ISO-HEET Help Please?
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
2003 430 CLK
ISO-HEET Help Please?
Hi. It has been a few years since I have been in here. Due to a series of unfortunate events, my little 2003 CLK 440 has sat without being driven for about 20 months. I replaced the battery this afternoon, and the car did start, thankfully. The low fuel light is on, and while the car was idling in the driveway, it started running rough and ragged. I cut the car off. In the meantime, I replaced the parking brake lamp switch and the stop lamp switch.
When I tried to start the car again, it will not start. It wants to, but it feels like it is not getting fuel. Either it is out of gas, or there is water in the tank. With the current COVID-19 situation and the fact that I’m nearly 2 hours to a MB dealership and an hour to an import guy, I can’t remove the tank and clean it - which I know is the best solution. I bought a bottle of ISO-HEET. I’m two blocks from the gas station, so I can go get a couple of gallons of premium in a gas can.
With these parameters, what is the best plan for using this? Add IH first and see if that helps the car to start? Add a gallon of premium and see if that is the problem? Add a gallon of premium and then add the IH? Add 5 gallons of premium? Any experience with this type of situation or any advice? I am fully aware that the car sitting was not a good thing; there is no changing the past, however, and so I’m just trying to figure out how to best move forward.
Thanks for any help!
When I tried to start the car again, it will not start. It wants to, but it feels like it is not getting fuel. Either it is out of gas, or there is water in the tank. With the current COVID-19 situation and the fact that I’m nearly 2 hours to a MB dealership and an hour to an import guy, I can’t remove the tank and clean it - which I know is the best solution. I bought a bottle of ISO-HEET. I’m two blocks from the gas station, so I can go get a couple of gallons of premium in a gas can.
With these parameters, what is the best plan for using this? Add IH first and see if that helps the car to start? Add a gallon of premium and see if that is the problem? Add a gallon of premium and then add the IH? Add 5 gallons of premium? Any experience with this type of situation or any advice? I am fully aware that the car sitting was not a good thing; there is no changing the past, however, and so I’m just trying to figure out how to best move forward.
Thanks for any help!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,227
Likes: 61
From: Atlanta Metro
2008 clk550 - Navigator - Frontier
Since the low fuel light was on and the car has been sitting, you could just be out of fuel and/or picking up trash from the bottom of the tank. I am not familiar with IH. I would just add 1.5 gallons of gas, let it sit for an hour or so after adding the gas before attempting to start. If there is enough trash in the tank to be getting into the fuel flow you want to give it time to settle before starting. If it doesn't start, you can add the IH and another 1/2 - 1 gallon of gas.
It may also be that your fuel pump or the pump that pumps gas from one saddle of the tank to the side with the fuel pump has failed. There is a way to check the pumps, but I am not aware of the process for doing so. I think you will want to check them before dropping the tank.
If it starts with the added gas, I would also add a bottle of fuel system cleaner/additive.
good luck..
It may also be that your fuel pump or the pump that pumps gas from one saddle of the tank to the side with the fuel pump has failed. There is a way to check the pumps, but I am not aware of the process for doing so. I think you will want to check them before dropping the tank.
If it starts with the added gas, I would also add a bottle of fuel system cleaner/additive.
good luck..
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: Ft. Myers, FL
2005 CLK320 Cabriolet
Clogged fuel filter
If it sat that long with fuel in it, the gas has probably gone bad and gummed up or “varnished” in the tank. I’d suggest changing the fuel filter as that’s where some of that crud has gone to, and is blocking the fuel flow.
