Kangeroo petrol??? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 10-03-2002, 12:40 PM

Hi guys.

This is a joke. kangeroo petrol is none technical term used in the UK, when a car does not run smoothly - bit like mine really!!!

OK, when driving on short distances I don't have a problem. The longer the distance the greater the chance of the problem occurring. The engine seems to cough, splutter and choke when running at a good temp and when I put pressure on the engine like foot down on accelerator to overtake or going up a hill. Its like there is a blockage in the system somewhere. I've had the Kat and the rear silencer replaced and last week i had the rear muffler replaced. When accelerating from a standing start, at 4,000 rpm the engine seems to be asmatic - no offence intended. I know the fuel pipes are metal, buit it really seems as if they are made of rubber and get compressed when i floor it. I've had it in the garage and diagnostically checked. All they could find was that the fuel pumps (fuel from tank - sucking and the fuel to engine - blowing) were unsyncronized. The pumps were replaced and was fine for a few months up until today. Now its causing problems again

. Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks guys - any help would be appreciated.

pentoman · #2 10-03-2002, 01:06 PM

Could be fuel filter - it's a standard service item, when was it last done, presumably when the pumps were done?

#3 10-03-2002, 01:20 PM

Hi Russ.

Not sure. I'll find out. It had a major service some 4,000 miles ago - would/should it have been replaced then?

Neil.

pentoman · #4 10-03-2002, 02:26 PM

I'm not sure and don't have my service book with me.

If you read yours through, it says somewhere, wether it's a major service item, or an every 30,000m item, or what.

good luck

Piotr · #5 10-03-2002, 05:34 PM

Sounds VERY much like fuel filters (you mean "kangaroo petrol", right??

Even if filters were changed, some little piece of )(*&*&$&%$# could have blocked them. I once had to replace 3 fuel filters in that same number of weeks due to really bad gas (not on MB, thank God!)

#6 10-04-2002, 02:37 AM

Hi Piotr.

Yes, do meam kangeroo petrol, as a lot of the members reside in the US I thought I'd use the word fuel instead of petrol.

I spoke to the mechanic last night and he thinks that he did change the fuel filter. The guys that did my last big service told me they changed it too, but that was some 9 months ago. The problem has been in existence for several months now. only happens on journeys of 100 miles. I've just spent close to $1,000 getting it fixed, granted another $50 for a fuel filter isn't going to kill me, but I want to make sure it is the fuel filter before I change in unneccessarily (I think I got the spelling right). Is there anyway of checking if the filter was changed recently, or is it a case of having to take it down and loook for yourself.

I've got a Haynes manual and it tells me how to replace the $&^%£$" thing. If I take the filter out to look at it, do I need to jack to rear of the car up or is that only to create more room to work?

I've also stuck fuel cleaners, carburettor cleaners in the tank, but none of them seem to make any difference.

Piotr · #7 10-04-2002, 09:29 AM

The only other thing may be the new Cat. I had a bad cat on a 1983 Renault Fuego

and it did have the same symptoms as what you described. I'd look at your exhaust. Cat's "guts" expand with temperature, and maybe your exhaust is partially blocked. Worth looking at it.

#8 10-04-2002, 10:01 AM

Hi Piotr.

Yeh, the silencer after the Kat was replaced about 7 weeks ago, when I started having the problems. I had the Kat replaced, I think this sorta time last year, there was absolutely nothing left of the inners!! It had all disintegrated!! The guy told me to consider having that bit replaced.

#9 10-04-2002, 03:10 PM

hi guys. I had my mechanic look at the fuel filter this evening - still shiny. As the resonator had only been on a few weeks, he took it down and looked - nothing there that shouldn't be.

Piotr · #10 10-04-2002, 05:41 PM

OK, check the pumps again, and then check the brainbox (computer).

#11 10-05-2002, 01:03 PM

hi piotr.

. . . . . . . its going back in the shop on Wednesday. i'll keep you informed. thanks for the help. you to pentoman.

#12 10-10-2002, 11:10 AM

Russ, Piotr. . . . .

. . . . . car was in the garage today, but couldn't find anything wrong. It's done it twice now. The engine needs to be very warm though (80ºC+) and then at 5,000 rpm it starts to play about.

All I can do is take time off work, drive around until it happens and then take it to the garage, get Tim to sit in the car with me and push the car until does it again!!

Neil.

Piotr · #13 10-11-2002, 12:49 AM

uuuuughh... intermittent problems are sooo frustrating to fix!

But something tells me I've heard of it before, just cannot remember what was the solution...

#14 10-11-2002, 01:54 PM

Thanks for the support Piotr. It's appreciated. hopefully by the time a travel down the M25 (freeway around London) either I'll have a speeding ticket or a solution!!

regards,
Neil.

#15 11-09-2002, 09:41 AM

Hi guys.

well, i got around to replacing one of the fuel pumps last week. been for a nice long drive and seems OK. i'll keep the one i took off just incase i replaced the wrong one, but so far so good.
Thanks for the help pentoman and piotr