Rough cold start (brand new MB owner)
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Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3
Rough cold start (brand new MB owner)
Hello all,
I just bought a an 84 300D Turbo 5cyl 123 chassis. I am brand new to MB's and Diesels
. It runs great but I am trying to get to the bottom of a rough startup problem. It has been 40-60 degrees here in WI everytime I have started the car, but unless it is hooked up to its block heater the start is rough, it usually dies and then I restart and it blows a lot of white smoke and I have to let it warm up for a while while it idles rough. This is not really fun as I drive around town I am esp. fearful about next winter being places w/o a plug for my block heater. I have two thoughts of what I can do:
1st Glow Plugs, I have not done the continuity test, but will when I get time. The Glow plug indicator light works, but I wondered if they could just be operating less efficiently or maybe a few do not work and a few do. Does this happen? Anything I should look for in getting new plugs.
Also
2nd Diesel Purge Kit: the previous owner bragged about running it on straight WVO in summer (even though from the title I can see he only owned it this winter?) and 50/50 mix in winter. My fear is that he did not use a more robust (i.e. heavyier micron) fuel filter and I need to clean this thing out. How often should these diesels receive a purge?
Just for my own edification, if I was to run WVO would I need a heavier duty specialty set of fuel filters?
I appreciate the help considering that I have been bitten by the Merc. Diesel bug!
-TB
I just bought a an 84 300D Turbo 5cyl 123 chassis. I am brand new to MB's and Diesels
. It runs great but I am trying to get to the bottom of a rough startup problem. It has been 40-60 degrees here in WI everytime I have started the car, but unless it is hooked up to its block heater the start is rough, it usually dies and then I restart and it blows a lot of white smoke and I have to let it warm up for a while while it idles rough. This is not really fun as I drive around town I am esp. fearful about next winter being places w/o a plug for my block heater. I have two thoughts of what I can do:1st Glow Plugs, I have not done the continuity test, but will when I get time. The Glow plug indicator light works, but I wondered if they could just be operating less efficiently or maybe a few do not work and a few do. Does this happen? Anything I should look for in getting new plugs.
Also
2nd Diesel Purge Kit: the previous owner bragged about running it on straight WVO in summer (even though from the title I can see he only owned it this winter?) and 50/50 mix in winter. My fear is that he did not use a more robust (i.e. heavyier micron) fuel filter and I need to clean this thing out. How often should these diesels receive a purge?
Just for my own edification, if I was to run WVO would I need a heavier duty specialty set of fuel filters?
I appreciate the help considering that I have been bitten by the Merc. Diesel bug!
-TB
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 408
From: Carbondale, IL
Do not run WVO. Ever. Chances are your combustion chambers are gummed up with the crap and with the white smoke, it may already be too late for your engine.
What you need to do is remove all the WVO plumbing and throw it away. Fill your car with nice new diesel and get it completely tuned up. Poor cold starting is symptomatic of many things and you're not going to be able to figure out the real problem without making sure everything else is back in spec. Change the glow plugs, the fuel filters, the air filter and adjust the valves and then see how it runs after you've burned through a complete tank of fresh diesel.
What you need to do is remove all the WVO plumbing and throw it away. Fill your car with nice new diesel and get it completely tuned up. Poor cold starting is symptomatic of many things and you're not going to be able to figure out the real problem without making sure everything else is back in spec. Change the glow plugs, the fuel filters, the air filter and adjust the valves and then see how it runs after you've burned through a complete tank of fresh diesel.
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