I love diesels! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #1 01-12-2016, 06:33 PM

So I have this 95 e300d from the rustbelt that I decided not to drive because of too many issues. But the engine and tranny are tip top. I let it sit behind my house and have not started it for about 2 years.

My son needs a car to drive so we took his battery from his saab (about half the correct size) put it in the benz and glowed it twice. Today is the coldest day we've had so far this year at about 15 degrees. It started on about the second or third cylinder....ran a little rough and something banged a little for a few minutes but once it warmed up runs like new.

So we put it in the garage to thaw. Tomorrow we'll caulk the sunroof and install the tail light lense that is missing and he'll have a nice driver until he can do better. For myself, its better than letting it sit.

Skid Row Joe · #2 01-12-2016, 06:41 PM

Best get a quart of Power Service in the fuel tank ASAP.

t walgamuth · #3 01-12-2016, 10:35 PM

Good idea!

yuke · #4 01-13-2016, 12:35 AM

Yea I hear ya but can you tell me why the oil gets so sluggy,dirty compared to a gas engine? I can change my oil in the 617 and 1 minute after running it.looks as dirty as the stuff I just took out. All diesel engines are like that what gives is it the compression they run at?

vstech · #5 01-13-2016, 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yuke

Yea I hear ya but can you tell me why the oil gets so sluggy,dirty compared to a gas engine? I can change my oil in the 617 and 1 minute after running it.looks as dirty as the stuff I just took out. All diesel engines are like that what gives is it the compression they run at?

Diesel combustion is extremely high pressure, and the burn has a soot that is extremely black. The powder dissolves in motor oil, and INSTANTLY stains it black. Also, there are coolers, and oil passages that hold over a quart of the old oil so, the moment you start the motor, the stained oil mixes with the new, and you have black oil.

yuke · #6 01-13-2016, 06:50 AM

Ok vstech good explanation I can buy that. I would have thought the soot powder from combustion would stay separate from the lubricating oil and all get exhausted out but I guess somehow it gets mixed in. I also notice that when I keep my drained oil for a period of time the soot powder must separate and fall to the bottom because when I store it till I have enough to take for recycleing I have a lot of sludge at the bottom of the bucket. Yesterday while changeing my oil I spilled about 2 1/2 gallons from my waste bucket on my garage floor boy what a mess to clean up got a couple hrs. more cleanup today yet. Sometimes I wonder when looking at that dirty oil how diesel engines can rack so many hrs. or miles before needing a rebuild I guess it is because of the extra lubricating qualities of diesel,wvo,peanut oil,kerosene fuels over gasoline. I guess the synthetic oils get just as dirty in the same amount of miles.

t walgamuth · #7 01-13-2016, 06:54 AM

Yes, the synthetics get black too. the newer diesels, not so much. My 03 dodge's oil after nearly 200k is still not nearly as black as one of the old benzes.

m1tch · #8 01-13-2016, 08:01 AM

I usually despair when I do oil changes on any of the diesel cars I have owned, do a nice full oil and filter service, after about a day of driving I check the oil again to make sure the levels are still fine and it looks almost as bad as before the service! Its why I keep a note about the mileage each service rather than check the colour of the oil!

DieselPaul · #9 01-13-2016, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

Best get a quart of Power Service in the fuel tank ASAP.

+1

A lot of people say its snake oil, but a good injector cleaner/cetane booster always makes a diesel that's been sitting snap back to running amazing for me.

Glad to hear it came right back for you Tom, it was 5* here today, going to see how the OM601 fires up later this afternoon!

sloride · #10 01-13-2016, 11:16 AM

Not so lucky here. it was -2 at 7:00am 617 been sitting three days due to snow
two glows, slow crank (15w40), plugged in block heater for two hours plus picked up at least five degrees, fired right up. Good for the rest of the week will be in the thirties. I was really hopping though, just for a little braggin rights.

vstech · #11 01-13-2016, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yuke

Ok vstech good explanation I can buy that. I would have thought the soot powder from combustion would stay separate from the lubricating oil and all get exhausted out but I guess somehow it gets mixed in. I also notice that when I keep my drained oil for a period of time the soot powder must separate and fall to the bottom because when I store it till I have enough to take for recycleing I have a lot of sludge at the bottom of the bucket. Yesterday while changeing my oil I spilled about 2 1/2 gallons from my waste bucket on my garage floor boy what a mess to clean up got a couple hrs. more cleanup today yet. Sometimes I wonder when looking at that dirty oil how diesel engines can rack so many hrs. or miles before needing a rebuild I guess it is because of the extra lubricating qualities of diesel,wvo,peanut oil,kerosene fuels over gasoline. I guess the synthetic oils get just as dirty in the same amount of miles.

yeah, the massive combustion pressure pushes a LOT of gasses into the oil past the rings.

the diesel's last so long because they have massive components, with massive bearing sizes to handle the loads of the huge combustion pressures.

check the size of a rod or main bearing compared to a gasser part... twice the surface area.

GregMN · #12 01-13-2016, 11:36 AM

It's the fuel.
Burn petroleum diesel and you get soot.
Burn Vegetable oil, almost no soot.
I changed the oil in my motor home and then drove 4000 miles using about 2 gallons of diesel for start up and shut down. The crankcase oil was clear as a gas engine's for the first few days.

That engine did not have external oil coolers that would not drain at an oil change. So after an oil change there was very little old oil left in the system.

Junkman · #13 01-13-2016, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

Best get a quart of Power Service in the fuel tank ASAP.

Power Service had bad test results in the "Lubricity Study". I haven't seen any recent data and the study may have been discredited. Startron helps with crud in the fuel.

Junkman · #14 01-13-2016, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sloride

Not so lucky here. it was -2 at 7:00am 617 been sitting three days due to snow
two glows, slow crank (15w40), plugged in block heater for two hours plus picked up at least five degrees, fired right up. Good for the rest of the week will be in the thirties. I was really hopping though, just for a little braggin rights.

Are you running synthetic oil? Mine start when I am. They don't when not.

sloride · #15 01-13-2016, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junkman

Are you running synthetic oil? Mine start when I am. They don't when not.

No reg dino R

tella, read it may cause oil leaks in 300k+ engine. I have very minimal at the turbo return now and not looking for more. I just jump into my PU when under 20F and anything over three inches of snow.