Dahl 101 Heated Fuel/Water Separator Filter
 

Does anyone else have one of these installed? Was installed when I got the car and I'm trying to find a reason to justify keeping it in the car. There is a small push button and light on the kick panel of the car.

It lists it as a 2 micron filter with a heater

At first I thought that perhaps the PO ran WVO right out of the tank, but that is not the case.

I guess it would depend on how cold it is where you are. I knew some German guys who used them.

STOP !
 

That looks like a VERY Nice/Good pre-filter Fuel/Water Separator.

http://www.dieselsite.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=411

What would be your reasoning for removing it? This filter gives you good
filtration, and water seperation.
Replacing it with the standard prefilter would be going backwards.

Some members on the forum are trying to improve their filtration.

I have a Racor on my Datsun Diesel PU, with a 2 micron filter and clear plastic bowl on the bottom.
You would be amazed by the amount of crap it catches.
this is mounted before the feed Pump.

Charlie

The reasoning being that it seems unnecessary and it is not original Benz.

Forget original equipment. The majority if not all cheap diesels have drainable water separaters. On the normal mercedes set up I believe the water accumulates in the secondary fuel filter till it spills over into the injection pump.

That is about the same or worse than sandpaper processing through the element bores. Can seriously damage the injector tips as well. Even known to tear metal in very close proximity to other metal. Such a situation exists in the element bores.

I almost have to believe mercedes felt their upscale patrons would either not know what one was or use it. Owning other diesels over the years. The non presence of a manual or automatic water separator in mercedes diesels really suprised me.

I install an aftermarket one if the car is in service or will be. It also has a light to warn me of the presence of water in the bowl. This to me is really important.

If you fuel up somewhere when traveling. The addition of a lot of water in the new fuel should show quickly enough to get back to the station before the engine quits. There should not be much discussion about them having the fuel removed or drained down far enough to eliminate the water. You have the proof.

Since the fuel oil sits on top of the water once the sloshing in the tank has stopped for a few minutes. Draining just some of the fuel out should get the majority of the water. You can visually see the water in the bottom of a bucket for example. It separates quickly.

Otherwise you are way up the road and the car starts acting bad or even quits and you are not sure of the cause. Suspicion will not usually get the station that sold the fuel to deal with it. Plus you otherwise may not recognize the cause of your problem.

I have had enough experience with fuel vendors introducing problems over the last twenty years to really watch where I fuel up. Not so much in the last five years. Could be they have improved as the diesel gallonage has gone up. More likely it is I watch where I buy from.

If you remove it put it up for sale in the For Sale section of the forum.

If you keep it I would keep an extra Filter Element for it in the Trunk. If if plugs up on the Road somewhere it will not be as easy to find a Filter Element for it.

I will say that in the 450,000 miles and 28 yrs I have used the Racor in my Datsun, It has shut me down twice. that being from not changing the filter like I should have.

When it happens, I just remove the top, pull out the filter and toss in the bushes, and add some ATF, Diesel, eng oil or what ever I have, and drive off. The engine will run just fine w/o the filter if you don`t happen to have a spare.

There is the secondary spin on to pick up anything coming through.

Most auto supply stores can order the filter. Our local NAPA does, and also West Marine.

I assume that the Dahl filter would be the same.


Charlie

Recommend keeping the filter.

Great points. The Dahl stays.

Thanks.