Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10-31-2004, 08:56 AM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Geographically challenged on the S.W shores of Lake Michigan in S,E Wisconsin
Posts: 1,160
well it stopped again

about the same place on the full tank between half and the white line above reserve. took it on the hwy and did 65-70 with the cruise on. i went about 60 miles on the hwy and on my way back i felt it surging. my wife had experienced the same feeling a couple days ago.

there was no woosh as i opened the drilled gas cap(the previous sure fire answer from the indy shop) as a mmatter of fact i am finding diesel in the shallow part of the area around the cap. obviously fuel is venting out.

the valves were adjusted and the fluids changed. there are a few new lines. the tow driver saw that there is a smoke leak, and i haven't found the part name so here is the description, it is from the bottom of the cannister that the valve cover hose goes into. it is smoking from where it meets the steel line at the bottom. sorry i am feeling technically incompetent right now.

the fella i bought it from knows the vaccuum is clamped off but we don't know why and he thinks the other lines are reversed somehow.

it has broken down teice in three weeks. it has 144,000 miles and i have less than 700. he has offered to buy it back at a reduced price and i am ready to do that.

any thoughts?


Last edited by 83-240D; 10-31-2004 at 09:07 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10-31-2004, 09:45 AM
Hatterasguy's Avatar
Zero
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Milford, CT
Posts: 19,318
Sounds like your tank's vent needs to be cleaned out.
__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-31-2004, 10:04 AM
Moderator
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Woolwich, Maine
Posts: 3,598
83-240D,

How much fuel does the tank accept when you fill it back up? It is possible your tank sender for fuel level and the reserve light is malfunctioning and you are just out of fuel. This has happened to each of my cars as they aged. You get to depend more on the mileage and less on the sender unless you fix it. I never bothered, and just used the trip odometer when I filled up.

If you have a hole drilled in the cap you don't have a vent problem. Going around corners may cause a bit of fuel to dribble out and make the side of the car wet with fuel. This will cause dirt to stick and make the car look messy. But with a hole in it the need for the vent system, or the need for a functiong vent system is superfluous.

If you have fuel and you are not getting it when the tank gets down to some level, you have some foreign material in there. I once had a VW bus and it acted similarly. I used to take the carb of every night and clean it, then put it on in the morning. One day while putting the unit back together, I noticed something inside the fuel line. Turned out to be an entire 8-track tape! I pulled it out, slowly, and then, no more problem. Once the fuel level is low enough, the suction of the pump will draw the foreign object over the tank port feeding the pump and soon there is no flow.

The smoking you see is likely by-pass gasses and is a sign the rubber connectors are shot. The whole point of the cannister is to separate oil droplets from non-condensing gasses in the blow by, send the gasses back to be burned again, and collect and drain the oil droplets and condensibles to the sump. Leaking connections also makes a mess and they are relatively cheap, so get some new ones (there are five rubber connections as I recall, one at each end of the tube from the valve cover, one on the line going to the sump where condensed oil vapor drains, and one on each end of the tube going to the intake). I change them all when I do it.

Good luck and I hope this helps. Jim
__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10-31-2004, 01:14 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Evansville, Indiana
Posts: 8,150
Probably time to clean the tank -- as the fuel level goes down, all the algae and slop that's collected over time get concentrated and plugs the tank screen, cutting off the fuel. If it start again after sitting a while, then stalls and/or lacks power, this is the problem.

Best is to remove the tank, but just draining it, pulling the screen, and flushing will help tremendously.

Common problem on older cars.

You also need to find and clean the tank vent under the car (large rubber flapper thingy on the end of the vent line) and replace the cap with the proper non-vented one to prevent spills, it's messy and flammable... Muc daubers and spiders like that vent opening.

Peter

Peter
__________________
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!
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10-31-2004, 03:49 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Geographically challenged on the S.W shores of Lake Michigan in S,E Wisconsin
Posts: 1,160
okay.......

going to check the fuel level in a few minutes. i will take a coat hanger to fish the tank.

we were in the grand am with 133,000 miles coming home from church and the dash was rattling and squeaking all that plastic rubbing on each other and i said to my wife......did you notice the benz dash doesn't squeak? yes she said but this car is reliable and hasn't stopped twice in the last three weeks. point point.

there is only 190 miles or so on the trip odo but maybe with the little leaking out it is enough to lower city driving considerably.

so check the tank first.
filter is still filled with green stuff no pepper flecks in it yet.
anyone think it is a pump going bad???


another thing...it diesels almost 85% of the time now. i have to lift the hood and press the stop button when leaving it in gear doesn't stop it.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10-31-2004, 04:42 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Geographically challenged on the S.W shores of Lake Michigan in S,E Wisconsin
Posts: 1,160
checked the tank

there is fuel but tapping the filler with the cap it sure sounds not real full.

how hard is it to pull the tank? lets guess that i will have the tools to do it.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10-31-2004, 07:46 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Evansville, Indiana
Posts: 8,150
If you have fuel in the suction line filter (the clear one), the tank probably isn't empty. Take a peek while either cranking the engine or with it idling -- lots of big air bubbles going past is a leak or empty tank, no fuel moving is a plugged tank screen.

Another easy check is to operate the hand pump -- if it stays down and won't come with the spring (new style) or is difficult to pull back up (old style), the line or filter is plugged. If it leaks considerable fuel while pumping, replace it, it's toast and leaks air in while the engine is running.

I'd also check the fuel gauge sender, accessable through the first aid box tray at the rear window - remove tray, sender is under the screw fitting there. If it's reading incorrectly, you are just running out of fuel!

Tank is below the rear window, remove cover panel at front of trunk to access.

Take a look at the suction side lines in the engine compartment, too -- they have been known to leak air, and the car will stop when the tank gets low and more suction is required to move the fuel -- air gets pulled in instead, and the engine quites when the IP fills up with air.

Peter
__________________
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!
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-31-2004, 07:52 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Geographically challenged on the S.W shores of Lake Michigan in S,E Wisconsin
Posts: 1,160
thanks psfred

i just found the 123manual on line and have been reading it. i will check the sender tomorrow in the light. the sellor also thinks there may be muck in the tank that settles when the tank is low. maybe I could add fuel from the outside and fish out what is blocking from the sender opening. whattya think?
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-31-2004, 08:16 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Evansville, Indiana
Posts: 8,150
Clean the tank and replace the screen.

Not the cheapest way to do this, but the only way to comletely eliminate the problem.

You won't have to listen to either the squeaking rattleing dash OR you wife complaining about unreliable cars!

Peter

__________________
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!
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:04 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page