bad morning - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Jordan G · #1 11-16-2007, 09:43 AM

Not quite as bad as winmutt's the other day (actually, nowhere close).....but still.

Finally got the 240d inspected and ready to be my daily driver yesterday (PO had antique tags on it - it needed lots of work to pass PA inspection). I've been driving it, ummm, not quite so legally for the past couple months - maybe 500, 600 miles total (2 or 3 fill-ups with regular diesel).....just to keep it running and test-drives and such.

In that time, I've plugged maybe 4 or 5 prefilters and changed my spin-on once.....as it's sputtered out on me on several occasions (the maiden voyage upon purchase, actually - fun times).

I've changed all the rubber fuel lines, drained the tank, replaced the tank strainer (suprisingly clean), treated with two bottles of startron, etc.

So this morning, excited to finally make the work commute (60 miles roundtrip) legally and post in the "old diesel daily driver thread" - I foolishly left my toolbox in my garage. Halfway to work, started losing power and had to pull over alongside a very busy highway. Fortunately, had a spare prefilter in the glovebox with a hose clamp. Unfortunately, no phillips screwdriver, only a flatblade. Lesson as always? I'm an idiot. So as semi's are flying past my head......I'm trying to chisel off my prefilter thru the braided rubber hose with the screwdriver. Finally get it replaced, late for work, covered in dirt and diesel fuel.

So my longwinded question is this... what does this gunk look like to you? I think my tank is clean, it's new fuel (and dino) and I've treated for algae/fungus/whatever. Where would it be coming from? I never blew my lines out with air, as I suppose I should have.....but would that much gunk (to clog 4-5 prefilters) live in the metal fuel lines?

Should I just continue treatments with startron tank cleaner? The gunk doesn't really look black like other photos I've seen on here. Changing filters every 200 miles seems a bit extreme too, especially since I'm not running bio

chetwesley · #2 11-16-2007, 09:52 AM

The picture is not very clear to me, but my best estimation is that you have sour kraut in your fuel filter.

Jordan G · #3 11-16-2007, 09:55 AM

haha - could be, my wife likes to make it herself - maybe she slipped some in to sabotage my new love

Sorry about the pic, I screwed around with it in MS paint to meet the thread requirements - maybe I'll repost on photobucket or something.

chetwesley · #4 11-16-2007, 09:56 AM

No, these are German cars, I am pretty sure the sour kraut is OEM.

Sorry, by the way, I hope someone else has more constructive comments.

#5 11-16-2007, 10:02 AM

Ne idea what it is, but if I was getting that much junk in my filter I would probably drain and clean the tank, replace/clean the tank strainer, and blow out the fuel lines.

Jordan G · #6 11-16-2007, 10:21 AM

Yah - thanks for humor/advice guys. I guess I knew the answer (cleaning the tank/lines), I'm just pissed that I didn't do it correctly the first time (after running it dry and draining).
Plus, I needed to vent my frustration I suppose.....I was excited to start driving this thing every day and now I've got kraut in my lines

kerry · #7 11-16-2007, 10:27 AM

To confirm the source, you could route a length of rubber hose from the tank to the primary filter. If it runs ok with that rubber hose it would confirm the problem is in the line. It seems odd to me that you've cleaned the tank and still have the problem. Could you have gotten a bad tank of fuel?
I too would like to know what that stuff is. Cut apart the filter and get a closer look. It certainly does look like sauerkraut.

Chad300tdt · #8 11-16-2007, 10:28 AM

You should consider taking the tank out and having a radiator shop boil it out for you. Then you can be sure it's completely clean. It sucks having to do the same job more than once. Good Luck!

daw_two · #9 11-16-2007, 10:43 AM

I heard earlier this week that a guy steam cleaned a tank. Did you replace ALL the rubber hoses?

Good Luck and keep us posted on what you find.

Jordan G · #10 11-16-2007, 10:44 AM

I suppose I should clarify....I didn't really "clean" my tank. Just drained it, scraped around inside (with no real result) and changed an unclogged tank strainer...well, because I had the new one in hand. I probably should have flushed it at the time.....but I honestly didn't see much in there. The only "cleaning" I've done is with the Startron.

I like your idea Kerry - I may try to bypass it all and test, I have a ton of hose at home too. Thanks for taking time out of your complex ID discussion to help

And thanks Chad - I think I may end up boiling it either way. I mean, if I'm going to go through this whole process again, I might as well be thorough. Could you drop off some homebrewed beer to facilitate my cranky do-over?

Todd Miller · #11 11-16-2007, 10:53 AM

Why don't you pop the fuel hose off the bottom of the tank and drain a gallon or 2 into a clear container and see what it looks like. If it's clean, it's clean and you know it's coming from either inside your lines, or your rubber hoses are coming apart inside.

Either way, you'll be in a good position to spray a couple cans of carb cleaner into the lines (disco-ing them from the pump and pre-filter up front) and then blowing through them with compressed air.

Then install new lines, new pre-filter and take it for a good 50+mi drive at speed and see what happens.

Remember if you don't use diesel rated fuel lines, they'll fail rapidly.

Jordan G · #12 11-16-2007, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daw_two

I heard earlier this week that a guy steam cleaned a tank. Did you replace ALL the rubber hoses?

Good Luck and keep us posted on what you find.

all the rubber was changed - bought the kit from diesel giant first (in my infancy) but have since purchased a large coil of 5/16" line for much cheaper.

I'll post my results though. Oh....and I suppose it could be bad fuel....but I've had the problems since purchase, filled up 3 times since (at different pumps) and the symptoms remain....so I guess the odds don't favor the fuel being bad.

winmutt · #13 11-16-2007, 10:57 AM

Is it rust?

Jordan G · #14 11-16-2007, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd Miller

Why don't you pop the fuel hose off the bottom of the tank and drain a gallon or 2 into a clear container and see what it looks like. If it's clean, it's clean and you know it's coming from either inside your lines, or your rubber hoses are coming apart inside.

Either way, you'll be in a good position to spray a couple cans of carb cleaner into the lines (disco-ing them from the pump and pre-filter up front) and then blowing through them with compressed air.

Then install new lines, new pre-filter and take it for a good 50+mi drive at speed and see what happens.

Remember if you don't use diesel rated fuel lines, they'll fail rapidly.

I'll try that first.....I'm really thinking it's in the metal lines. When I drained the tank the first time.....I did as you said, drained the last few gallons into a bucket. The fuel was clean. I just have a hard time believing that enough gunk to clog THAT many prefilters would accumulate in the metal lines? I suppose it could happen though. Either way, I can connect it via the method Kerry suggested AND blow out the lines like you said at the same time. Should pinpoint the problem.

OR it really is like Chet suggested. I am Amish, you know

Jordan G · #15 11-16-2007, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winmutt

Is it rust?

That's what I thought at first......but it really looks organic? Not black slime.....it's really just brownish, dirt-like stuff?

I'll cut it open over lunch and take a better pic of it. You know, because I really should be working now - and at lunch I'll have free time