For three months there has been a high (and rising) volume of calls from owners experiencing EXTREME POOR QUALITY FUEL...
There is no discernible pattern across North America.

I strongly recommend diesel owners begin carrying a quart bottle of Cetane Boost additive.

Symptoms are abrupt, after filling the fuel tank:
* Massive smoking.
* Vile stench from the exhaust pipe.
* Stumbling or nailing.
* Moderate to extreme power loss.
* Some cases the fuel was bad enough to shutdown the engine.

My personal experience with this issue.
bad smelling fuel, Gag, gasp, choke

.

Man, that news would've saved me a few bucks. I've been trying to diagnose sudden smoking from my 300D. I'll let you know soon if the cetane boost helps.

Filling at the same high volume Sunoco for three years, started smoking 4 months ago. Funny as it's right next to the MB dealer.

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Onus probandi incumbit ei qui dicit, non ei qui negat

I recondition w123/w126/w124/w140/r107/r129/ steering boxes!


1984 300D "Elsa" odo reset 6/2011 147k
1983 300TD "Mitzi" ~268k OM603 powered
1995 E300 "Adelheid" 262k [Sold]

Everyone who has problems please list the station you went to.

Jeff

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1984 300SD 300,000 miles--two tank WVO setup
2.88 diff & 500SEL anti-squat rear end

No issues so far.....I tend to stick to high volume/reputable stations though.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Loss of power, smoke, and poor economy. Been filling up at cheveron for 6 months.

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1981 300TD 4 speed manual
Euro bumpers, zender valance and skirts, H&R springs, billy HD's, leveled sls, real AMG Pentas 16x8 et11, vdo boost/egt gauges intergrated into ash tray, eurolights, led 3rd brake light

YIKES!!!!! Also, if you must make your own substitute, can mix one gallon of gas with 1/2 gal of 30-wt. oil. It also appears in many original owner's manuals. Roomie, who grew up with the "ugly boxy practical cars" overseas, decided she had to love my "taxi" when doing hurricane evacuation preparation a few years ago. When she found out the alternatives for fuel (including a couple gals of Wesson Oil) in a pinch to get out of Florida/path of a hurricane, she became very impressed.

Also, for good upper cylinder lubrication, use Lucas or 2-stroke outboard motor oil (same thing as lucas sans the injector cleaner).

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1983 300D, the "Avocado"
1976 240D, 4-spd the "Pumpkin", SOLD to Pierre
1984 190D, 2.2L, 5-spd, my intro to MBZ diesels, crashed into in 2002

what does poor quality diesel mean?

is there a consensus as to what the specific issue? is it algae or water or something else?

thanks for the heads up.

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Ben
1987 190d 2.5Turbo

sooo... walmart's Murphy fuel is likely a problem?

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

I've noticed increased smoke last few tanks...

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'85 300TD "Puff The Magic Wagon" - Rolling Resto
'19 Mazda CX-9 Signature - Wife's sled
'21 Morgan 3-Wheeler P101 Edition
'95 E300d - SOLD
'84 300TD "Brown Betty" - Miss this one
'81 240D "China Baby" - Farm grocery getter

I've noticed the price keeps climbing, 'been reluctant to buy lately, maybe I still have the "good stuff" in the tank.

I noticed this across the board on my diesels as well. New Holland tractor, other New Holland tractor, SD, D, blutec, powerstroke. I've been using the Amsoil Cetane boost as it seems to have a pretty healthy effect.

Anyone notice how ****ing expensive a bottle of biocide is now??

Biodiesel will also work as a cetane boost. It has a fairly high cetane rating compared to diesel fuel.

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Are these calls to you particularly or is it more widespread? A quick internet search shows nothing.

I use my own B100 so its not an issue to me, in colder months I blend with kerosene

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1995 E300 diesel

Are "they" as in the fuel suppliers adding in bio-diesel to their dino-diesel over there (as in the US of A) yet?

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Only in limited places by the end distributors. Very rare to find bio-d at the pump in concentrations above B20. even B20 I've seen like maybe 3 times.

Our gasoline (petrol) is 10% ethanol as mandated by the government, no such mandate for diesel fuel.

bad skunky diesel you can smell right away at the pump by wafting / sniffing the nozzle. but this new breed whunter is talking abut that seems to just have low cetane i haven't heard of. but then again i don't buy much petro-diesel.

i have never had a problem with petro diesel - i always buy name brand and will pay a higher price from a high volume station since my petro diesel sits in my tank for approx. six weeks since most of the time I'm running on WVO.

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car