Contaminated Fuel? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

biobenz617 · #1 02-17-2014, 07:21 PM

I just changed my main fuel filter as PM and also inspected my prefilter. Only a few black specs in the prefilter and I left it as is. What I did notice is how dark/colored the fuel is. Take a look at attached.

Is this a sign of microbial infestation?? I thought diesel fuel was clear! I have not run biodiesel in a few years due to availability, and it was only high quality BlueSun stuff.

compress ignite · #2 02-17-2014, 07:57 PM

'looks like normal diesel fuel from what I can see.
Diesel has a slight greenish/golden color depending on the Refiner and their additive package (If Any).

If you suspect Fungus,Dump an 8 Oz. container of Startron in your tank before the next fill-up and that'll take care of the Infection without any further Angst
on your part.

http://mystarbrite.com/startron/content/view/94/124/lang,en/

jake12tech · #3 02-17-2014, 08:11 PM

That diesel is fine. You'll know algae if you have any. Good to keep an eye on things like that though.

whunter · #4 02-17-2014, 08:33 PM

barry12345 · #5 02-18-2014, 10:47 AM

This winter the local furnace oil has been destroying riello oil burner pumps. There is no reason to not expect we may see issues with our diesel cars from this as well. The way to detect the fuel is it is dark out of the diesel pump or much darker than we are associated with. The demand for rebuilt pumps is so high locally it cannot be met. Or only with great difficulty.

Take a small jar and put a small sample in that container to examine at the pump. What is in winter furnace oil may show up in diesel as well.

rscurtis · #6 02-18-2014, 11:16 AM

Depending on where you live, what you knew as HHO is now ULSD diesel fuel. Many diesel engine's went through this debacle in 1994 as sulphur was lowered from 5000 PPM to 500PPM. The 617 engines were unaffected by this change, but many fuel-lubricated pumps suffered. There hasn't been any change in diesel fuel since 2006 when it went to 15 PPM on the sulphur.

What's happened is that the EPA has finally caught up to your Riello.

biobenz617 · #7 02-19-2014, 10:07 AM

Thanks for the responses! I'm going to take a sample at the pump I normally fill at and see if that's also colored.

Diesel911 · #8 02-19-2014, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rscurtis

Depending on where you live, what you knew as HHO is now ULSD diesel fuel. Many diesel engine's went through this debacle in 1994 as sulfur was lowered from 5000 PPM to 500PPM. The 617 engines were unaffected by this change, but many fuel-lubricated pumps suffered. There hasn't been any change in diesel fuel since 2006 when it went to 15 PPM on the sulfur.

What's happened is that the EPA has finally caught up to your Riello.

I have seen the insides of Stanadyne/Roosamaster DB2 Fuel Injection Pump. Even before 1994 the previous changes in the Diesel Fuel had caused abnormal wear on the Aluminum Housings of the Fuel Injection Pump where Steel rubbed against Aluminum.

The Advance Piston Bore and the Cam Ring to Housings contact areas where the high wear areas.

Stanadyne solved part of the problem by using a none metallic Advance Piston. I am not sure if anything was done about the Cam Ring wear.
Re-builders also sent the Pump housings out and had the Advance Piston Bores Hard Chromed.

My Volvo Diesel Fuel Injection VE Pump als has similar Housing Wear due to the advance mechanism. And, the Pump Drive Shaft Seal that I replaced about 4 years ago is also leaking again.
.