Frothy diesel? Need a quick answer ... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

BodhiBenz1987 · #1 01-04-2005, 12:57 PM

... maybe this is another episode of my being overly paranoid about my car's health: when I filled up today at BP station, the last drips of diesel out of the nozzle were a little bit "frothy," and the surface of the diesel in the tank had a slight foam on the surface. It settled and disappeared and seems to be fine now. Is there anything abnormal about this? Is it just from air in the fuel pump? I asked the station attendent, and he looked as though I'd just asked him to perform quantum physics. Is the froth anything to worry about?

TomJ · #2 01-04-2005, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BodhiBenz1987

... maybe this is another episode of my being overly paranoid about my car's health: when I filled up today at BP station, the last drips of diesel out of the nozzle were a little bit "frothy," and the surface of the diesel in the tank had a slight foam on the surface. It settled and disappeared and seems to be fine now. Is there anything abnormal about this? Is it just from air in the fuel pump? I asked the station attendent, and he looked as though I'd just asked him to perform quantum physics. Is the froth anything to worry about?

That's what diesel does.

WANT '71 280SEL · #3 01-04-2005, 12:59 PM

OH NO!, it's gonna blow up!

J/K...It's perfectly normal. It kind of stinks to top a diesel up because it "foams" up. It's just the way diesel fuel is.

Thanks
David

Palangi · #4 01-04-2005, 01:10 PM

I have heard it said that frothy fuel is actually an indication of it's "freshness". I have no idea if that's actually true though. Frothy fuel when pumping is pretty much normal.

aklim · #5 01-04-2005, 01:15 PM

Frothing? Sounds like rabies to me. Got vaccinated yet?

Seriously, my friend with an F350 diesel powerstroke would fill up his tank by depressing the lever on the pump all the way down till it fills up then he would wait a few seconds then top it off by about a gallon or so. This is fuel everywhere that froths up so I don;t think you have an issue till the gas filler area bites you then you have to see the doctor for rabies shots.

Brian Carlton · #6 01-04-2005, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BodhiBenz1987

I asked the station attendent, and he looked as though I'd just asked him to perform quantum physics. Is the froth anything to worry about?

He would look that way if you asked him where the bathroom was.

The froth is normal. If you want to fill it all the way to check fuel economy, you need to take another two to three minutes to do it.

leathermang · #7 01-04-2005, 01:22 PM

I get diesel for my tractor 30 gallons at a time in five gallon containers.. I take off all the caps and have to go around three times to let the froth go down...

BodhiBenz1987 · #8 01-04-2005, 01:30 PM

Thanks all ... sorry for my ignorance to the matter. I rarely fill all the way up, so I wasn't sure of the normal behavior. Guess I should do my best to learn more about the marvelous substance that makes my car's wheels go 'round, eh?

As for the rabies, I'll make sure no one finds out my car has had contact with frothing diesel. I don't want my MB quaranteened for 6 months, like my cat has been. You never know what the Del. Dept. of Health will do next!

#9 01-04-2005, 01:38 PM

I fill up from a *cough cough* huge tank at a friends house...
The pump on there is normally used for filling tanker trucks so the pump moves some SERIOUS fuel if I depress the lever all the way on the handle..

I can fill my tank in about 45 seconds if I run full bore...but the foam is unbearable..
I usually take about 2-3min to fill it up...and have to iltsen for the the "sluuuuuuurrrpppp!" sound at the end to stop fueling...otherwise I get foamed over.
Perhaps this fuel is just VERY fresh..I think the tank gets refilled bi-weekly..

Foam= ok

Its merely an annoyance..

aklim · #10 01-04-2005, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandon314159

I fill up from a *cough cough* huge tank at a friends house...
The pump on there is normally used for filling tanker trucks so the pump moves some SERIOUS fuel if I depress the lever all the way on the handle..

I can fill my tank in about 45 seconds if I run full bore...but the foam is unbearable..
I usually take about 2-3min to fill it up...and have to iltsen for the the "sluuuuuuurrrpppp!" sound at the end to stop fueling...otherwise I get foamed over.
Perhaps this fuel is just VERY fresh..I think the tank gets refilled bi-weekly..

Foam= ok

Its merely an annoyance..

There is a Woodmans grocery that has a diesel pump. 2 hoses. 1 hose is for our cars and the other hose is for trucks. A friend of mine told me that some places post cheap prices for diesel only to find that if you have a truck, it is cheaper and if you ahve a car, you pay more. This is because the cheaper pumps have a different style spout that can go into trucks while the more expensive pumps have a "car style" spout. He got an adapter for the larger hose and made it work. Not sure where you get that adapter but it would be something to look into.

BTW, I noticed my fuel mileage drop with a fill up of the diesel from Woodmans. Not sure but I am going back to my regular source.

#11 01-04-2005, 02:36 PM

BTW mercedes was nice enought to make the throat on our babies nice and huge, it just isn't as easy to drop the nozzle in, hit start, and wait for it to end..

The big acceptor on the car was probably a "just incase" move...and I use it every time as I have to use one of these truck fueling nozzles..(quite large).

The downside is that you get excessive foaming if you try to fill fast...
but if you are in a hurry and don't need full capacity

83-240D · #12 01-04-2005, 02:59 PM

it takes extra space for beer. foam in the diesel means the auto shutoff is close to clicking. when i fill the schoolbus it still has space for 10 more gallons. today it clicked at 15 and withdrawing the nozzle which prohibits the air from getting out of the way of the fuel enables topping of the tank. don't tell the boss i top the tank. we're bros in diesel right? i can say that, okay? i mean why would you say anything anyway? i'll hult keft now.(thats be quiet in danish)

Tirebiter · #13 01-04-2005, 04:08 PM

"Frothy" diesel costs extra at Starbucks

barry123400 · #14 01-04-2005, 04:52 PM

I guess as long as I'am pouring beer into myself I see the simularity. Have forced myself to indulge at slower rate as hard to converse with mouth full of foam But find can keyboard okay. Everytime I fill my diesels I get thirsty. Wonder if it's a little like the guy that complained on some site or other that everytime he opened the bathroom door the light came on. He also noticed when shutting the door the light also went off. Reduced communication after someone explaned to him that he was probably urinating in his refrigerator. Just a little humour to lighten the day.