Hi,

I was within 10 or 12 miles of the end of a 300 mile drive when I noticed a slight shudder under load going down the interstate. Guages all looked normal so I went on to the Hotel. When I got to the bottom of the ramp, the car was obviously not running on all cylinders .

I pulled around the corner to the hotel and raised the hood to see the fitting on the hardline running to the #4 injector spitting diesel like one of JR Ewings new wells .

Everything under the hood (especially the hood pad) was drenched in diesel. In the morning, I cabbed over to the Merc Dealer and got the new line and replaced it. This afternoon, I drove back home with the overpowering odor of diesel wafting into the interior.

I guess that the hood pad is a goner. I could probably wring enough fuel out of it to get to airport 30 miles away.

If someone has any advice about how to clean up the mess, I'm all ears and no nose .

BR,

Steve (8C>

Buy some Gunk (or the cheaper and works as well generic sold at Auto Zone, etc.) and soak the engine compartment (avoid air intake and go light around wires and fuse box) rinse with water. Follow with Simple Green (or something similar) to help remove the diesel odor.

Some will say it is sacrilegious to remove the diesel odor, but too much diesel odor is too much.

Good Luck!
Tom

__________________
America: Land of the Free!

1977 300D: 300,000+ miles

American Honda: Factory Trained Technician & Honor Grad.
Formerly:
Shop Foreman;
Technical Advisor to Am. Honda;
Supervisor of Maintenance largest tree care co. in US for offices in Tex.

I buy the gallon of Gunk concentrate and mix one to 9 with kerosene and spray that on... much cheaper...use it on tractors,cars,small animals that get in my way...

Got into the same problem with diesel all over the place when the return line let loose and the daughter was using the car for the week.
I put a half gallon of Simple Green into a garden sprayer and soaked up the engine and hood pad. Engine was cold and I let it work for a half hour and sprayed the whole mess off with a hose. Engine came out bright and clean, diesel smell was gone and a mint odor wafted throught the car for the next week.
I read here where the Orange cleaner works even better. Use the same method. Both are sold by the gallon at Home Depot, and most of the bigger hardware stores for a reasonable amount.
I found this works well and have been using the same on both of the old diesels. Keeps under hood clean. Muck easier to work on.

An engine compartment that smells like MINT ? Sounds good to me. Greg

Hi Old Dies,

I took your suggestion with the Simple Green. It worked like a champ! I didn't get brave enough to tackle the engine, but the hood pad smells like Mint, as does the interior of the car.

Thanks for taking the time!

BR,

Steve (8C>