1996 Ford Mondeo 1.8TD wont start from cold??? ?

My 1996 Mondeo 1.8TD with the Endura engine is a pig to start from cold, it requires up to 3 double bursts of the glow plugs & just turns over & over trying to fire until eventually it starts puffing out a grey cloud of diesel smoke. It'll start fine all day after this.
Any ideas??? Where's the cold start device please?

Also regarding the lever at the front of the inj pump that is connected to the air filter box via a bowden cable, it wont return fully forward & so makes the tickover very high. I've had to add an extra return spring to keep it held forward to get a satisfactory tickover. When I pull the plug off what is called the ECT I believe? the electric fan cuts in & the lever is pulled back, raising the revs, by the bowden cable. Should this happen/what should happen??? What controls the pulling of this lever by the bowden cable, some sort of sensor???