Out of gas.. well diesel.
 

:eek: Hey, I think I may have foolishly ran my diesel tank dry. :dizzy2:

My 91' 350SDL will not start for the first time in my ownership. It sounds like it has no fuel. I went to the station with a portable tank and but $7 into it and poured it into the car. Now!, ironically, the low fuel ligt goes on, but the car won't start. It just cranks and cranks.

Do I need to explicitly prime the fuel system if I sucked the lines dry? If I did run out of fuel, is $7 enought to get fuel to the lines until I can drive it to the station? Will this car ever start by cranking it, or do I need to do some spritual voodoo dance and manually prime the pump?

Please help... its cold here in Providence, I need to drive!

Thanks!

SA

Unfamiliar with anything newer than an '85. Yet principal should be same. Will need to vent air by opening fuel system somewhere. Prime, with built in? pump. Then crank away, should eventually start.

Is $7.00 2 gal. of fuel? If it is, then it might not be enough if the car is not level. If level, YES you must prime the system.

If the fuel system on your 350 is like my 1987 300D it is "self Priming." No really, stop laughing.

1. Hook your battery up to a charger, you are going to needed it.
2. Remove the fuel filter and fill it with diesel. Then reinstall the filter.
3. Put the pedal to the floor and crank it.

It will cough, sputter, and maybe even run until the fuel filter is empty again. Remove and refill the filter. Repeat.

Each time you will be pulling the fuel further and further up from the tank. You will also be purging out the air. Eventually the car will stay running.

-Jim

Prime Number?
 

OK, If I need to prime my pump, My Bad.

Does anyone have an idea of how to do this?

It is a '91 35SDL

I am feeling a bit stupid now....

SA

Just crank the starter for up to 45 seconds. Rest for a couple of minutes and repeat.

It will start, if what you said is true.

All diesels built from the 60x series onwards are self-priming.

+1 for the 603!!! Self-priming rules.

Steve, there is no priming possible on that system. It has no primer pump.

The best thing you can do is to drop the secondary filter and make absolutely sure that it's full of fuel.......right to the top. Then, carefully reinstall it.

Some folks have had some additional success by cracking all six injector nuts at the top of the injectors. This allows the IP to push fuel forward and, it seems to help older IP's to get fuel to the cylinders.

Crank the engine for 15 seconds at a time and observe the hard lines for evidence of fuel. When you get fuel on more than three, tighten them all up and try to start it.

You'll need a good battery and a battery charger if you truly ran it dry. They don't like to prime themselves.

No need to apoligize for not being born knowing all there is to know about everything. Nice of you to demur. Wish more folks were as honest with themselves. Which translates to more honest with others. Yet I still can't help with young'uns. Good luck.

If you like to drain your battery and stress your starter. :rolleyes: :D I would rather push a plunger a few times.

Thanks everyone for your help!

I have a charger on the car now and I am about to go out again form some cranking good times!

I thought I had seen a primer somewhere on the engine, but I may be thinking of the mechanical kill switch and confusing the primer with a friends older Benz. This gets me to my next question.... I know that people talk about starting aids for diesels, such as the "never use" ether starter fluid, to WD-40. Since there is no carberator to squirt into, how would one even use a diesel starter fluid? Not that I am going to, but just in theory?

Wish me luck with the crank!

Steve

Ahh, only if you have a bad battery or run the starter for longer than you should. Plungers are for dorks :D :D

Messing with you of course...

1,000 Thank "Youz"!
 

:D This Forum ROCKS!

Car Started after much cranking, a battery charger and a little tweaking!

Thanks men, I got my Veggie Ride purring again, thanks to all your advice. This is a great use of the Interenet!

I hope I can pay it forward one day!:)
Steve

Glad you got it going.

What exactly is a 3 tank WVO system? Filter on the fly?

I have a second 300D that will not start on its own (I think whatever "heats" the glow plugs initially is failing) I yank off the air intake and squirt some starter in there and it works everytime (I have only done it 3 times that I had to start and move it) Otherwise I do not advise doing this regularly the engines balks at it badly it REALLY hates it and is VERY audible about this hatred :-) but it does work.

Chris Taylor
http://www.nerys.com/