Every new diesel owner should learn this: diesels need clean air, clean fuel, heat and work to do.

Dirty air -> shortened engine life.

Dirty fuel -> plugged fuel filters (dirt).

Wet fuel -> plugged fuel filters (ice), diesel bugs, shortened injection pump life, drippy injectors.

Diesel bugs -> plugged fuel filters, shortened injection pump life, drippy injectors.

Drippy injectors -> blown glow plugs, carboned up pre-chambers.

Blown glow plugs -> hard or no start, worn out starter, dead battery.

Idling and Babying -> carboned up pre-chambers, rings and cylinder top-end, shortened engine life.

Lugging -> overheating, carboned up cylinder top-ends. You try to run up a couple flights of stairs with a clothespin over your nose and your mouth taped shut.

Clean and dry fuel means a happy engine that starts and runs well. Four bills for a new injection pump should be more than enough incentive. Clean air and good driving habits means a long life engine. And change that oil.

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daBenz - 1970 220D