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

[Kaleb C. Striplin]

His glow plug relay is a silver box under the dash.  The acc servo can 
get stuck and cause it to drain the battery real quick.

JFreezn at aol.com wrote:
>  
> 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
> 
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> 

-- 
Kaleb C. Striplin/Claremore, OK
  90 420SEL, 89 560SEL, 87 420SEL, 87 300SDL, 85 380SE,
  85 300D, 84 190D 2.2, 83 300TD, 81 300TD, 81 240D,
  76 240D, 76 300D, 74 240D, 73 280SEL 4.5, 72 250C, 69 250
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