SOB I ran out of fuel!
 

I am an idiot, I should know better then to trust what a 25 year old fuel guage says.:silly: I went to start up my car this morning and it died after about 5-10 minutes. So thinking it was a fuel filter that clogged I poped the hood, only to find the pre filter almost empty. Lots of pumping on the hand pump confirms it the tank is dry.:( If it wasn't 10 degrees out now I have a gallon of 2 stroke oil I'd thin out with brake fluid and Power Service. But its so damn cold I am affraid that it will turn to sludge in the lines and then I would be really sol. So now I am missing work and waiting for a ride to the fuel station to get a few gallons.

No wonder the car was running rough yesterday and had no power, the fuel guage went from 1/2-1/4 in about 5 minutes. Now its on nothing.

Oooo, don't put brake fluid in there! Its not the same sort of stuff. Thin out with powerservice, and even a little RUG, but keep it petroleum based. :)

I know the feeling, I ran out of fuel once while crossing a bridge! I was the least popular person in St. Louis for about 10 minutes until I got a driver assist guy to push me to the nearest offramp, where I put a gallon of motoroil, and a quart of powerservice into the tank, primed it, and drove off.

The 10 degrees makes me nervous too.. But I bet that about 2:1 two-stroke to powerservice would do just fine, powerservice IS an anti-gel, after all.

Sounds like you've got another solution though, for today.. Buy yourself one of those yellow gas cans from a hardware or farm supply store (I found them at Home Depot, surprisingly), and keep a few gallons of 70% #2 30% #1 with a splash of antigel around for sticky situations.

peace,
sam

Veggie Oil
 

Would it be Ok to put in a nice warm gallon of Wesson from the kitchen, just enough to get you to a fuel station?

Run diesel purge in a bottle under the hood to get you to station?

And you told us about it.....you must be a glutten for the punishment some will dole out....:D


At least you wasn't on a desolate rural road miles from anywhere....

Laughing,

A big fat NO to the veggie oil in 10*F weather. There is a long stretch of cold fuel line and filters between the tank and the IP where the veggie oil would turn into lard. Then you would have to warm the car to melt the veggie oil and dilute it.

I always carry a gallon or more of Diesel fuel in the trunk for those situations. Seems the SDL needed 2 gallons to start after after running dry.

FYI, you should try to keep your tank full in cold weather.

P E H

The problem is I don't have much power service left, maybe 1/4 of a quart. If it was 20 degrees warmer I would chance the 2 stroke oil, it isn't that thick.

At least it ran out of fuel in the driveway, I wasn't planning on getting any until tomarrow.:D

My grandfather is here off to get fuel...

Have you missed your chance to use mercedes free roadside assist with free fuel?:D In my dreams you could do this about once a week until they gave in and give you a new cdi diesel.:D That fuel gauge would be accurate.:D

I've gotten in the habit of resetting my trip odometer every-time I fill up. My gauge seems OK, but it's hard to tell when it gets below about 1/4.

I share that same personality defect. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't... I think I have done it a few times in this forum.

In winter time I would cut expected mileage by 20% just to be safe. With my car pool and the fact I start the car early when driving to warm it up my 92 got really bad fuel mileage last tank.

I always reset mine as I keep records of milage tank to tank.....but then I get jumpy when it gets below 1/4 tank....even though I know its fairly accurate on my car.

Could also be a clogged pick up. I had a similar problem on a 240D. It was so cold that the little bit of water I picked up froze onto the pick-up.

i dont trust mine. I got 26mpg between 1/2 and 1/4 tank and now once the tanks full..i got less than 100 miles to the first 1/4....

stupid device.

i usually just fill up underneath the 1/4 tank mark.

i ran out of powerservice last tank. so i havent added anything to this one.


kris

well I have a track record of putting in 15 gallons to fill up at 1/4 tank .....that tells me the guage is fairly accurate..but I never like running below 1/4 tank..ever on anything...I always fill up at that point....usually every 7 to 10 days for me.

What if he mixed it with the powerservice? wont it thin out the oil until he can get to a petro station?