E300D won't start, no glow plug light

[crt]

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help. My 1985 E300D won't start. There's plenty of diesel, the battery is well charged and turns the engine over but it won't fire. There is no glow plug light. It was fine yesteday.

Any ideas?

 

[Bolide]

Either it has no fuel (possibly due to an air leak) or it won't start because it's too cold to start without glow plugs

I'd see what voltage there is at the output of the glowplug relay soon after turning on the ignition - that'll give you an idea what's going on

Use a bulb and a piece of wire if you don't have a meter

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[crt]

Thanks, Nick. I got it started eventually by turning it over for a couple of minutes attached to another car with jump leads (past experience says the battery flattens pretty quickly otherwise), so either this warmed it up or got rid of some air. I'll have it looked at tomorrow and, as the glow plug light remains off, expect the problem will be there.

 

[brandwooddixon]

Diesels will eventually start without glow plugs as the compression strokes warm the cyclinders up.

Best to replace the glow plugs.

 

[Xtractorfan]

I wonder does your car have the relay with the fuse links that control the glow plugs, under extreme conditions these fuse links would blow and the glow plugs wont work.. the links can be resoldered.. providing the plugs are in good nick..

 

[FIBAMAN]

What is the history? has starting grdually got worse? it would be unusal for all the plugs to fail at the same time, I would investigate your relay as suggested by extractorfan and check the plugs individually

 

[crt]

Was the relay apparently - loose in its socket, cleaned and replaced and now fine.