I am preparing my 300D for an upcoming engine transplant. It has been sitting for a couple of years but they tell me that if it was running when I parked it, it should start after I check the fuel and get a new battery.
I have the battery and found honey colored fuel in the filter cartridge. That seemed normal enough. I then pumped in some fuel from the supply side of the system and the fuel looked like old motor oil. That can't be good.
I can't easily get to the underside of the fuel tank and didn't have the hose to siphon the tank dry so I pumped most of it into silly gallon jugs with the primer pump. . Sue me, it was Sunday.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get the rest of it out or is my John Deere buddy correct? He is suggesting that putting a couple of gallons of fresh fuel in the tank along with some mystical goo (that eliminates or neutralizes contaminants) will get things going until more fuel can be added? That and maybe a can of ether if things dont go staight away. The latter sounds more like Hunter Thompson's solution but as we all know, Nothing Runs Like A Deere. Any input will be appreciated.
B

STOP, DON'T USE ETHER TO START THIS CAR!!!!

This is a glowplug engine and could be blown to smitherenes with ether. If you MUST use ether, disconnect the glow plugs first.

If you have emptied the tank, put in a few gallons of diesel and one of the good additives, you also should use some biogard to kill any algae.

Good luck,

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Larry Bible
'84 Euro 240D, 523K miles
'88 300E 5 Speed
'81 300D Daughter's Car
Over 800,000 miles in
Mercedes automobiles