I cleaned all the Feed pump area with brake cleaner yesterday. Today I noticed that there was a smell of diesel and the EGR pipe had some fuel on it. Cleaned it off and took another run and there was fuel there again. Of course, it barely started after I shut it off. Took many tries. I think I am going to need to change all the plastic lines for a start.


I know that the engine was hot after a 10 mile run and I shut it off, got a sandwich and tried starting it again but it wouldn't catch. In the garage where it is warm, it starts easier by dying out only once or twice. Outside in the 40 deg air, it took many tried with me keeping the thing cranking too.

I started it up and let it run while I cleaned everything off again with brake cleaner. In spite of my diziness after inhaling too much of the fumes, I saw that the hoses are dry and there is a drip every 30 seconds or so of diesel from the shutoff valve.

There ya go.. The infamous shut-off valve. Take car of that and you'll probably be all set.

__________________
#dieselFLEET
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'97 E300
'99 E300

Perhaps. How do you tell if it is the valve or the O-rings that might be there? What has shutting off got to do with starting, BTW? Not challanging you but just curious. TIA

The reason it affects starting is that as fuel is leaking out, air is leaking in to replace it. This air in the fuel lines cause the injection pump to lose it's prime. It can take a lot of revolutions for the injection pump to purge itself of that air and begin pumping fuel again. Until it does you don't fire on any cylinders that have air going to them. If you don't already have the updated parts you should replace all the formed lines at the pump and your filters being sure to get a new o-ring for the prefilter too.

Hello Jim H
Living where you do; you get plenty of practice checking your glow plugs.
I have checked mine twice this year, found a bad one each time.
Quality of parts seems to be an issue the last couple of years.
I will be ordering spares this month.

Hi whunter,

Well, it's not really cold, was 40-ish. The 5" of snow Wednesday made it more interesting, though... It turned my 3 hour drive home from Detroit into a 5 hour drive, since I went through the heart of it.

The SDL never missed a beat, but the windshield wipers and body trim like to interfere with each other when the wipers get iced over.

For the good of the group, my experience...

The glow plug indicator failed to light one day. I checked, using the method I described, and found #4 read Open. BTW, I did this check in the parking lot at the job site between meetings, so it really is quick and easy.

The next time I started the engine, the glow lamp worked. My bad, I assumed a miracle cure.

The glow indicator worked fine for each start for the next 3-4 weeks, then stopped again. That time, I tested and found #4 and #6 were Open.

Moral of the story

The glow indicator may work fine with one 'bad' plug, as others have said on this forum.

If there are starting 'issues' do the ohmeter test, it will find Open plugs. It may, or may not find marginal plugs, but it will find an open plug.

Best Regards,
Jim

P.S. Glow plug removal on the OM603 was not nearly the struggle I was anticipating.

Well, so far, I tested what I think are the glow plugs and the resistance is anywheres from 0.9 to 1.1. I cannot test the wire right now with the manifold on. Anyways, if the wire is bad, the plug should be reading infinity so I am assuming that the wires are good unless told otherwise.

What is the next thing to do? I know there is a puddle of diesel on the floor since I know that the ****off valve leaks. The dealership has said they would like to look at it and if they are paying for it, I suppose that a good thing. However, I would like to know what is wrong before I get there.

The resistance sounds consistent with good plugs, and since you read a low resistance, the wire must be good.

It's only if there is an Open reading that there is a possibility of an open wire, or an open glow plug, and thus a need to double-check the wire.

Sounds like your problems are boiling down to something fuel related.

Good luck at the dealer.

Best Regards,
Jim

Well, the fixed the leak problem. You see, the last tech who did it before
it was sold just changed the shutoff valve. That wasn't going to fly because
the lines are now disturbed and leaked. They change one line, followed by
the second and the third and then they changed all the lines and the shutoff
valve and the O-ring. They changed the valve and put it as a parts warranty
so nobody is shorted although it was their fault for not changing the O-ring
and the hoses that were now leaking. I alsk talked them into changing the
fuel filter and pre-filter.

Now, I need to check the head bolster for the driver side
because it will not work properly. If I push it upwards manually, it works
when I use the switch. Otherwise it stays put. Of course, at the shop it
worked perfectly.

I appreciate this thread very much. I am going to have to begin the testing and see if I can get my TD in better starting shape.. Seems I have many of the symptoms of an air leak combined with older, yet functioning G plugs.

__________________
'85 white 300SD - "YCAGWYW" as in: "You Can't Awlays Get What You Want."
'85 gold 300D - "Pain"..for sale, as in..Anyone want to date my Ex-wife... I'll Pay !!
'83 300td - "Tumblin" as in "Dice"
'81 black 300TD Fenix, risen and sold, now residing in NJ