too long ago. What else could cause this problem?
Thanks
 
#2 ·
300D Turbo hard to start

If you haven't changed your glow plugs in about ten years, that would be a cause. If battery, starter, and glow light are all working, the car should start quickly. If you have not replaced the 1/4" fuel line that loops across the top of your engine, do that. Any fuel line will work but the end-plugged tiny piece of hose in the back is worth replacing and is cheap at any MB parts window. After this improvement remove the cast aluminum crossover pipe on the top of your engine and bring it to any service station with a chemical bath parts bin and have them clean it out thoroughly. If you watch, you will not believe the crud that comes out. P.
 
#3 ·
Re: 300D Turbo hard to start

I have changed the glow plugs less than six months ago. The car has a new battery, and I have no starter problem. THe problem occurs only when the engine is cold (in the morning). After that it starts normally.

The 1/4" fuel line: are you talking about the thin mettallic ones? If so, I replaced all of these last summer.

I will try cleaning the crossover pipe as suggested. It is leaking by the way. Do you happen to know the gasket part no.?

Many thanks

Gregor
 
#4 ·
I have one too!

I have a 87 with 72,000 miles on it and it is sometimes difficult to start in cold weather. You did not say how many miles you have on your 300D. If it has very many miles, you might have an injector pump problem. After many miles, the pumps tend to loose their pressure (after being parked for a short time) and require a short time to rebuild it before delivering the proper pressure to the injectors. The problem is usually easily fixed by any reptuable company that rebuilds pumps. Around $300. US here in NC (Not by a MB dealer though)The pump should be removed and opened by an experienced mechanic) You might check with MB about this. It sounds like you have pretty much covered all of the minor things. I have owned over 20 different diesels, Kubota, MB, Cummins, Detroit, International, GM, and Perkins. They all eventually have this problem. Post your Email [^]
 
#5 ·
mileage and other info

i don't know what the exact mileage is, because the speedometer was disconnected for an unknown period of time. i did replace the injection pump about a year ago, a few months after I purchased the car.
I'll have it checked tomorrow morning
thx!
 
#7 ·
300D Turbo-replace the battery

I agree, the battery makes the difference. A 300D Turbo,1987, takes a group 49 size battery. I have one of these six cylinder turbo diesels with 216k miles. The original starter just died and was replaced. I also replaced the battery. If the glow plugs are recent, the battery new, there should be no problem starting as long as tou wait for the glow lug light to go out before turning the key! P.
 
#8 ·
Re: I'd double check the battery. The 300D requires a lot of juice to start especially when c

What type of battery did you install?
It's an 88-amp. I bought it in October.
I had the plugs checked, and two of them need to be changed.
My question now is: what could cause the plugs to wear in such a short period of time?
 
#9 ·
You know it's funny...twice I've had a problem with my MB and twice I've looked here and f...

You know it's funny...twice I've had a problem with my MB and twice I've looked here and found someone else recently posted with a similiar issue.

My 87 300D starts fine in the morning but my problem is getting going. I've only had this problem since the weather has gotten cold and it is tiwce a day, in the morning when, here in Las Vegas, it is typically in the 30's or 40's and in the afternoon when it's in the 50's or 60's. My car just won't GO! First, it's REALLY rough when it's cold, even if I let it warm up for 10 or 15 minutes. Then, when I put it in reverse to take it out of the garage it might as well be in netural for 15 or 20 seconds, just nothing. I pull out of the driveway and put it in drive and again, 15 or 20 seconds before it will go. It doesn't slam into gear or anything, it just won't go. Once I get on the road it runs REALLY rough for a little while and doesn't want to shift gears. By the time I get 10 minutes down the road to my freeway entrance and get on the freeway it's normal and normal all the way to work.

I posted an a hello 3 months ago when I bought this car. I was actually looking for a newer MB when my lease was up on my last car then I found my car. I am in sales and do a lot of driving, so I liked the idea of a diesel, and the more I thought about it I liked the idea of not buying another newer car that I would run the miles up on until it was worthless. My car is in really great shape, around 100k miles, and according to Kelly Blue Book I got a pretty good deal on it. In the three months I've been driving my car not one person has realized just how old it is. I am getting ready soon to have it painted (I don't like the blue color it is and am painting it black) and putting on chrome wheels from a newer E-class.

Anyway, back to my issue. When I was in college I worked as a paramedic in Atlantic City NJ and our ambulances were diesel. I remember when they started to get some milage on them they acted the same way. As a solution we kept them running all the time. On the night shift we kept our ambulances on the pad running all night long, otherwise when we'd get a call we'd never get them going. That is not a solution for me since obviously I can't leave my car running in the garage all night [;)]

Anyone else have this problem with their 300D and if so any suggestions?
 
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