Could using the wrong oil (non C rated) have ruined my 240 engine?
 

I loaned my 240 to a friend a couple months ago. He returned it after logging about 3,000 miles on it. It has been sitting for a month or so because I could not get the engine started. I tried several things again today, and still no start. I had the block and lower rad hose heaters plugged in for about 6 hours, and the battery charging. I also put a blow drier on high connected to the air intake hose. It sounds like it wants to start, and even smells like partially burnt fuel. I changed all the glow plugs the other day as well. I found a half used quart of 10W-40 oil in the trunk. It was regular gasoline (S rated) oil. I knew the car did burn oil, so my friend had to have added some during the 3,000+ mile trip. Could using the wrong oil cause damage to the engine? The other possibility is that he could have ran it out of oil. I don't know for sure. I guess I need to do a compression check next......Rich

VERY unlikely...

Oh, _NO_
 

I hope he didn't run it out of oil, I've seen that occur so many times over the decades .

Do the compression test. Extremely unlikely the oil caused the problem. Lack of oil could cause the problem. Ask him if it ran out of oil.

Exactly...the oil isn't a problem. Running out of oil could be. Is the glow system actually working? Air purged from injector circuit?

Did you see the car drive in when returned / did you start car soon after it was returned?

Any idea if he used Bio / veg or other non standard diesel?

Wrong type of oil: Not a problem even if filled with gas oil in the short term. ( As in 10's of K miles )

How many miles does this car get per Qt and under what conditions? ( round town sub 40 MPH will use less oil per mile due to low loads , highway 60 + will use more due to higher speeds / loads. ) How many OT does this car hold?

No start due to out of oil: If the engine is cranking at normal speed, not an oil problem. The first parts of an engine to suffer oiling deficiency / locking up will be the connecting rod bearings, next will be main bearings. Pistons / rings / valve train won't going to be a problem.

The car did drive when it was returned. However, it was warm when I drove it to my other place (1/2 mile). I went to start it a few days later, and it took a good 10 minutes to get it to run. It would "run" with the starter engaged, but soon as I let off the key from the start position, it would die. I finally got it to run enough on it's own to get it where I could work on it. I ran it on veg years ago when I got it, but have only had Diesel in it for the last year or so. He only put D in it the entire trip. I only drove it once or twice a week around town, so it didn't use much oil. I think I had to put a quart in every few months. I will ask how many quarts were used for the trip. His trip was all highway, and some of it pulling an empty motorcycle trailer (maybe 300 pounds?). I definitely need to do a compression check. A bummer though, I just changed the glow plugs after it took the 10 minutes to get running. I could (should) have checked the compression then, it would have been easy.

Maybe I missed it, but have you checked for a fuel restriction?

Agree. Sounds like not enough fuel getting through. Or maybe he got some bad fuel at his last fillup.

I know for sure it is getting fuel. The filters were changed sometime during the trip. I don't know about bad fuel, but I suppose I could isolate the fuel intake in a fresh can of fuel and try to start it. I will do a compression test first. If that is inconclusive, I will look at the fuel system.

Smell the filler neck for any gasoline smell. Of course it could have been a tank of gas long gone now. It may have gotten really hot and taken the temper out of the compression rings at some point. Could he have lost coolant and there is no red overheating light?

Today in general a lots of people do not check their oil regularily. I am guilty of this on much newer cars Myself. If your friend ran low on oil it could be expected today with a 240d rolling up the miles. As for the wrong type oil as mentioned. If anything tens of thousands of miles. to make any noticeable difference. Even then it would not be this extreme.

Your problem sounds more consistant with something else though in my opinion. The compression check is needed unfortunatly. There is a chance that it is fuel supply related. Just so much easier to start with the compression check first. Watch and record your numbers carefully. They may provide a clue as well as a general result. For example if it was a tank of gas the injectors may be your issue. You will have useable compression. Actually I am hoping that is a probability. Simply because I am cheap probably. The quickest test I can think of is with a friend. Get them to glow the engine. You spray wd 40 into the intake. If it lights off pretty well instantly. Compression is probably not your issue. Also from your description it has remained pretty cold since the car came back. Is there any chance at all you just have a gelled fuel situation. Starts and runs as long as the starter remains engaged does indicate something. Like severe under fuelling may be an issue. Or not enough cylinders on line to sustain running.

Personally I try to borrow almost nothing except in some form of emergency. Simply because if it breaks while in my possession I feel obligated to fix it even if it was not my fault but just the time for it to fail.

I really always have had a policy of trying to help out the next guy. There is an element of truth in you get what you give. Then the era of few returning what they borrowed became an issue. Without me having to chase them for whatever.

What I found changed with others as well. Yet I still can borrow something as needed on rare occasions. Simply because they know it will be returned when I say it will.

It takes a lot to get me going but one of the son in laws never and I mean never returns anything borrowed without a chase. In some cases I have even had to go out and buy the tool again. Last item was my twenty five ton hydraulic jack. Somebody took it on him apparently.

If it is in the family you have to absorb the good with the bad though to keep peace. In this case relatively minor in the overall condition between relatives. Compared to many other situations that people have to deal with inside their own families sometimes. Actually insignifigent in comparison. I am just thankful that this is the worse in our family so far from my perspective. In personal relationships. Between myself and the four son in laws.

I only touch upon this as a consideration with your friend as a continuing relationship. You have to know that if he created this issue he did not do so intentionally.

I notice the wife gets a little disturbed with some member of the overall families actions from time to time but also suppresses it well. She is cognizant that all four of the son in laws could easily be a lot worse. Actually by guy standards they are pretty good. Women do not always see things quite as we do might be considered. To put it mildly.

I think the thread would be a lot more interesting. If you had loaned the car to a really hot chick. Then we could discuss issues of why you did not check her oil regularily etc. Or how lucky you got off this easy.

Anyone that even bothers to read my long running wandering posts deserves at least a little levity. I really should get back to dealing with my own long list of things that need attention.

Don't even have to do that. Just make a homemade fuel tank under the hood next to the injection pump using a milk jug with fresh diesel. Put both fuel lines in there, prime the system and crank.

Could using the wrong oil (non C rated) have ruined my 240 engine?

NO

Look at the plastic fuel filter and see if you can see any dark crap inside of the filter. If so you got some bad fuel (on your friends trip?) and something is growing inside of the tank or contaminated the fuel.

You might also check to see if the strip fuse on the glow plug relay is not cracked or burned and use an ohm meter to check the glow plugs.


New does not always men good. I have had new dead spark plugs and one dead new glow plug.
If the new Glow Plugs were autolites or monarks they don't last long.

What caused the filters to need to be changed during the trip?