I was about 50 miles into a trip from Dallas to Houston and stopped for food and fuel. I pulled back on the interstate and car started "surging"?? and I had no power under load. I assumed it had to be the fuel from that crappy sonic/gas station I just stopped at.

I kept the RPMs down and made it about 75 miles to a big truck stop, topped off the tank and put in some diesel kleen cetane booster. Car ran better, but not 100%.

I finally purged that tank and am now on good fuel.

Question is: should I now get the fuel low and drain the remainder to completly rid the bad stuff? Do I need to do a visual inspection of the tank, or should I just keep running it with a watchfull attitude?

Thanks

__________________
----Adam

1985 300SD 322,000

If you had black dots in your filter its probably bacteria. Run some biocide through it and you will probably be fine. If its just water in the fuel you can run some de icer through it.

__________________
[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.

...and change the fuel filters after the biocide...

I also got a bad tank of diesel. Mine had some water in it. I usually buy diesel at Mobil but this weekend while traveling down south I got some Shell diesel. All the way home my injectors were making random clacking noises. So after listening to the clacking for 4-5 hours I filled up with Mobil diesel and the clacking is starting to go away.

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1985 300TD Turbo Euro-wagon
1979 280CE 225,200 miles
1985 300D Turbo 264,000 miles
1976 240D 190,000 miles
1979 300TD 220,000

GONE but not forgotten
1976 300D 195,300 miles
1983 300D Turbo 175,000 miles

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e485-1-2-1.jpg

Thanks for the replys.

It is time for a diesel purge, so i'll be doing that and probably going to check out the lines and tank screen since it hasn't been done since i've had it.

__________________
----Adam

1985 300SD 322,000

An autopsy of your secondary filter might be revealing.

x2

My bet is, it's full of water.

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

Glad to hear that you're on good fuel now. What brought you to Houston?

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

More than a few Members have reported getting bad fuel on a trip out of their normal area.
Not to many choices available except to kee extra filters in your Trunk or ad on a Water Separator with a Drain to your Fuel Supply System.

After a year or so I change my Secondary Filter (it not the stock Filter; hold about 1 qt of fuel) and there was about 1/4 teaspoon full of water in it.

But, I fill up locally.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

My aunt had a suprise birthday party. I have actually spent alot of time down there with work but always take a company truck. It was ice to get my car out on the interstate for a while, plus I think I made some progress talking the wife into trading her car note for a 20 year old mercedes!

Now I just need the rain to stop so I can work on the car. I cant wait to get a garage!

__________________
----Adam

1985 300SD 322,000

I'm surprised there was a difference between Mobil and Shell. I only buy BP diesel. Maybe I should experiment around?

__________________
1993 W124 300D 2.5L Turbo, OM602.962
2000 Chevrolet Cavalier, 2.4L DOHC
2002 Ford Explorer, 4.0L SOHC
2005 Toyota Prius, 1.5L

http://www.fuelly.com/sig-us/40601.png

FWIW, the fuel that was of questionable nature was Shell.

I almost exclusively by my fuel from racetrack. Never had a problem, and it is usually the best priced in my area.

__________________
----Adam

1985 300SD 322,000

bad smelling fuel, Gag, gasp, choke
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/94728-bad-smelling-fuel-gag-gasp-choke.html#post635191

In a given geographic area, it's a safe bet that most of the diesel fuel being sold at retail came from the same terminal. Problems with fuel dispensed at a given station are most probably the result of less-than-ideal storage conditions at that location and are not a "brand" issue, per se.