Diesel Ignition

I drive what is probably the only primitive diesel on the road in South Africa, the Mahindra Alfa (here being serviced). It only has auxiliary electrics -- a starter motor -- therefore no spark plug or glow plug, and no timing. Alternatively, one may use a rope-start at the back. To start it with the starter motor, one puts it into neutral, raises a decompression lever, cranks the engine with a key, then drops the decompression lever. As soon as there is ignition, one turns off the key (one can even put it in one's pocket -- after this the electrics have done their job). Then one typically waits 20 seconds for the engine to warm -- or longer on cold mornings -- puts it into gear, and releases the clutch in jumps until the throttle engages. Then one is ready to go. To turn the engine off, one changes into neutral, waits 20 seconds for the engine to slow, then raises a stop lever until there is no more rotation (or the engine starts again). OBSERVATION: Mine is probably the only local vehicle which would survive a nuclear blast -- having no integral electrics.