[jtoma878]

This is my first experience with a diesel. I just started driving the '84 300D I bought only 3 days ago. So far I have had a pretty good experience, but not this morning.

Last night it was about +3 F out. I did not have the oppertunity to plug in the block heater. This morning when I turned they key, (after turning the key on & off about 4 times to get the glow plugs going multiple times), the motor would not even crank. I got nothing. Keep in mind, my battery is 2 days old, and has plenty of CCA's for this motor (1000).

Is this what happens when the fuel "gels"??? Like I said this is my first experience with a diesel. I would have at least expected the motor to turn over.

Any advise would help. Also, I was considering maybe doing the 20-30% mixture with kerosene. I have read about this. Would this help my problem??? I only ask because I do not have the option to plug in my all the time.


Thanks guys!!!

Joe T
'01 CLK 320
'84 300D

 

[84300DTurbo]

hmm, batt 2 days old...
1st thing to do is make sure the battery cable connections are tight. sounds like you are not even getting any juice to the starter. how do you know the engine won't start if the starter won't turn it over?
i would doubt very much that you have gelled fuel unless the car has been sitting around since the summer without running a/o you have very little fuel in the tank.
you can cut the fuel with a percentage of kero but it's usually not necessary due to in the winter diesel fuel
up here in the north has ant-gell additives already in it at the pump.

 

[lancer]

I've got to go along with 84300Dturbo, your fuel has nothing to do with the engine not turning over. Check your battery wires, and check to make sure you did not leave anything on accidently, running your battery down without you knowing it. Try jumpstarting it and see if it fires up for you.

 

[jtoma878]

ok, got it started..... went back to it on my lunch break around 2:30PM. Tried all the same steps, and got nothing. Had my friend try to jump it, same thing.

Funny thing I was thinking of is that when you turned the key, it acted like the car was not in park. You know what I mean? Like if you tried to start your car while in Drive, you would get nothing. Keeping this in mind I thought that maybe the tranny didn't fully shift into park when I got home last night b/c I was kinda parked half on a snow bank.

Here's what I did:

Now this might sound crazy but I got out of the car and pushed it back and forth a little bit from the front windshield pillar by the driver's side door. I rocked it back and forth a bit hoping it would lock into park. After doing this I get in and BAM!!! Turns right over. Now I know a bit about cars and I know this all sounds crazy...... but is it possible????

Joe T

 

[MBeige]

Sounds like the neutral safety switch. You got a good hunch there!

 

[MBZ300CD]

karugs - 1/24/2005 1:14 PM

Sounds like the neutral safety switch. You got a good hunch there!

A way for jtoma878 to check this would be to put the gear selector in "N" or "P" and while turning the key to the start position, gently move the gear selector back and forth, staying near the "N" or "P" position. Of course it may just start if put in the "N" position.

 

[jtoma878]

MBZ:

I tried it from Neutral... Got nothing still

 

[Mr. Byrnzoyl]

are you removing the key in between glow plug sessions... on mine, after the glow plugs fire, if it does not start, you must remove the key from the ignition b-4 trying again.

You shouldn't need to run the glow plugs 4x.

good luck,
RObert

 

[84300DTurbo]

as a side note don't forget that you can leave the starter motor cranking beyond the firing of one or two cylinders until you think they are all firing, with no damage to the starter, unlike a gasser.

in this respect do not leave the starter motor cranking for more than about 30 seconds to avoid overheating. (yes it can overheat even at 0 deg F ambient!!)

i have found that doing the above will enable more successful first time very cold starts.

as we all know once the engine is going it's going
[]

 

[1985 300CD]

I tryed to start my Coupe for the second day in a row. No start. It just snowed too. Very cold. Just cranks. Anybody think they know what happened?