Hi Folks,

My day started off great it was a bonechilling -26 C (-10 F) out today & my
240d started great after being plugged in. (these temps don't include wind chill)

Went did some errands, and on the way home suddenly loss of power big time and finally the engine quit. I tried to get the car started for about 5 minutes but it would barely run with the pedal all the way to the floor or would just sputter.

I put in some more diesel & fuel conditioner (anti-gel, water displacer) managed to get her running for a minute then she quit again. And then the same symptons - kind of starting, but no power or rpms.

I left the car, took the battery home- charged it. Tomorrow I will tow the car to a heated garage and see what happens.

I'm thinking of two possible issues:

1) Gelled fuel or frozen fuel line
2) Plugged fuel filter.
(both filters were replaced 1 year
ago - about 12,000 miles ago)

or perhaps a combination of 1&2??

My plan of attack is to let the car warm up in the garage and try to start it. And then if successful change both fuel filters.

Any ideas, suggestions or warm weather would be appreciated!!

Frozen in PEI,

Aivars Berzins

I think your hypothesis is right: either gelling or clogged fuel filter. Related to the filter, if you had any water in the fuel, it could easily freeze, especially at the filter, and block fuel flow.

My guess would be gelling--I'd dose that fuel up real well. You'll have to warm the car up, but running it for a couple of hours should put good anti-gel fuel throughout the whole system.

ajb: yep & yep. Filter is first symptom, as the clouded fuel plugs it up and makes the engine stumble. Best recourse is the heated garage, as once the fuel clouds it stays clouded until warm (your anti-gell is just sitting in the tank). The trick is to put your fuel additive in the filter when changing filters. Then start the car.

Another trick for those without the heated garage is to blow out the fuel lines, change filters, then pump pump pump the hand pump to reprime the fuel lines.

-26C isn't that cold unless #2 fuel only. We had -26F last week.

__________________
daBenz - 1970 220D

If we had -26F in Maryland, the whole state would stop moving! And we are expecting up to a foot of snow this weekend which WILL stop everyone.

__________________
Paul 1987 300 SDL; 2000 ML; '69 MGB; '68 VW Fastback

Had the same thing happen to me w/my '86 F-250 6.9l IH motor. I got a product from Carquest called "diesel 911" made by power service. It claims to de-ice lines and de-gel fuel. Don't know much about these MB diesels, but it worked for my truck.

Dave in KC

Just an update on the 240d. It was the secondary (big) filter that was plugged or dirty.

I only had about 12,000 miles on it- but I guess I must have picked up some crap some where that plugged it up.

Thanks for all your advice!

Aivars

I read something on the Ford-Diesel pick up board that might help. In response to a similar situation one guy suggested packing around the fuel filter housing with those " warm hands" chemical hand warmers. They produce heat for about 8 hrs and warm the fuel and filter up enough to solve the gelling problem. You can use duct tape to hold them in position.

Make that 2 feet of snow in Maryland!

__________________
Paul 1987 300 SDL; 2000 ML; '69 MGB; '68 VW Fastback