Trouble starting my 300D
 

Greetings All,

I have a 1982 300D in that I just recently installed a veggie tank. It was 3 weeks ago that I finished installing it and I got it checked out with my Mercedes mechanic and he confirmed that the installation was successfull.

Just the other night I was parked down in the city (on a semi steep hill) I went to start up the car the way I always do and it started however as I put the gas on to drive away it didn't accelerate with the speed that it normally does. It was very sluggish. I only got maybe 10-15 feet with it and then it stopped running. I tried again and I got close to it starting but it never made it all the way. Attempts after that seemed futile. The engine does rev it just isn't catching. Could this have something to do with the fuel system. I've checked for leaks all throughout the engine compartment and undernieth the car and there are none. I don't know if the installation of the veggie tank has anything to do with it. I just wanted to mention it just in case. Thanks for your help folks.

~Tim

RE: Trouble starting my 300D
 

Did you strain all the french fries out of the oil first......just kidding. It does sound like a fuel supply problem. I'd check the filters first. Do you have a switch to go from diesel to veggie? If so, check that to valve is not sticking.

RE: Trouble starting my 300D
 

Ha! Well, you were right - it was an issue with the fuel supply. I used the fuel primer pump and there it was: air in the fuel system. The thing that I forgot to mention was that I haven't really been using the veggie tank as I haven't found a good supplier of used cooking oil. So I've been running straight diesel for a few weeks. Strange how it got air in there? Perhaps it was because I was parked at a steep angle? But something that perplexes me is why do the diesel cars have a fuel priming pump. Gas cars don't. Is this a common problem that diesel experience - air in the fuel?

RE: Trouble starting my 300D
 

primer pump is for removing air before the injector pump. if air gets beyond the injector pump, you have problems as the injectors will need to be bled. this is a pain and could result in more work as it involves cracking the injector line fittings whick could damadge the lines themselves. do not run out of fuel and carry spare primary filter in the glove box along with a suitable tool to change it.