IIRC, straight RUG kills a diesel, due to the solvent action and the high explosiveness of gasoline.

:EDIT: Note: RUG = Regular Unleaded Gasoline.

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RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

It's been discussed before, but from personal experience I have run soybean oil with no ill effects. Stow a couple of gallons in the trunk, dilute with RUG by 20% as soon as you get to a filling station (if it has no diesel). One guy on the board got out of NOLA ahead of Katrina that way when the gasoline ran out.

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Nate Stanley
(Currently Benzless)
1985 F-250 6.9l 170K
2009 SCION XB 36.5K
2003 LS430 78K
2012 Kubota B 2320

rrgrassi,

Solvent action and no lubrication yes, but explosiveness of gasoline probably not.

Gasoline has high octane rating (low cetane) which is an anti knock quality. The reason Diesels knock is the explosive nature of the Diesel fuel inside the engine.

The character of gasoline and Diesel fuel inside an engine is opposite the character of the fuels in air.



P E H

Kerosene is an obvious alternative. What people may not know is that what is sold as 'lamp oil' or 'citronella oil' for oil burning lamps or tiki torches is mostly just kerosene. You'll find it at any store that has mart in the name and even in a lot of grocery stores in the aisle with the charcoal and matches. Of course while you're at the crocery store pick of some canola or other vegetable oil and have at it. Running a few gallons of that through your motor in an emergency is not a big deal.

the manual for my 1985 300td says that you can add up %30 gas in the winter to reduce the risk of diesel gelling. I guess that 22 years ago they didn't have winter formulations

This is from a fairly basic "For Dummies" style article in Progressive Farmer, entitled 10 Easy Ways to Mess Up a Good Tractor.

Copied...

"
Tractors are loyal servants. Still, they cannot always overcome the misguided operating skills of their owners. Their rush to finish a job—and their firm belief that warning lights are only advisory—can bring even the finest piece of machinery to its knees. With help from tractor-service technicians, we've compiled a list of dumb things some tractor owners do.

1. Filling the diesel fuel tank with gasoline. Ah, the mighty diesel engine, rough and rugged . . . until you pour in gasoline. The first thing you hear is a loud "pinging" sound. Next, your pistons take on interesting new shapes. Last, you write a check for a new engine. Solution: There is a good reason why the decal by the diesel tank on a diesel tractor says "diesel fuel only."

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

i realize that diluting with RUG is completely different from filling 100% with it. But still...

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

Out on the farm, my grandfather used to run diesel in the gas cars and trucks. He said he did it about once a year, to lubricate the fuel system.

He never caused immediate failure, however, I would think that modern gasoline cars with the "anti-water" screen on the in tank fuel pumps might object to the diesel fuel.

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1980 300SD W116 - Daily driver. 362,800 miles and counting. (about 100 miles / day) -- on hold, have a ticking vacuum pump. New one on the way.

When I worked in a fuel injection shop a customer brought a Mercedes in (date around 1976) someone in his family filled 1/2 tank of gasoline and proceeded to drive the car until it ran badly enough for him to stop and call the owner. The owner dumped several quarts of ATF into the tank and drove it to the shop where I worked. The only apparent damage was that the gasoline had burned the tips off of all of the injector nozzle pintels (the part that protrudes from the nozzle face).

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I think that the answer for an emergency fuel (but expensive) is what a lot of people are using every day would be SVO (straight vegetable oil) right off of the shelf at the grocery store (2.5 gallon jugs at Smart & Final or other restaurant supply stores). This would not work in winter time as it would need to be heated or I believe below 40 degrees unless it was mixed with something compatiable with burning in a diesel engine to thin it out.
There has been several threads on the use of home heating oil and other alternative fuels. Do a search on "alternataive fuels".
You might want to do a search and look for the word "multifuel" as there was a thread last month about the military trucks that had multifuel diesel engines and comments on what they could use for fuel. Also an internet search of the same word will lead you to some sites.
There was also a thread about using Jet fuel.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

The best emergency fuilds available are straight SAE30 motor oil closely followed by ATF, SVO, Kerosene.

I ran out of diesel once and had 2 quarts of ATF in a 240D. After pumping it through the fuel system with hand pump. The car started right away and smoothly got me to the next gas station.

Now in real winter conditions the addition of RUG is probably a good bet but only up to 20-30%.

I would NOT summit a mercedes engine to the 2-stroke fuel torture described above.

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Aquilae non capunt muscas! (Eagles don't hunt flies!)


1979 300SD Black/Black MBtex239000mi
1983 300TD euro-NA. White/Olive Cloth-MBtex 201000mi. Fleet car of the USA embassy in Morocco
1983 240D Labrador Blue/Blue MBtex 161000mi

And no, that's not ANYTHING related to petroleum nor is it anything vegetable oil based. Can you guess what it is?

Here's a hint: It's another form of "urea" injection.

And another hint: I'm 100% kidding.

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2003 Volkswagen Jetta Wolfsburg Edition, "Tiffany," - Black/Black Cloth - 75K miles, Jetta #6; my faithful, turbocharged, BBS-adorned sled

SOLD 3/08 1981 Mercedes Benz 300D, "Elise" - Astral Silver/Black M.B. Tex - 217K miles - I miss her everyday; the best-built car I've owned

apple juice?

recycled beer?

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

melted down garbage?

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

I knew I wasn't the only one that noticed thae Beer and recycled beer look almost the same.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel