E300 TD hard to start when cold

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Oli

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
1,180
Location
Surrey
Car
Audi A5 3.0 TDI Quattro
I've recently bought a cheap winter car and went for an old E300 TD with 226k on the clock, car was running fine but this week it has struggled to start when cold, now usually I'd think glow plugs straight away but it isn't displaying any warning light and when I've been cranking it, it doesn't smoke at all when turning over which glow plugs tend to more?.
Once started it is fine for the whole day.
This morning when I eventually got it started I turned it off again straight away and it restarted fine.
I've heard air in the fuel lines can be a common cause of this?, could anyone advise where abouts the suspect ones usually are and if anyone does a kit?.
 
They are the see through ones around the top of the inlet manifold.
 
does the glow plug light come on and go off after a few seconds when you turn the key (ie PosII) but havnt started the engine?

you need to wait for the light to come on and go out before starting to crank.

if it doesnt come on then it will come on after the engine has started which indicates one or more dead glowplugs

if you have airleaks in those tubes you can get a kit here to replace the little orings on the connectors of these pipes:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_o...G+E300D,E300TD,C250TD,W202,W124,W210&_sacat=0
 
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if the glow plug light stays on after start thats the fault light.

park her facing downhill, if that improves starting in the morning its the well known and documented 'stop solenoid o ring' - I can now do it in about 20 mins flat.
 
The glow plug light works as normal, I know to wait for it to go out on an old indirect injection diesel.
Thanks for the advice everyone, I've parked it front facing downhill tonight so will see how it goes in the morning.
 
Agree re the stop solenoid o ring.
The seals on the pipes round the injector pump plastic pipes are the likely cause.

Don't forget the obvious seals .... the main fuel filter seal ring and the fuel pre-filter sealing ring next to the main fuel filter.
Both of these can cause air leaks if they have been fitted without due care.
 
Well I parked it facing down hill and it fired up first turn, is that an indication of a specific o ring failing?.
 
Well I parked it facing down hill and it fired up first turn, is that an indication of a specific o ring failing?.

Yes.

Look for air bubbles in the plastic pipes.


Regarding using the glow plugs, you only need about 1-2 seconds of glow to fire up an E300TD instantly as the swirl puts the glow plug tip in the air-fuel mixture.

Of course, I could be talking rubbish, but 214k miles tells me I'm not.
 
Only 214k miles.
You're catching me up fast !
 
Only 214k miles.
You're catching me up fast !

That car has gone out of my control, but was still racking up the miles until Thursday this week. Now it's having a 5 month sabbatical.
 

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