I've been told not to use ether as a starting fluid on my 77 300D but that person didn't tell me what to use. I've searched the archives and some say ether, some say WD40. I'm afraid to use ether because of the damage it could do.

I'd appreciate your help.

JFC697077

the best starting fluid is none

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starting fluid and MB diesels do not go together well.
Find your cause on not starting and fix

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James,

You live in SO CA, if the engine system is in marginal condition, you don't need starter fluid. Its just not cold enough here.

Now perhaps you can let us know about the engine, what you have checked, your procedure for starting etc etc etc. How long have you had the car, when were the valves last adjusted, what service records do you have.

Then perhaps we can help you.

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This is a trick question, right?

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I just finished adjusting the valves and setting the IP timing. It took several revolutions to start. It did start after the lines were cleared of air. I just thought it would be a quicker start if it had some help in order to save wear and tear on the battery and starter.

jfc607077

not worth the effort. With properly adjusted valves and IP timing, you've done far more to extend the life of the battery and starter than you could ever hope to achieve with starting fluid. relax and enjoy!

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listen, look, .........and duck.

Asuming your talking about the fuel lines how did they get air in them? Did youdo work on the fuel system? Are there any fuel leaks?

as Eric said we need more info.

Danny

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Thanks for the help. I'll definately stay away from starting fluids.

jfc697077

James, A three second spray of starter fluid from an aerosol can into your intake when turning over the engine will not harm it... and can show you if fuel starvation is the cause of it not starting without the spray... and if it gets you home due to not running down an old battery it is sure a good thing...
If you think these hand wringers are correct... research the BTU's in starter fluid ( way less than diesel fuel )and the specific strength of the steel in the rings or precombustion chamber castings...
JimSmith posted the definitive answer on this ... if you don't believe me....

The technical information would be interesting to read.
I have looked several times, and I would like to bookmark it for future reference.

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JimSmith---
"I think before we take this too seriously ("dogma" just sounds way to serious) we should try to frame the argument so we can sort the answers into categories that make sense. Nature is not solely a black and white event, there are shades of gray and even colors. So don't expect the answers to questions to be black and white all the time.

First, a single molecule of ether that gets sucked into the engine is not going to cause it to blow up. You can do that over and over, all day long and it won't damage anything. Matter of fact, two won't either. So it is not ether itself that is bad for Diesel engines, it is more likely that ether in the hands of morons is bad for Diesel engines. Just like any other standard maintenance operation, if you do it wrong you can hurt yourself and ruin the engine, brakes, etc.

Lets be a little more broad minded about this issue and see where we would be if we applied the same logic to the rest of the stuff we commonly add to the engine. For example, we add stuff like gasoline and kerosene and other chemicals to the Diesel fuel (some pretty loosely defined stuff, by the way) to prevent it from becoming solid - is it ok to run the engine on these items instead of Diesel fuel? Could they destroy the engine? Yes, but do we ban them from the fuel tank because of that? No, we use some judgement knowing they are not Diesel fuel, follow the manufacturers instructions, or trust the kid at the station did.

I am not sure, but I think the energy content of Diesel fuel, being a liquid at room temperature and wanting to be a solid at below zero Fahrenheit (thus the additives needed) is probably greater than the same volume of ether, as a gas at these temperatures. So, I find it hard to comprehend how a small quantity of ether is going to destroy something as robust as an MB Diesel engine.

That said, and I believe you can safely pass a whif of ether across the air intake while cranking, I agree that if your Diesel does not start like the manufacturer intended, you should fix it. Who wants to lift the hood and have another person tagging along to help you get your car started all the time? And if it is really cold where you live or your battery dies all of the sudden, if you have a manual transmission unit you can "pop" start it as my daughter says. And you can do this by yourself if you think ahead a little and park aimed down a slope with enough room to just coast out of the spot. So, lets get a rant going on the use of automatic transmissions with Diesel engines. They even cause people to put ether in the intake upon occasion! So they have to be worse than ether alone!

I hope this helps. Jim"

I agree that ether isn't going to hurt anything if used intelligently. But, I was taught to use WD-40 on a diesel (only thing Dad would use WD-40 for) just because it gives you a little more margin of safety.

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Keep everything as simple as possible-but no simpler--Albert Einstein

DO NOT USE STARTING FLUID ON ANY GLOW PLUG DIESEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can blow the thing to kingdom come. If you disconnect the glow plugs first, then you can use it without danger, but it will still wash the oil off the cylinder walls accelerating wear.

If you have a starting problem, it is most likely glow plug related. Whatever it is fix the problem.

Good luck,

Someone should take starter fluid and spray it into a vial so that the amount can be measured... take my three second spray as baseline...
Figure the BTU's in that... then figure the volumn of air which will be going into one of our engines at the typical speed a battery will turn it over..
These amounts are split between the cylinders and just don't have the power to hurt these engines...
Starter fluid ( which would have vaporized if directed into the intake opening ) should never be sprayed into an engine which has a preheater in the intake....
And , it can't wash down any cylinder walls because it is in gas form... and the oil pump is refreshing the oil on the walls of the cylinder with each stroke....