W124 E300 diesel... Poor diesel? Vegi oil?! How strong are the injection pumps?

Number_Cruncher

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1995 W124 E300D TE
>>They run perfectly fine on veg oil

I couldn't agree less.

Look carefully, and you'll find people having trouble with injectors, with bad spray patterns blowing glow plugs, and with piston rings gumming up. However, most blind veg oil advocates struggle to make the link between the mis-fuelling they promote and the trouble that follows.

Yes, the first engines might have been designed to use peanut oil, but, these MB engines certainly were not, read the car's manual, and you'll find it states that diesel fuel should be used.

Yes, OM stands for oel motor, which comes from diesel also being known as a heavy oil, it doesn't give any credibility to pouring anything that might have oil in its name into the tank.

You'll find the comedy fuel also does "wonders" for any protective plating on the inside of your fuel tank, but, as ever, veg advocates haven't really considered that effect the junk they pour into the tank has on their car's systems.
 

turbopete

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Be careful of the local chippy route. Most don't cook in veg oil - they use this white lardy type stuff that is very, very viscous when cold.

As RH said, WVO is hard to get as there are many of us going down the veg oil route now.

im only considering it as i can get hold of shed loads if required as my mate sells new and collects used as his business! it may not be free, but will be loads cheaper than pump diesel, if i go down that route!
 

Number_Cruncher

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Sorry to hear you're considering ruining your fuel system and engine with junk.

However, I strongly recomend fixing your current fault before subjecting your fuel system to chemical attack from "alternative" fuel.
 

simon_wall69

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Let's agree to disagree, it's only the internet. :)

NC is probably correct; I've been doing veg oil for about 4 years now; the fuel savings of veg oil mean that I have easily recouped my money if my car completely fails. That's why I do it.

It seems that running a car on something it wasn't initially designed to run on won't be good for it but, while it remains cost effective to do so, I shall carry on.
 
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joe1972

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Thanks for your post, and link Number_cruncher.

As I posted before, I personally prefer diesel from the pumps, and don't intend to start using vegi oil. However, I didn't intend to start a debate on the merits of vegi oil vs diesel, but judging from the state of the main filter when it came off, I'm thinking whatever fuel was used probably wasn't filtered properly before going into the fuel tank. Logic says to me that bits in the fuel (which there must have been with the stuff the previous owner was putting in), whether it be conventional diesel, or any alternative fuels is never a good idea.

I'm more concerned about getting the car started and off the driveway, for the immediate future, getting an idea of what is suseptable to damage by using badly filtered/dirty fuels, and your posting helps considerably....particularly the location of and washing out that pre-filter which I'm guessing is going to be full of cr@p.

I haven't got chance to do any work/head scratching with the car 'til thursday, but will report back asap

thanks
Joe
 
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turbopete

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Sorry to hear you're considering ruining your fuel system and engine with junk.

However, I strongly recomend fixing your current fault before subjecting your fuel system to chemical attack from "alternative" fuel.

i shall have to see how much it costs to get my beast sorted! only been in a pool car (wreck) a day and i miss the beast already!
 

roadhog

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W124 300D x2, C124 300
.... I didn't intend to start a debate on the merits of vegi oil vs diesel
I wouldn't worry about too much about that, seems that most things turn into lengthy debates on here at the moment. It must be the time of year. :confused:
i shall have to see how much it costs to get my beast sorted! only been in a pool car (wreck) a day and i miss the beast already!
All you need to ask yourself is: Does it run? Instant improvement there. :D
 

SilverSaloon

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w124/1994/om606
i'm continuing to use Veg oil in my E300D W124 estate. Since i've replaced the DVS and the clear pipe o-rings, filters (main filter, cleaned pre filter, and replaced fuel tank strainer) i've had no problems starting.

make sure you fit Viton seals:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130335919357

and i've done over 30k now in mine, with always some veg in the tank, usually near 100%
 

turbopete

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I wouldn't worry about too much about that, seems that most things turn into lengthy debates on here at the moment. It must be the time of year. :confused:

All you need to ask yourself is: Does it run? Instant improvement there. :D

the beast does. only problem is its when IT wants to rather than when I want it to! temperamental annoying bl**dy thing that it is!
 
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joe1972

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I got today off work instead of tommorrow (thurs), so I've taken the opportunity to investigate my car further.....
I took the prefilter off (now I know where it is!).....OMG!....it looks like it's full of the previous owners chip and batter bits!...NOOOOoooooo

So, taken it out washed with fresh diesel and put back together again.
I should mention this is not an ideal place for the car to break down, as its at the bottom of my driveway, so the car is pointing upwards at a steep angle of about 30degrees!.....
To try and offset this I took a couple of trips with jerry cans to the local fuel station and now brimmed the tank with fresh diesel.
I've used a simple syphon pump to try and drag some fresh fuel from the tank, seeing as I've had the prefilter out....

