Hi all, My 1981 VW Dasher diesel (1.5L, mechanical lifters) has been getting crankier on cold starts lately. I did a valve adjustment a few months ago to get things in spec so that shouldn't be a problem. Power and MPG is normal (42-45mpg). It's just the cold starts that are a problem.
When the car sits overnight, I'll do 2-3 glow cycles when it's cold (30-40F), and I have a rudimentary 'afterglow' setup as well. But when I start it, it runs quite rough, and smokes terribly for a good 10-15 seconds. I need to keep my foot halfway down to keep it running at all until it smooths out. And for the first 30-45 seconds, it may even misfire at times. The afterglow doesn't change things, it acts the same with or with the plugs on when cold. The smoke is blueish/whitish, and smells of both engine oil and fuel, so I can't pin down what the cause is. Warm starts are fine, glow plugs are all good and verified with ohmmeter AND current draw test, and the car doesn't smoke significantly when warm. Any ideas? :-( -- Dave M. Boise, ID 1994 E500 - 95kmi (Q-ship) 1987 300D - 261kmi (Sportline)
