It was in the owners manual because fuel gelling was more pervasive at the time and this was the remedy for extreme weather conditions. For example living in Artic conditions. Mercedes-Benz vehicles are sold all over the world, and the manual wasn't written just for the people in North America.

That doesn't mean that it was a good idea, it simply means that it was a stopgap solution to a problem. Just like using unleaded gasoline is bad for a Coleman stove, but if you are hungry.....edit: coleman dual fuel stove, not the older models,sorry I should have been more clear.

It was a bad idea then and now because gasoline in any percentage mixed with diesel is going to damage the injector pump due to it's lack of lubricity. Gasoline, even in lower concentrations can cause detonation in the combustion chamber, similar to the effects of using ether in a diesel not designed for it. Mechanical damage can include bent connecting rods, destroyed rod bearings, and piston breakage. Power output will be reduced also.

When Mercedes first started selling diesel cars in the U.S., diesel passenger cars were a rarity. Diesel was often hard to come by and it wasn't always sold in an appropriate grade for the weather. Blending with gasoline or kerosene was suggested as an emergency measure. We have better options now.

I guess that explains as good as any reasons why I can think of too. Diesel was not available with the convenience that it is today, that is a fact.

Our family started driving MB diesels in 1969. At that time, there were always diesel #1, and diesel #2 pumps at most every facility that sold diesel fuel. The wintertime mixing of diesel #1 & #2 per tank fill-up was customary. The freezing-up while driving in cold weather actually happened to my Father near Fremont, NE. in his 220D. The car was towed-in to an automotive shop, and two kerosene-fired salamanders were placed one at the front, and one at the rear of the car until the fuel de-gelled.

I don't know the genesis of Power Service additive(s) but for 35 years or so, that is what we have been using in our MB diesels. Diesel #1 I had heard was less filtered, for one characteristic. The gel-point, I'm not clear on at all, versus diesel #2.

Right. My winter MB diesel experience basically told me this.

um... this will vaporize your house...

it's not bad for a coleman stove, it is TOTALLY DESTRUCTIVE to life and structure...
you won't be hungry anymore if you use gas in a fuel stove... you'll be dead!

Incidentally, I used to have an '82 VW diesel and it had a very similar notation in the owner's manual about blending gasoline with the fuel if winter diesel was unavailable. It also suggested buying diesel at truck stops because it was likely to be fresher and have less water in it.

Sorry, I meant to say the dual fuel Coleman stove, I edited my post to fix that.