Tried starting again.......All I'm getting is the car 'nearly' starting, ie the engine is picking up off the starter motor, but not quite responding enough to fully catch and run. My thoughts are that there must be some fuel getting in and combusting, having caught sight of the exhaust smoke.

I'm still hoping this is a simple fix I've not found, but I'm still worried this could be something more sinister, like a bust fuel injection pump. :(

Rather than trust the job to a cowboy (which I think the previous owner must have been, and I think there's plenty around)) My wife has used and recommended a local specialist who knows what they are doing, rather than me scratch my head for another week (fortunately I don't need the car for work!).....

Does anyone have the phone number for Greenvale Mercedes to hand?
 

Number_Cruncher

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Keep trying it.

The fuel system is self bleeding, and as long as you don't crank for too long and overheat the starter, and allow the battery to recover, it will bleed through.

If you want to ease the load on the battery / starter, remove the return pipe from the left hand (looking from the front of the car back towards the engine) of the three pipes on the secondary filter, and suck the fuel through to there.
 
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joe1972

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Thanks Number_Cruncher

This is exactly what Greenvale Mercedes said.....it was refreshing to talk to a good garage who basically told me to keep trying with it, and not immediately suggest I send it to them with lots of cash. (which is exactly what happened with my old Vectra DTi, and Metro garage in Bolton)
Sure enough, a freshly charged battery, and lots of cranking, and it eventually sprang back into life!!! :)
I will probably take them up on the offer of a tank flush (judging from the state of those filters logic says the bottom of the tank will have crud in it)....For the moment it has a full tank briming with fresh diesel, so I will keep it topped up for the immediate future.

Just to also say that I left it idling for quite a while, then went out for a blast....the throttle response, (and gear change too?), felt the best it has ever done in my ownership. I'm guessing that those blocked filters have been starving the engine for a while!

I would say that through my bad experience here, picking up the pieces from a previous owner,to anyone thinking of putting chip fat in their tanks, for **** sakes make sure you filter it properly first!

So, after all this, it WAS just blocked filters and air in the fuel system causing the 'no start'.....fortunately not an injection pump failure 'phew'

Thanks to Greenvale garage, in Whitefield Manchester (0161 796 2666) for the few minutes chat I had, which basically convinced me to stick with it. cheers, Joe :)
 

E300D95

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1995 E300D +1998 E320-4Matic + 1999 CLK320-Cabrio
Leaking diesel....

FWIW, here in the US, every time the government demands that the diesel refiners lower the sulphur content in the fuel, a number of the seals start leaking on my E300D -- causing various problems (air getting in the system; dripping fuel at various points, etc.). Also, since MB stopped using metal tubing for many of the fuel lines on the later-generation W124's (unlike the W123 and early W124), I have been concerned about the possibility of some of the plastic tubing starting to crack -- so after the last incidence of sulphur-reduction (Sept.2006) I spent over $800USD (Parts & Labour) to renew every non-metallic hose, pipe, fitting, etc. Haven't had a problem since (40,000+ miles).

As for veggie-diesel in a recent MB.....no thanks. You folks who are doing this are just asking for eventual trouble. W123 and earlier are fine for this type of experimenting -- no pollution controls, no electronics, etc. -- just old-school diesel propulsion!!!
 

roadhog

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W124 300D x2, C124 300
As for veggie-diesel in a recent MB.....no thanks. You folks who are doing this are just asking for eventual trouble. W123 and earlier are fine for this type of experimenting -- no pollution controls, no electronics, etc. -- just old-school diesel propulsion!!!
Hello and welcome. :)

I didn't realise that there was such a step up in technology between the W123 and the W124 Diesel engines.
 

Bolide

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BMW 525 Diesel Touring
A quick heads-up for those doing their own servicing on OM 606 engines:

* the pre-filter is not supplied with a new O-ring. Do not forget to fit one!
* replace the O-rings on the shutoff valve when replacing the fuel filter
* fill the new fuel filter with diesel before fitting
* replace all the O-rings on the clear plastic pipework if you encounter air leaks
* air leaks are most common just after the pipework has been disturbed (ie, just after replacing the filters)

I should probably also add:
* don't park the car nose-up when doing this!
* have a second car and a good set of jump leads to hand

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk
 


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