About ten years ago I noted a lack of power in my 1983 300SD. At the time I thought that a car with a little over 100,000 miles has a right to grow old and die. About a month later I was talking to another diesel owner (boat) and was told that the fuel has changed and I should try adding diesel Power Service cetane boost (gray bottle). First, I had to get a bottle that counts off an ounce at a time and add one ounce for every three gallons I used to fill up the tank. From there I could change the ratio as needed.

I added one ounce for each three gallons in my car diesel (back to normal) as well as to my boat diesel (no difference). I have not had any problems since and am still on the original injectors.

I was wondering if anybody on this forum has played with the ratio of this or other additives. Now I live in a warm climate so I would not have to adjust for cold starts, but I was thinking once you reach a normal cetane level there should be no advantage to adding more. What do you think?

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In scuba diving and skydiving as in life, if it isn't fun, your doing it wrong.

Original owner & daily driver, 1983 300SD 298,000 miles.

In Texas, we have no idea what cetane level diesel fuel we're putting in our MBs, they don't post them on the pumps like I observed once in Maryland. So just for the heck of it, I purchased a bottle of Power Service Diesel Kleen, and poured the whole 16oz bottle just to see how it would work. The car ran smoother, no smoke, so I gave it one more whole bottle treatment. Some three to five months later, it still runs smooth and smoke is at a minimum. It's been a while since I've used it, so I will probably add some if the running gets rough and smoky.
-Joe

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

On the 603, I use double that ratio. 12 oz. to 20 gallons. Raises the cetane six points from 40 to 46. For $1.15 per tank, I think I can afford it.
Might even pay for itself, but, I can't confirm it.

I run ~an ounce to a gallon in veg oil but not in diesel. It is the silver label, Diesel Kleen.

skydive,

I don't use any Power Service. My Diesels all run fine without it.

P E H

I am sensing a little irony here. Are people *****ing about the price of diesel and then dumping this liquid gold in on top of it too?

If Diesel drivers aren't burning their crankcase oil after an oil change, Diesel fuel isn't too expensive yet.

P E H

What do you use to filter your used oil so you can burn it?

Danny

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1984 300SD Turbo Diesel 150,000 miles

OBK member #23

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Danny,

Very primitive system: filter cloth between 2 metal screens in the bottom of an upside down plastic quart oil bottle. I pour from one gallon cantainer to another with the filter in between.

In over 20,000 miles betweeen 2 300SDs, I have not plugged either an inline or a can filter. I only use a 5% or less mix, so there isn't any smoke visiable.

Using used crankcase oil for fuel makes waste oil worth whatever the price of Diesel fuel is. I figure the added oil also helps lubricate the injection pump what with the sulphur content of the Diesel getting lower all the time.

P E H

Maybe your cars would run even better with it. Did you ever try it?

There is a $5 rebate on 96 oz PS at one of the chain truckstops (pilot?) for anyone interested in such.

Brian,

Glade to hear that you use PS because I consider you one of the "go to guys" on this forum.You use double my ratio. However, I may be closer to that ratio then you think. One of my boating friends owns two Hess station here. Because they do not have to state the cetane on the pumps in Florida, I asked him if he could find out anything about the diesel his stations get.

He came back with, the oil is from the North Sea oil (I do not known what that should means to me) and it comes by boat to the Tampa, FL center and then trucked to his stations. It is rated as Min. 42 cetane. He does not own a diesel car put has a twin screw diesel boat, which he now fuels from his stations. I have been fueling there (less then two miles from my home) for years and have added PS as per the direction on the bottle giving me 45 cetane.

I know that MB diesels will run fine with 45 cetane or above and 40 cetane is too low. I however, do not know what the cut off point is. The reason I think this is important to us is because I think a lot of ALDA adjustments, Fuel Filters replacements and other things are done on this forum because of the way the diesel runs on 40 cetane. As well, some members may be too young or not owned a MB diesels to know how these diesels ran when new and with 50 cetane. I think a reference point is useful.

I have never had to adjust my ALDA, change my injectors or had bad MPG, starting or pickup problems (except for the month when they lowered the cetane rate about ten years ago). This is just a thought that came to me as I keep reading this great forum.

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In scuba diving and skydiving as in life, if it isn't fun, your doing it wrong.

Original owner & daily driver, 1983 300SD 298,000 miles.

Well, you might want to ask him if it goes to a refinery after it gets to Tampa, and prior to arriving at his stations.

The ratio is somewhat determined by the user. PEH doesn't use it and he feels his vehicles run perfectly well without it. Mine would probably run quite decent as well, but, I notice that the 603 has a little more pep with the Power Service. Furthermore, I can't be bothered with Purge every six months, so, if the Power Service will eliminate that effort, then it further supports my conclusion to use it. If the vehicle can get .75 mpg improvement from the Power Service, it pays for itself. I would be fairly certain that the Power Service will provide this increase, but, I can't document it due to other variables.

I have not run the Power Service in the 617 yet. It would typically get a container of "Diesel Hi-test" every three or four tanks.