You're right and if you have a fairly regular route it's easy to check and see if your butt feeling matches how much throttle it takes to maintain the same speed / load etc. on a hill of stretch of freeway.....

In the 240D's it's very noticeable .

I got a tiny fungus infestation on my gray market 300TD that caused the low fuel lamp to light before the gauge's needle hit "R' so I accidentally ran it dry and added a quart of Biobor JF to the tank before adding two gallons of Dino Diesel and let it sit a couple hours before filling the tank, the lamp didn't come on again until it was supposed to and boy howdy does she lift up her skirts and RUN with the added Cetane of slight overdoes of Bibor JF ! .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I notice the occasional bad tank of fuel, but it seems equally spread among most stations.

The one station that's consistently higher quality around here sells B20. They're also the least expensive station in the area. Maybe the B20 helps, maybe being less expensive and on a main throughfare means the turnover is significantly higher than other stations. If we had HPR diesel around here, I'd try it.

I've run Jet A and kero. It runs and went down the road, but I most definitely noticed the difference both in nailing and in reduced power. Diesel has a specified minimum cetane rating, kero and Jet A(basically kero and kero) don't have such a spec, and my engine at least noticed and didn't like it at all.

I've started running a low dose of cetane boost with every fillup.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

I remember in the 1960's reading in the trade magazines how some had tried to $ave a few pennies by running Kerosene (.17 cents/gallon) instead of Diesel fuel (.20 cents / gallon) and caused lots of engine damage .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Yeah...cutting in a few percent of kerosene in the winter is recommended for very cold climates. Running on kerosene is dumb. Why not save a few more pennies and run it on 87 octane gas?

"Winter diesel" is permitted to be used in proportions up to 100% at or below freezing. Winter diesel = #1 diesel = pretty much kerosene. If I was running straight kero I'd add something else as a lubricity additive, but I wouldn't expect any harm. Just not economically sound................................ depending on what one paid for the kero.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! Very helpful, and I appreciate everyone sharing their perspectives.

Yes, but kerosene now runs ~$9/gal. The best thing I've found is periodic use of high percentage biodiesel to clean the fuel system. It won't give you high fuel mileage, while in use, but runs much smoother when converted back to "full-strength".

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

I'm sure #1 diesel is fine in the dead of an Alberta winter, but I'd still not run it during the summer, even if it was really cheap. Not to say it couldn't be done, but still.

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RenaissanceMan Labs: where the future is being made today.

Garage:

2017 Chevy Colorado Diesel (nanny state emissions)
2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 77k
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D turbodiesel, 4 sp auto, 156k - 28.7 mpg
1996 Tracker 4x4, 2 door, 16v, 3 sp auto. 113k - 28.6 mpg

WARNING: this post may contain dangerous free thinking.

Beyond having a lower cetane rating, the process by which ULSD is made strips the fuel of lubricity agents.

I agree with everyone suggesting well-travelled fuel stations. Contamination from dirty tanks or water is more likely at a low traffic station.

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1983 300D Midnight Blue
4 speed, W115 intake mani, non-EGR exhaust mani, KKK K26, 3 pc Euro bumpers, Lo-spec Euro headlights, AL129X, hubcaps, custom A/C

1987 300TD Smoke Silver
Euro headlights, thermostat relocation, coolant bypass mod, rebuilt Becker + Jehnert + Helix audio, OEM Oris roof boxes and surfboard racks, Euro towbar

1983 300TD Reed (Moss) Green / Dark Olive MB Tex Euro spec

1983 300TD Silver Blue / Blue cloth Euro spec, OM648 and 722.6, 15" hubcaps, W126 S2 brakes

Right, it could be done.

MBZ manual specifies 100% winter diesel from 32 deg on down. Quite common in many parts of the country.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

If this is true, then why does the manual say the following:

__________________
RenaissanceMan Labs: where the future is being made today.

Garage:

2017 Chevy Colorado Diesel (nanny state emissions)
2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 77k
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D turbodiesel, 4 sp auto, 156k - 28.7 mpg
1996 Tracker 4x4, 2 door, 16v, 3 sp auto. 113k - 28.6 mpg

WARNING: this post may contain dangerous free thinking.

I didn't say #1 diesel was kerosene, I said it was pretty much kerosene.

The manual limits kero use because kero specs are different than #1 diesel specs. The fluids are generally the same, but the specs are different.

What manual is that from?

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

1987 300D.

Pretty much Kerosene =/= Kerosene -- I wanted to make that clear in case someone has a bunch in the barn and started getting ideas.

__________________
RenaissanceMan Labs: where the future is being made today.

Garage:

2017 Chevy Colorado Diesel (nanny state emissions)
2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 77k
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D turbodiesel, 4 sp auto, 156k - 28.7 mpg
1996 Tracker 4x4, 2 door, 16v, 3 sp auto. 113k - 28.6 mpg

WARNING: this post may contain dangerous free thinking.

I had a 190D, now a 300D, also a Cushman Turf Truckster, now Gator Diesel, 4BT Cummins, Onan Diesel generator. Never noticed any difference between #2 fuel brands... ULS (years back), or ULSD (today).

An OM617 is similar technology to the things I have, doubt you will see any difference. If diesel is anything like gasoline, most all comes from the same place anyway. I agree with those who say buy from a station that sells quantity (fresher... why not?).

-John Hub

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1986 190D, 2.5L, 5-speed swap, 180,000 Miles (60K by me).
Jeep CJ-7 with Cummins 4BT/NV4500/AtlastII 4.3.
Grand Wagoneer 4BT project in progress!

Well, you kinda got me.

If a given fuel meets the spec of #1 diesel, then it meets the spec for kero, but kero can be called kero while not meeting the spec for #1 diesel. Kero has no cetane spec, no lubricity spec, and a much higher sulfur percentage allowed. If you buy at the hardware store for $8/gal, you got me, no clue what trash you're getting in the gallon jug.

In practice, in any kind of quantity that people are going to dump in their car in any kind of potentially harmful amount, kero and #1 diesel are the same. Ain't no one stockpiling and tanking and transporting an entirely different stream when the specs overlap and the price is similar. Yeah the stuff you buy at the hardware store for $8/gal will be different than #1 diesel, you got me there. I wouldn't run a tank of that without a lubricity additive and cetane booster either. Anything bulk? #1 diesel and kero, same same.

What's ironic is that the sulfur content of the fuel is what makes kerosene stink. #1 diesel has a much lower allowable sulfur content, and a flash point and energy density in the right range for kero. That lower sulfur content means that for many applications, it would be better "kerosene" than kerosene.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap