Gasoline into diesel fix
11-25-2018, 04:12 PM
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1981 300SD
Gasoline into diesel fix
Correcting accidentally fueling a diesel with gasoline
Draining the fuel tank on a Mercedes 1981 300SD and conducting a diesel purge.
If you realize you have done this at the gas station
DO NOT START THE CAR!
Have it towed to where the below procedures will take place. I did not realize I had done this as my car started right up and I drove a short distance to my garage at home. When it would not start later in the day, it dawned on me what I had done!
Tools needed:
5/16 clear vinyl tubing (I bought 6')
Siphon pump from an auto parts store
Phillips screwdriver (stubby)
Shop Vac (optional)
simple green for cleaning up spills
rags
diesel purge. 3 cans as you must change the large fuel filter.
Large fuel filter
Pre-filter
You will need enough containers to hold the fuel being drained. I bought three 6 gal water jugs from Walmart which were $13 each. 5 gallon buckets with lids are also a possibility. But, I did not want to risk any spillage in my new SUV when I took it to the hazardous waste disposal at the land fill. My tank was not quite full so I estimated these would do. Gas containers got way too $$$ these days and the containers must be surrendered when taking them to hazardous materials at our landfill....tank capacity is 20.3 gallons. If your gauge is accurate, you can get an idea from the gauge how many containers you will need. Be sure to have more capacity than you need. I had 2 empty windshield washer bottles on standby. I needed one of them.
On the 300SD, there is no way to drain the fuel tank from the fill pipe. So, drain from engine compartment.
Cut the kinks out of the hose on the siphon pump...they are usually at each end. The kinks are “baked in” by the packaging. They will slow down the fuel as it empties from the tank.
Insert one end of the 5/16” vinyl hose INTO the hose on the siphon pump. On my siphon pump, the hose that came with the siphon pump was just a little larger and the fit was great. Attach the other end to the output of the old prefilter.
Start pumping the hand pump and filling the containers. When fuel flow slows down a great deal, the tank is just about empty. At this point, I used my shop vac's exhaust (blowing air) to pressurize the fuel tank and force all the contaminated fuel out of the lines. CAUTION—BE SURE THE SHOP VAC IS EMPTY and clean SO YOU WILL NOT FORCE DIRT INTO THE FUEL TANK. MY vac was squeaky clean inside.
Next change both the prefilter and fuel filter.
To insure the injection pump had not been damaged. I did a diesel purge. I figured, if the engine started and the purge was successful, the injection pump had not been damaged. Then, disconnect the purge tank, reconnect the injection pump fuel line and filter return lines. Use the onboard hand pump to bleed the lines.
I put in 2 gallons of diesel fuel and let it siphon to the new prefilter to get air out of the lines. If there is no flow, use the shop vac or your siphon pump again.
NOTE: Using the shop vac to pressurize the tank to empty it might work. But I did not think to try that first.
Draining the fuel tank on a Mercedes 1981 300SD and conducting a diesel purge.
If you realize you have done this at the gas station
DO NOT START THE CAR!
Have it towed to where the below procedures will take place. I did not realize I had done this as my car started right up and I drove a short distance to my garage at home. When it would not start later in the day, it dawned on me what I had done!
Tools needed:
5/16 clear vinyl tubing (I bought 6')
Siphon pump from an auto parts store
Phillips screwdriver (stubby)
Shop Vac (optional)
simple green for cleaning up spills
rags
diesel purge. 3 cans as you must change the large fuel filter.
Large fuel filter
Pre-filter
You will need enough containers to hold the fuel being drained. I bought three 6 gal water jugs from Walmart which were $13 each. 5 gallon buckets with lids are also a possibility. But, I did not want to risk any spillage in my new SUV when I took it to the hazardous waste disposal at the land fill. My tank was not quite full so I estimated these would do. Gas containers got way too $$$ these days and the containers must be surrendered when taking them to hazardous materials at our landfill....tank capacity is 20.3 gallons. If your gauge is accurate, you can get an idea from the gauge how many containers you will need. Be sure to have more capacity than you need. I had 2 empty windshield washer bottles on standby. I needed one of them.
On the 300SD, there is no way to drain the fuel tank from the fill pipe. So, drain from engine compartment.
Cut the kinks out of the hose on the siphon pump...they are usually at each end. The kinks are “baked in” by the packaging. They will slow down the fuel as it empties from the tank.
Insert one end of the 5/16” vinyl hose INTO the hose on the siphon pump. On my siphon pump, the hose that came with the siphon pump was just a little larger and the fit was great. Attach the other end to the output of the old prefilter.
Start pumping the hand pump and filling the containers. When fuel flow slows down a great deal, the tank is just about empty. At this point, I used my shop vac's exhaust (blowing air) to pressurize the fuel tank and force all the contaminated fuel out of the lines. CAUTION—BE SURE THE SHOP VAC IS EMPTY and clean SO YOU WILL NOT FORCE DIRT INTO THE FUEL TANK. MY vac was squeaky clean inside.
Next change both the prefilter and fuel filter.
To insure the injection pump had not been damaged. I did a diesel purge. I figured, if the engine started and the purge was successful, the injection pump had not been damaged. Then, disconnect the purge tank, reconnect the injection pump fuel line and filter return lines. Use the onboard hand pump to bleed the lines.
I put in 2 gallons of diesel fuel and let it siphon to the new prefilter to get air out of the lines. If there is no flow, use the shop vac or your siphon pump again.
NOTE: Using the shop vac to pressurize the tank to empty it might work. But I did not think to try that first.
