Kindly refer to post #3.

B.C.

I have a 1992 W140 that won't start. Well it does, but it won't hold.

Basically, when I have enough battery juice, I could crank the engine, it will hold for 3 seconds by flooring the fuel pedal, then it die. Alternator doesn't work so well. So I have to jump start, charge it for 10 minutes, and crank the engine again. It died again every time.

What happened was this: I was running on empty, probably with about 1 gallon of Diesel in the tank then I put about 2 gallons of GASOLINE in it. Stupid mindless me. I ran for about 4 long blocks, engine knocks funny, I realize what I did, so I turn around to go back to the gas station. Engine died when I got there. I decided to fill up Diesel, probably 18 another gallons. Car ran fine. Phew I thought. Then a day (or two) later, another stupid move of mine: I was on a highway driving with a bit of uphill incline when I had to push the pedal hard at 70 MPH, suddenly the engine stop. Pulled over. Changed fuel filters think they might have clogged. Nothing seems of a suspect. Then car won't hold afterwards. Started fine but died after a few seconds.

Squeaking sounds coming from the engine when it turned at low RPM. But at high RPM it sounded ok. I had a brilliant mind from this forum who happens to be close by looking at this problematic car and he could not figure out what the problem is. We did check and saw that the fuel was going out of the injectors' delivery valves when it cranks, not sure if it's the right amount, and the squeaking was not due to the belt.

Unfortunately, the alternator doesn't charge so well, every time I crank, it takes about 5-10 minutes to recharge the battery from another car with jump start cable so I could start the engine again.

I sounded to me:
1/Battery drained completely due to bad Alternator so car died on battery juice be drained of due to the crankings. The Brilliant Mind told me as long as the engine start it should sustain without alternator and battery because everything is mechanical at that point. (this is when I speculate that its the Alternator that have broken and caused the car to stall everything.

or
2/ Fuel isn't delivered enough due to clogging
3/Something is holding back the engine, causing the squeaking.

Please advise. Thanks, and regards,
Californian.

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1992 300SD, 290K miles.

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

Thanks Sixto, I didn't know you posted it already. Well, I have very high regards of you. :-)

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1992 300SD, 290K miles.

Starters can easily make squeaking sounds. Turning off after a few seconds of running is most liekly a fuel problem. Try running from an auxillary fuel tank And try cracking each of the injector lines and crank it to see if your getting fuel from them.

__________________
Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

As long as they would add one additional commandment for you to keep thy religion to thyself.
George Carlin (Wonder where he is now..)

1981 240d (engine donor 1983 240d) recently rebuilt engine hurray! - No more.. fought a tree and the tree won.

pearl black 1983 240d 4speed (Converted!@$$%) atleast the tranny was rebuilt.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=224734&page=2&highlight=gasoline+clog+tank

I found this link that talks about O-Rings on the fuel filter. I wonder if this has anything to do with my problem.

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1992 300SD, 290K miles.

I don't know of any o-ring in a 603 prefilter.

606 use a very different kind of prefilter.

Sixto
87 300D

Attached Thumbnails

 

Isn't the '92 SD a 603.971?

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Sure is.

Sixto
87 300D

Sorry, I read back a little, middle of the movie I guess.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Speaker of filters, the smaller fuel filter is clear. If the tank is clogged, I should see it empty after cranking enough times, is this correct?

Also, any suggestion on what to use as a temporary auxiliary tank and where to mount it, before or after the fuel filters, in order to test the fuel flow?

What can I use to supply enough juice ? I have to wait about 10-15 minutes each time I crank to charge enough juice for the next crank, with a jump start connection from a gas guzzler idling at 1500 RPM (costing $10-$15 of gas every time I tried figuring out the problem.)

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1992 300SD, 290K miles.

You can use any container for Diesel fuel. A one quart bottle should allow more than 5 mintues at 2500 rpm.

You have to run a hose from the container to the inlet side of the prefilter, and run another hose from the fuel tank return fitting at the main filter to the container. The fueling system of these Diesels is rather inefficient at idle - quite a bit of fuel that is drawn through the filter is expelled to the tank. I'd put it on the order of one part of fuel actually burned for 10 parts drawn by the lift pump at revs with no load.

Sixto
87 300D

Hello Sixto and all,

I decided to tow the car to a friendly mechanic. He examined the car and said it the fuel injector pump was damaged. Or was it the injector fuel pump? He said it's not the pump in the tank, but the pump at the fuel injector. He said it's going to cost $4000. I don't have that kind of money. Please help.

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1992 300SD, 290K miles.

Talked to the mechanic again. He said if I could find an the part at a junk yard, he could replace it for me for a couple of hundred dollars labor.

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1992 300SD, 290K miles.

I have a spare fuel injection pump for my 1987 300D (603.960); not sure if the 603.971 is a larger engine? Same or different IP? Anyway, this one is available. I bought it from a guy who said it had been rebuilt shortly before his car was totaled. It looks clean but I have not actually had it on an engine. Let me know if it would be of interest.

Jeremy

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970