Starbrite's Startron
 

as pmari said:

so what's the deal? when do i know it's time to clean the tank, screen, and replace and clean the fuel lines?

-my primary filter is perfectly clean after 6k miles
-i'm on empty after 14-16 gallons (it's a 20 gallon tank?)
-never used anything to clean the tank such as algicide
-had some black crud come out of the fuel level unit but it was not clumpy, mostly stuck to the unit but has some blackish fluid come out the bottom

i as because i don't want to run some algicide into the tank then find that i have to clean the tank,lines, etc.

as far as i am concerned my tank is mostly fine and i won't bother with anything until i see contaminants in the primary filter.

"Slide By" here:
 

West Marine
9070 Research Blvd # 201A
Austin, TX 78758-7047
(512) 302-1406

Next time you're on that side of town and pick up an 8 Oz. bottle of Startron
,Dump it in the almost Empty tank,fill the tank and forget about it.
you'll soon have your full fuel capacity use back with no effort or worry on your
part.

I had the same issues and fixed mine the hard way. Drained tank, changed strainer, cleaned tank, etc...

so i ought to do it the hard way. did you go ahead and remove the tank?

In the South Florida climate, stuff grows on anything that is not moving (and somethings grows on anything not moving fast enough). I have had diesels since 1989 and never had any diesel/alge/growth issues untill.....

Last month I filled up both my 1980's era 300SD's at the local fuel station, within a week both cars started sputtering and dieing on me. The prefilters started looking as black as night. I pulled the fuel tank strainer off one tank and thought the Creature from the Black lagoon was living in the tank from all the crud. Ending up pulling the tank and stream cleaning it along with a new tank strainer.

Same with the 2nd MB (although not as bad)-I now use the star Tron from the local marine place.

I guess you can only temp the devil so many times before he gets his due.

More data on topic
 

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/140961-check-out-fuel-pickup-screen.html

Re: Cutting out at a 1/4 of a tank ! - MBClub UK - Bringing together Mercedes Enthusiasts

http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/l...g?t=1255477614

http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/l...g?t=1255477669

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...sel-screen.jpg

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...ank-screen.jpg

http://www.ekolaiho.fi/kuvat/crudefilter.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...elstrainer.jpg

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...s-101_0916.jpg

http://www.foreignaffairs.us/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/sumpdump.jpg

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FYI
 

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...ct-380-117.jpg


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Recycled for new members
 

Recycled for new members

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If you use clean dry fuel nothing can grow in it.

Microbes of any kind can't grow without moisture. If there is anything growing in the fuel then it is too wet and will be damaging the fuel system with corrosion.

Algicides and biocides are a band-aid masking a bigger problem, ie. wet contaminated fuel. Diesel fuel now requires biodiesel additive; the percent varies with jurisdictions. Biodiesel attracts moisture, and if it wasn't correctly dried and cold filtered the biodiesel additive can add both moisture and food for the critters. The pictures posted look like typical wet biodiesel contamination. The biodiesel fuel additive also acts as a fuel system cleaner, so that adds to the filter loading as ancient crud in the system is loosened and caught.

Some Landcruisers have water-trap/sedimenter that catches any crud before it gets to the MB type primary filter [NAPA 3972] I installed.
Toyota designed 70 series Landcruiser fuel systems to tolerate off-spec fuel.

A good question...

If you use a CLEAR inline filter ... the 90 degree one is typical.... then watch it for TINY black specs...
then you know something is growing in your tank and you can evaluate what actions you want to take....

NOTE... on my 123 1980 240 I took the tank out and carried it in the pickup truck to the local car wash...
BUT I would NOT to that again.... as I discovered that IN PLACE... when you take out the items bolted to it.... you can get a good shot at cleaning it IN THE CAR.....

I used Biobar once or twice when I first joined these forums in the mid-90's. Haven't used it in almost twenty years now with never an issue. Filter always looks nice and clear. In the thirty plus years I've owned my 240D, I've never had a bad fuel issue nor have I ever had any algecide issues. Lucky?? Don't know, but I'm not complaining. It's probably been twenty years or more since I've added anything to the fuel either.

I seldom have a problem but every few years I will get a bacteria problem. I have never removed a strainer yet. The biocide normally will make the stuff small enough to go through the filter and burn up.

If you leave your tank less than full then the moisture in the air will condense in the tank and you will have water in there no matter if the fuel was clean or not to begin with.

That depends on where you are and the temperature, humidity and dewpoint.