I'm afraid I've ruined the engine in my 1991 300TD.[sm=boohoo.gif] I bought my car in January of 2007 and there are lots of things I really like about it, especially the great gas mileage. Last week there was a VERY strong diesel smell so I took my car to my mechanic and had the o-rings replaced in the fuel injector pump. The mechanic told me that using ULSD had not lubricated the rubber o-rings and they had deteriorated. I hadn't paid attention to what kind of diesel I was using in the car and hadn't known or thought abouthow to protectthe fuel system in my older diesel engine from the 2006 law that reduced sulphur from 500ppm to 15ppm.

I did some research and found a gas station that sells5% soy biodiesel that I will use from now on. Other than that, is there anything I can do to"repair" the damage that I've already done to the car?Is there an additive?Is it too late totake some preventative precautions?

Thanks for you help.

 

the b20 mixes they sell commercially are great replacements. Usually 10 cents cheaper than ulsd. The bio actually picks up for the sulphur the refineries removed. It will have a more pleasant smell and may mellow out the engine. I ran it several thousand miles in my 86 jetta and noticed little difference between dino and bio. I now run b100 in my vehicles, though I did replace all rubber with vitol lines that do not deteriorate. B20 will not deteriorate lines like pure bio will. It may clean out your fuel system after a few thousand miles, so be ready to replace the fuel filter. I know there are others that will say bio is crap, but don't believe it. Cummings, peterbilt, and international have all approved b20 for their engines.

 

There is only one station in my area that sells bio and they sell 5%. The next closest station is 60 miles away. Do you think I should replace all rubber with vitol lines? What about seals and gaskets?
Charlotte

 

not at 5%. You won't notice any difference. It should run better and smoother. The vitol is only needed when you go up over 40% or so. below b20 it is not totally necessary. I would just run some through it and see if it does the trick.