One thing to know about ether or any other volatile fluid you put in the intake of a diesel is that it can, and probably will, begin to ignite much earlier in the compression stroke than one would like it to. This early ignition can cause a problem since the piston will try to continue to compress the mixture as it burns resulting in possible damage to the engine as stated in oliver's post depending on the amount of ether applied. That being said, I've seen ether used successfully time and time again with no issues but I'd personally stay away from it. The fact is you should be able to start a diesel in cold temperatures (but above the gel-point of the fuel) with the factory provisions for starting aids (glow plugs, block heaters, intake heaters, and even factory installed ether systems that guard against over-dosing). If you find your only option is using ether then the components should be fixed that are leading to that situation in the first place, or you'll need to be ready to accept the possible consequences of using it.