Ether as vapor mixed with air is at least as explosive as propane, maybe more. It's easier to ignite, too, precisely the reason it's used for starting fluid. It burns almost as hot as propane, too, no chance you're gonna get a yellow flame! Blue, it you can see it, is more like it. Starting fluid is only about half ether -- the rest is a mix of light linear hydrocarbons to slow down the flame and provide some "omph" to start an engine.

Ether, in the presence of air and overheated, can explode pretty nicely -- when I was an undergraduate, there was an explosion in the chemisty building that seriously injured several grad students. Seems someone was refluxing some ether (boiling and condensing so that it drips back into the boiling flask) and the the joint between flask and condeser leaked. The vapor running down the side of the flask ignited on the ELECTRIC heating element (no shorts, no sparks, completely enclosed element). The entire aparatus exploded, serious burning everyone around it. By great luck, no one was facing it at the time....

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!