[MBZ] No Glow, No Start, Car Far from Home

[JFreezn@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/30/2006 10:24:41 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time,  
rrentfro at cox.net writes:

I came  out to my car tonight after having worked my 6th 12 hour shift in a 
row at the  old nuke plant...wanting nothing more than to get home, clean up 
and have a  cocktail...and the old girl wouldn't start. I turned the key, got 
about a 0.5  second glow light then a faint buzz from beneath the dash somewhere 
(my  seatbely alarm has never worked btw). Turn the key...nada. I checked the 
 silver relays under the black cover on the wheelwell by the cruise control 
and  they were seated well in their place, but the red wire going to the most  
forward one had come out of its connector. Those relays look identical. Is one 
 the glow plug relay?

Remember...my car is 45 miles from my home.  
So...
If you were going to go and rescue it tomorrow, what would you  take to be 
successful?  I'm thinking a new battery (I'm due...it had  shown a little 
weakening lately) at least. What about those relays? I had no  precursors of trouble 
at all. 

Any ideas? I get one whole day off to  get 'er going again before I get to do 
a 5 days on, 1 day off, 4 nights on,  one night off, 4 nights on stretch.



Bob,
 
this is your 77 300D, right?
 
tough luck.  Most batteries last less than 3 years in the Phoenix area  so if 
yours is bouncing off that time frame, I would definitely replace  it.  I 
would take a voltmeter and a couple of those Radio shack aligator  clips.  Did 
you try moving the shift lever from park to neutral somewhat  briskly.  You may 
have been the victim of the classic heat soak that jams  up the starter 
solenoid.  After a hard run, a  marginal starter will  not pull in the solenoid 
reliably.  Jiggling the shifter cycles the start  relay and may get the starter to 
kick in.
 
OK, now about those alligator jumpers.  It takes two to reach from the  small 
screw terminal on the solenoid up to the battery positive terminal.   This 
will bypass the AC/start relay, the neutral safety switch, and the key  switch.  
Make SURE the car is in Park.  Usually this direct feed to  the solenoid will 
get the starter to click in.  Then you can move back  inside the car and try 
to start it normally with the key and the glowing,  etc.
 
On the trip out did you notice the accessories, like the radio and the turn  
signals, crapping out.  This would indicate a dead alternator and you were  
driving with negative current flow.  The radio will usually quit at  about 8 
volts.
 
I am not sure where the glow relay is on your car.  Usually, it is  mounted 
on the drivers side fender, a black box about 3X3, with a cover that  lifts 
off, exposing the 80 amp flat fuse.  Probably not your problem this  time.  
Tomorrow, you can call me on my cell @ 602-526-6299, if you want to  bounce some 
ideas off someone.
 
Good luck,  

Jim  Friesen
Phoenix AZ
79 300SD, 262 K miles 
98 ML 320, 142 K  miles