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'84 300D did not start this morning.... what happens when fuel "gels"???

759 Views 9 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  1985 300CD
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
1 - 3 of 10 Posts
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
MBZ:

I tried it from Neutral... Got nothing still
1 - 3 of 10 Posts
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