'83 300D Turbo

So the gf said that her car will start to slow down from 55 and get slower and slower while driving sometimes and I actually experienced the issue just now. The car would not accelerate at all. I pressed the accelerator and it kicked down but it felt like the car was pushing a brick wall.

At the gas station I checked the brakes for excessive heat and the fronts were normal and the rears were cool.

The clear inline filter showed a little bit of gunk so I'm going to swap that out and hopefully I have a spin on filter and can see what happens. She just filled the tank so I really can't remove the tank strainer.

Any ideas or am I on the right track?

Sounds like fuel starvation. You're on the right track. Did you see if the fuel tank vent is clogged?

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

remove the fuel tank cap and see if you get a swoosw sound if you do it is the bell shape tank vent under the car near the drives seat take off and clean. In the past with me it has been the prefilter.

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Moss Gate Bed & Breakfast
1985 300 TD GG done in by a red light runner
1984 300 CD Sold
2008 Titian
2000 Cadillac SLS
1966 FLH Sold
2003 Harley Ultra

I'll try that when. I get home. Totally forgot about that bugger

Clean the banjo bolt and line from the intake manifold to the ALDA on the IP.

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Greg
2012 S350 BlueTEC 4Matic
2007 ML 320 CDI
2007 Leisure Travel Serenity
2006 Sprinter 432k
2005 E320 CDI
1998 SLK230 (teal)
1998 SLK230 (silver)
1996 E300D 99k, 30k on WVO
Previous:
1983 240D, on WVO
1982 300D, on WVO
1983 300CD, on WVO
1986 300SDL 237k, 25k on WVO (Deerslayer)
1991 350SDL 249k, 56k on WVO - Retired to a car spa in Phoenix
1983 380 SEC w/603 diesel, 8k on WVO
1996 E300D 351k, 177k on WVO

This is definitely a fuel issue, not boost.Acceleration is fine off the line.

I was thinking maybe some bad fuel. Still acceleration off the line should have been impacted. Take a smell of the tank to see if gas was accidentally loaded.

What you are describing is very similar to what happened to me recently. Inline prefilter clogged with small blank chunks. Fuel starvation only occurred a couple of times before I figured it out and replaced the filter. Just cruising along at 73 and want to pass someone, step on the skinny pedal and voila...brick wall and then even some loss of power. Most unnerving. But easy to remedy.

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"Frau Blue Car" 1980 240D think Frau Bluker, cue the horses, formerly known as "China" from JimmyL
"Gunther" 1982 300D.....Turbo!! A/C!! Sunroof!!
"Fraulein" 1975 240D----Donated to NPR

No gas smell, I was with her when we filled up and we used the dedicated diesel pump. I also have her educated on diesel dueling procedures.

I agree. Fuel starvation.

A blocked line to the ALDA limits fuel to that of a N/A engine.

With a turbo charger restricting the exhaust, you would then have less power than a NA engine.

Your issue is most likely a fuel flow problem, not a blocked ALDA line. But, it is easy to check.

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Greg
2012 S350 BlueTEC 4Matic
2007 ML 320 CDI
2007 Leisure Travel Serenity
2006 Sprinter 432k
2005 E320 CDI
1998 SLK230 (teal)
1998 SLK230 (silver)
1996 E300D 99k, 30k on WVO
Previous:
1983 240D, on WVO
1982 300D, on WVO
1983 300CD, on WVO
1986 300SDL 237k, 25k on WVO (Deerslayer)
1991 350SDL 249k, 56k on WVO - Retired to a car spa in Phoenix
1983 380 SEC w/603 diesel, 8k on WVO
1996 E300D 351k, 177k on WVO

What may also be transpiring here is loose stuff in the pre filter is seriously restricting the flow as it increases at higher rpms. As flow increases it moves or presses contaminates or junk tighter to the filter medium.

Anyways almost always filters have to be eliminated first in any scenario that seems fuel related. I might also dump the contents of the secondary fuel into a glass container looking for water etc. perhaps. Even though it is also being replaced.

Bulk carriers of fuel do not always properly clean their tanks out before adding diesel fuel. You can never be sure what their last load was. This to me is why with any diesel it is a good ideal to always have a set of spare filters in the trunk and the few tools required to change them.

I had a case years ago that it appeared some bunker c oil was in the customers gas tank. It could have been anything as we did not send a sample out to a lab. The only thing for certain it was the cause of the operational difficulties with the vehicle. I just threw in bunker c as that's what it looked like. Probably not though as it should have dissolved in the gas I suspected if it was. Maybe not.

if the line mentioned is clogged it will not allow the fuel system to provide more fuel as rpm and or boost rises. I don't know if it will actually cause the car to slow but it will definitely cause low power.

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[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.

Tom, did you see the picture of the tank strainer. I've never seen one so plugged up!


I just felt around the strainer hole and I could feel some sediment in the tank. Feels like rust sedimet. Awesome!?

Guess I'll have to pull the tank and rinse it out? I didn't feel any sludge

I just went through a year long experience with a backed out IP timing shaft bolt. -yes it was torqued.

No indication of unburnt fuel or issues starting. Low power (timing off) most noticeable after initial take off.

The car I pulled parts from (someone's project car) also had a backed out bolt but the shaft was still keyed to the timer and the shaft was fractured!

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Definitely tank vent. Norm does the same thing.