Here are my observations -

I helped the fellow with a 92 SD try to figure out why his car won't start. I say try because we still don't know what's going on.

The car was running very well when I helped him change the front pads. Sometime after that he unintentionally put some gasoline in the tank. I don't know how much. Filled the rest of the way with Diesel. Sometime after that but possibly still on the same mixed tank, he was cruising along at about 70when the engine lost power and stalled. From that point he's been able to get the engine to run for more than 3-5 seconds.

I had a look at the car today and checked the fuel basics. New filters in the engine bay and fuel is flowing from the looks of it. For the 3-5 seconds it runs, it runs evenly; that is, it doesn't seem as though a cylinder is missing.

Cranking is really labored. A single battery can barely hack it. It seems to me something is dragging the reciprocating assembly. There is a nasty squeak when the engine is at cranking speed. The squeak goes away for the few seconds it idles. But then it loses rpm, the squeak comes back (maybe not in that order) and finally it stalls. Same thing with the belt off so it's not the belt or any of the anciliaries.

I didn't have the means to pull the liner under the bumper to check the crank damper. That's the only thing I can imagine could be binding. It could be what's squeaking since it's mostly rubber.

It doesn't sound like the starter is dragging but who knows.

Since it's a 3.5 it could be a bad rod but oil consumption is not horrendous and the engine doesn't smoke.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Sixto
87 300D