81 240D ran out of fuel and sucked up all the soot and scum from the bottom of the tank. I have changed out the injectors with another set I had, blown out the injector lines and changed fuel filters. I still can't get it to crank. Anyone have any ideas

It takes a LONG time to prime the fuel system on a 240D. Fill the fuel filter, makes life MUCH easier.

Recharge the battery if it is low, and it helps to loosen the cap nuts on the injectors -- crank until no more bubbles come out, then tighten the nuts and crank again -- should start.

If you ran it till it stopped, it may take a couple battery charges to get it going again! Pump till you can't stand it any more, then pump again! The last time my 220D ran out, I didn't have any tools with me, pumped at least 150 times and STILL had to crank til I thought the battery would go (hot engine, thank heavens!). Much better to fill the fuel filter!

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Thanks for the advise. I think I have already pushed that hand pump 40 or 50 times but I will try again tommorow. I had not thought about the ATF !! Think I will give that a try too.

MBJOE,

The problem TXBILL is describing is that when you openned the filter housing and put a new one in, you let air into the system. The way the system works the amount of air that is let in doing the filter service, or running out of fuel, is enough to make the system essentially air bound.

Cranking the engine over to prime the system wastes all the energy associated with compressing air, running the auxiliary equipment, etc. just to pump a few milliliters of Diesel fuel per revolution, if that. Before you will refill the system and purge the air out using the battery to crank the engine, the battery will die (the starter draws about 2kW of juice from the battery, in this case to do next to no work - pump a couple cc's of Diesel fuel).

To address this situation, the fuel injection pump has a hand priming pump built into it on the outboard side. It has a one inch diameter or so black or white plastic disc with an obnoxiously sharp set of grooves in the outside diameter. You unscrew it, and when it is free to move vertically you pull it up and push it down through at least 60 (more like 200 or so) strokes until you feel resistance build and a buzzy kind of flow noise. After that you will still have to crank it for a few seconds or so.

If the starter is not doing anything you need to recharge the battery as TXBILL suggests, and then start the whole process over.

I hope that all helps put your situation in perspective. Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

If your hand pumping yields to no avail, your hand primer pump may be bad. Mine pumped more fuel out of thge car than into the puel system, likely bad O rings ; Probally getting more air in the system than I started with. I bought a replacement hand pump from my dealership, and it cost $13.99! This one does not have to be unscrewed to be used, and does not have sharp edges. It also return automatically to the raised position, and all you have to do is push it. Really take the hassle out of priming the engine, and makes it much easier almost fun. It's made by BOSCH and looks much nicer too. Perhaps this will make your experience easier. Oh yeah, required about 20 pumps to bleed out the air from my fuel system after changing fuel filter, versus about 100 two years ago. Though I always clamp off the fuel lines first (makes things easier).

It also may help to loosen the banjo connection on top of the fuel filter housing; helps let air out and speeds things up. Haynes manual points to the wrong connector in their pict. Retighten when you see bubbles conming out of the connector, then pump some more untill you hear a hissing comming from the bypass valve (sounds like a whistle almost). Then try cranking.

Good Luck.

Adam

It is not necessary to remove the banjo fitting on top of the fuel filter. There is a small air hole that bleeds all the air in the filter back to the tank. It is constantly bleeding fuel and any air back to the tank, but a very small amount since the viscosity of fuel is much higher than air. The injection lines and injectors will have any air pumped out of them by the injection pump (IP) so it is not necessary to bleed them.

My '87 300SDL doesn't have the hand pump. If if runs out of fuel I have to crank engine with the starter but it doesn't take too long to start. At least 2 gallons of fuel must be added to the tank to get the engine started so I keep a bigger spare fuel container in the trunk.

I agree that there is no reason to clean out the i IP. The secondary fuel filter will keep all the solids out of the IP. With the fuel sloshing around in the tank when ever the car is moving I doubt there is any sludge at the bottom of the tank. If the tank was stationary, sludge could remain in the bottom of the tank but not in moving tank.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~PEH~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~