Say you ran out of fuel and there was no diesel fuel to be had, what could you find at a typical gas station or auto parts store that you could use as a substitute to get a few more miles down the road. Some thing likes ATF, or 5W, or Automatic transmission fluid. Something to get you to the next Diesel station with out hurting the car?

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1999 E300 TurboDiesel
2007 Ford Explorer limited
1981 John Deere 650 Diesel tractor

Although this probably isn't the response you're looking for, here's my $0.02.

I've heard of people running diesels in emergency situations with a LOT of different things. There was even this one about a woman driving a VW rabbit diesel across the country on used french fry oil. It'll be hard on your fuel filters, but I don't know why motor oil wouldn't work, considering the crazy things I've heard other people running through them..

I guess the ATF idea would work. My mechanic suggested using 1 quart of ATF every 4-5 tanks of fuel, to keep things clean. So I suppose it would work. Though I don't know how much smoke you would produce running on pure ATF. Whenever I plan on traveling to an area I am not familar with, I carry a 2 gal. jug of diesel fuel with me. Of course if you did run out of fuel, you know you can just call MB roadside assistance and they'll bring some, free of charge. This applies to ALL Mercedes in the US, regardless of age, mileage, or number of owmers. The number is 1-800-367-6372

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1999 MB SL500 (110,000 mi)
2004 Volvo V70 2.5T (220,000 mi)
2014 Tesla Model S 85 (136,000 mi)
MBCA member

there's one being driven across the country on hemp oil. wonder what the exaust smells like ???
William Rogers........

[Edited by william rogers on 05-16-2001 at 08:40 PM]

Rick,

Is that really true about the road side assistance? Do you need to be a Mercedes Benz Club member to get this or just being an owner qualify you? This is the first time I have heard this. Do they offer anything else besides deisel with this service?

Rick


1982 300D turbo sedan
1966 TR4A
1966 TR4A

Nope, you don't have to be an MBCA member - the only requirement is that you own a Mercedes, and they will take care of you. The number is printed on the inside of your glove box door.

Check this article out:
http://www.wagoneers.com/DieselBenz/tech/roadside-assistance.html

The number I gave came from the back of my MBCA member card. My car's glove box doesn't have a number on it. There is one printed in the owner's manual. This number doesn't match the one on my MBCA card, but I guess the old numbers are automaticly forwarded. If you go to the MBUSA website and look up customer assistance, you'll find section on roadside assistance. This is what I call REAL customer service.

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1999 MB SL500 (110,000 mi)
2004 Volvo V70 2.5T (220,000 mi)
2014 Tesla Model S 85 (136,000 mi)
MBCA member

Dial 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES. They offer limited free roadside assistance for ALL Mercedes owners, regardless of the Mercedes owned. They will give you a couple gallons of fuel, a jump start, and they will change your tire for free. Any other repairs usually cost a decent amount of money.

The roadside assistance is just as valid for your 1976 300D as it is for your 2001 S55.

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Ben

The MBs:
1976 300D (W115) - 330K and still going (sort of)
1991 300D 2.5 Turbo - Sold at 221K
1983 280SEL - Sold at 206K
1981 300SD - Sold at 232K

Even if you require service that cost something, at least you have one central number, 24 hrs, 7 days a week, that you can call. It's like AAA, but FREE. It's sort of a "private" motor club.

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1999 MB SL500 (110,000 mi)
2004 Volvo V70 2.5T (220,000 mi)
2014 Tesla Model S 85 (136,000 mi)
MBCA member

But what ARE some of the things you COULD burn?????

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1999 E300 TurboDiesel
2007 Ford Explorer limited
1981 John Deere 650 Diesel tractor

Gasoline and engine oil or gasoline and ATF. Gasoline may make starting difficult when cold because of the much higher octane rating so keep it hot until you can refill with Diesel fuel. The oil mixed with the gasoline is to protect the injection pump. About a 1/2 pint to a gallon like a 2 cycle mix should be OK. A common rail Diesel should run OK on gasoilne without the oil mixed in.

I have a Kubota tractor that ran out of fuel in the woods. I had 2 cycle mix gasoline with me for the chain saw so I put some in the Kubota. It started right up and there was no difference in running except it didn't smoke as much. I don't know how it would start when cold on the gasoline mix because I filled it with Diesel as soon as I got back to the house.

I was in NJ late one night in my 190D and couldn't find a Diesel station and I knew I didn't have enough fuel to get home. So I bought 2 gallons of gasoline which was enough to get home. It was mixed with about 5 gallons of Diesel fuel and there was no appreciable difference in the running of the engine. That was probably the only car than ran 60,000 miles on two gallons of gasoline.

The Army has multi-fuel engines which are really Diesels and they run on a wide of fuels including gasoline, naptha, jet fuel, kerosene and of course Diesel fuel.

P E H

You are correct about the older, no-lomnger-used military multi-fuel engines, but there is a difference: The injectors in the multifuel engines which use injectors (to compare to diesels) are lubricated differently, don't use fuel for lubrication, and are made to be replaced about every 25,000 miles.

This is obviously not true for the diesels.

A long time ago, I read several items in a MB ponton diesel technical advisory (written about 1959):

- If you use gasolihne as a fuel (which they did in winter to thin the mix) never use more than 10-15%, and NEVER use premium . In those days, vanadium was used as an additive to premium and it apparently is hard enough to wear some injector parts. I don't know if this is still true.

If you use oil, the best kind to use is any straight oil without additives, like 20W or 30W, NOT multigrades, because of the additives.

If you use ATF, it should be a Dexron like ATF, not a Type F ATF, because the Dexron has more fatty solids which luibricate better. Remember, you're probably going to be cutting this with something.

Do not use alcohol, because of its properties as a grease-cutter, i.e. to disassociate long chain polymer oil molecules.

Any oil such as peanut oil, vegetable oil, banana oil, without additives, can be used, with varying degrees of success. Rudolf Diesel made his engine to run on peanut oil, that shgould tell you something.

So if the gas station has straight 30W, and some Mazola oil, mix em up in a can with a tiny bit of gas, and you've got a gallon of fuel!

__________________
Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

if my beloved MB diesels out live the worlds supply of fossil fuel I'm going to move to Ga. and buy a peanut farm and a big press.....
William Rogers.....

How much RUG is safe with a full tank of diesel and does it improve MPG?

I have twice accidently filled my 03 dodge cummins with gasoline. It runs but rattles a lot and has no power if you puch the pedal down past half way.

I would not run it that way on purpose unless somebody's life depended on it.

kerosene is fine, and heating oil. In a pinch I would put in some cooking oil too. A little atf maybe or light motor oil.

When I had the tank down to about four gallons I put in a couple of quarts of motor oil hoping to drive it to the station instead of bringing fuel in by small cans but it would barely run, knocking and smoking so much I shut it off and went and brought in about ten gallons of diesel.

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.