Filters, Fungus, Biocide, etc.
 

I posted a picture of the pre-filter I removed from my 300CD a while back after I purchased it (about 1000 miles afterwards).
http://home.comcast.net/~phantoms/filter03.jpg
Recently, I went on vacation to San Antonio. I clogged two pre-filters during that trip (about 2700 miles overall). Clogged one more a few weeks ago and finally decided that it was time to use the biocide and change the tank strainer too. I used Valvtech Bioguard and the next day had a new pre-filter full of the fungus, this time slimy instead of gunky letting me know it had worked it's magic. I waited until I had run the tank near empty and today I drained the tank and changed the tank screen and hopefully my last pre-filter for a while. I took the fuel line loose from the tank and it took all of 2 hours to drain approximately 9 gals of fuel. Once it slowed to a drip, I removed the tank screen and out came another gal. Below is a pic of the tank screen and pre-filter I changed today. Filled the tank afterwards and put some more Bioguard in the fresh fuel. I plan to keep using it (at a maintnence dose) until the bottle is empty.
http://home.comcast.net/~phantoms/filters.jpg

Edited to fix a couple annoying spelling mistakes :o

Your pictures make
 

the case for Biocide.

I added a link to this thread on my DIY links thread "Diesel Fuel Delivery:".
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diy-links-parts-category/142399-diesel-fuel-delivery.html

Here is a link to Biobor http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/105304-biobor-what-why-do-i-need.html?highlight=biobor

I regularly add algicide to customers tanks (along with some DFS and diesel kleen) to treat it for them when I have cars in for ANY reason. Most people just drive and take little effort to see that their fuel system is clean and healthy.

Filling up on trips is the most common time to get an infection (like what happened to you), so carrying biocide for each away-from-home fill is a good idea. Hopefully many will learn from your experience. Also, filling up at truck stops will minimize the risk.

Hm...yum.

Now where is my plocostomus...

YUCHHHH!
btw nice photography.....

Broken Record.....(Thats an LP, played with needles)
 

I've posted this a few times, but....seems I need to again:rolleyes:

http://starbrite.com/productdetail.cfm?ID=1166&ProductCat=Marine&ProductSCat=Gas%20and%20Diesel%20Additives&ProductSSCat= Startron%20Tank%20Cleaner

https://www.starbrite.com/star-tron-enzyme/

Exceptional in cleaning sludge and algae from gasoline and diesel tanks * Slows the recurrence of new algae that can contaminate fuel * Enzyme will clean tanks better than any tank cleaning service.

I've been using that, seems a lot less toxic than Biobor. Biobor's label reads like something that would give you cancer or take out your liver by the morning.

Pete.

yummy- another strainer photo
 

mmmm mmm good

Bump: Scary pictures
 

Scary pictures of what you do not want to see in your diesel.

Bet mine looks exactly like the black gunked up one.

According to the MSDS sheet, it's >95% Naptha solvent. Is this stuff snake oil or does it really do what it says?

John :rolleyes:

mine was way worse
about three times the gunk layer on the tank screen/filter

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/000_0331.jpg

star-tron maybe 95% solvent but the other 5% is the killer stuff
and it works

BTW the star-tron 64 oz tank cleaner bottle is the same exact chemical mix and about 1/2 the cost per oz

yes Biobor is nasty stuff but you want nasty stuff to kill the bugs
I use both star-tron and Biobor

and have not had to change a filter in the last 6 months
vs about ever day when I first got the car

finally got the GREMLINS out of my fuel tank!
She was sitting for way too long and the little buggers invaded the fuel and this is the product i got today from our local marina repair shop.Very potent stuff too.http://www.lubricants-oil.com/products/6.shtml
So heres a few pics of the product and of course one of my new additions to the great family of Mercedes Benz....And yes there will be more MB coming into the yard very soon!
Best regards to all
Dan
Vancouver BC
Nice chatting with you Bob!!
Attached Thumbnails



__________________
1972 Mercedes Benz 250 Coupe 72,000 Miles W 114
1976 Mini Cooper 106,000 Miles
1982 Datsun 310 Hatch Back 98,000 Km SOLD
1983 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbo Diesel 200,710 KM W 123
1983 Mercedes Benz 300SD Turbo Diesel 576,500 KM W 126
1990 Mercedes Benz 560SEL 186,000 KM W 126
1993 Toyota Land Cruiser Turbo Diesel 86,000 km SOLD
2000 Ford Escort SE 78,500 KM SOLD

Know your limit,play within it!

Merry Christmas to all!

I use this stuff. Anyone else?

FPPF Killem

http://www.vegpower.com/order/produc...IOCIDE-BIG.gif

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

.

FYI
 

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


.

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.

Great Thread