Bought a diesel. What do I need to know?

a reply to: twohawks
Yes, since this car was originally sold in Vermont it has that feature. This one will reside in a basement garage so that shouldn't be an issue. It also features a battery "warmer" or some such terminology...another thing I'm assured I won't need unless I head much further north in winter. Chances of that are really, really slim. I love Minnesota in July but you won't catch me much north of the Ohio when it turns winter.

originally posted by: diggindirt
a reply to: Lagomorphe
Ummm, I just want to be able to keep my vehicle running smoothly and consistently. Did I mistakenly post this in the Mud Pit?

Not at all mate, just wanted to add my two bobs worth...

I have a Triumph Spitfire M2 (currently working on) and am dreading the costs in petrol...

Going to be a once a year drive sadly but worth it!

Warmest

Lags

a reply to: diggindirt

With diesel regular maintenance is key imho (oil, checking valves, timing chain, fuel injectors).

Keep it up and it should be good for another 100k miles.

a reply to: diggindirt

A diesel Mercedes? that's worthy of a fist pump right there.

Mercs have always been the trendsetters in emissions, reliability and technology-as long the catalytic converter and/or the exhausts are fine. And 179k miles? you should a few years out of that, it's a good find IMO.

a reply to: Revolution9

Meanwhile OP is driving a vehicle that has potential to be cleaner running than anything else on the road.

Did you know that diesel engines were invented to run on peanut oil?
Those old bosch- injected diesel engines could run off any kind of vegetable oil if refined right. Hell, you could render fat from any barn yard Mammal, including the farmer, for a tank of fuel.
That engine can use the waste motor oil from it's own engine, as well as any other engine, as fuel.

Meanwhile the rest of us suckers are depending on a limited supply highly refined liquid gold from a time before the planet could decompose trees.

As for living in VT, if you buy pump fuel and have good glow plugs you'll be fine. The fuel up here has additives in it so it won't gel up in the cold.

#2 heating oil will work as fuel in a pinch- so will K1. Just don't get caught, those fuels don't have road tax and the man doesn't take too kindly to not paying road tax.

If your glow plugs go out, WD-40 sprayed into the air intake will act as a starter fluid.

a reply to: Revolution9

You need to know you are full of crap! You need to know diesels are cleaner running, less harmful to the environment and perform more work per gallon than gas motors. You need to know the food on your table is put there by diesel (diesel tractors to harvest it, and diesel trucks to haul it to you) You need to know the by-products from the refining of gasoline are several times more harmful than those of the diesel refining process.

You need to know diesel vehicles will be running well beyond 2030 when all other cars are banned outright. You need to know diesel engines will be towing those electric cars down the road after they're broken down. You need to know electric cars are orders of magnitude more toxic to the environment when you consider the full lifecycle costs of electric cars and things like toxic battery disposal (lithium, acid, etc.)

You need to know you are a hypochondriac and controlled by what some other person has told you, not by what you've learned yourself. You need to know the exhaust from a gas car contains more harmful products per ton than diesel ever will.

You need to know your ignorant, misinformed, opinions are not only wrong, but are harmful to others. You need to know your selfish bubble philosophy is not sustainable, and if you were truly forced to live by the words you've spoken you would starve to death in a pit of your own filth.

You need to know uneducated, closed minded, posts such as yours are infuriating to others. You need to know you've been hoodwinked by a generation of people who have no idea how the "real" world works...and don't care. You need to know opinions like yours are a blight on modern society, a basket of lies which are part of one of the greatest hoaxes ever perpetuated on the human race, 'climate-change' caused by man is a ruse. You need to know it always has been, and always will be.

You need to know you are welcome to live in your hermetically sealed bubble, isolated from reality, believing the whole outside world is toxic to you, but the rest of the world will continue to laugh and love, will continue to get mud on their shoes, dancing in the rain which you find so poisonous.

And lastly, you need to know I will put my foot into the throttle of my big 500hp diesel pickup truck this morning at the stoplight, and leave a giant black cloud, just in the hopes you are behind me, cursing at me, while remembering this post.

You need to know I could go on with this "you need to know" garbage all day long, but I won't.

You need to know you are full of what comes out of the southbound end of my northbound cows, full of hot air laced with methane and manure, all brought to you by diesel power.

You need to know you should go out and have a nice day in the sunshine of the real-world you live in rather than just opining about how others should do what you are unable and unwilling to do.

a reply to: diggindirt

Nearly 200,000 miles!!!!???!!!! Good luck! Gas and oil mixed...black (black-er, darker, smoke)..more engine noise...but never owned one because of those points...and a few others.

ATS Member-owners can inform you better than I...but 200,000 engine miles?????*

**PS I really only think the engine mileage is questionable unless you bought a truck..IMO

Diesel vehicles aren't really much more to maintain than a gas engine. Especially a car. Check/change all fluids, make sure you have a clean air filter, if your turbo is easily accessible try and get to the impellor wheel and check for play in the shaft. Other than that, just drive it. It'll last forever. If you live in a cold climate, make sure you use anti-gel in the winter.

Its best to let diesel engines warm up a bit longer than a gas engine before you start flogging it. I own a 2001 F350 4x4 with a 7.3L powerstroke, and I love the hell out of it.. although an oil change takes about 4 gallons of oil. A diesel engine will outlast a gasoline engine by quite a bit if you just keep up on your fluids. Some diesel engines have gone over 1 million miles without a rebuild.


ETA: I saw another post mention using WD-40 as a starting fluid. I'd like to note this will work, but if you don't have WD40, you can use brake parts cleaner as a starting fluid as well. Under no circumstances EVER, should you use actual starting fluid on a diesel engine, not only will it become addicted to the use of a substance to assist in starting, but it will crack your pistons. NO STARTING FLUID. only brake parts cleaner, or WD40

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

You have inspired me. Maybe they will be behind me when the MiniMax puts out a dinosaur for me at the light this morning. gen 3 5.9 cummins 357,000mi

a reply to: diggindirt

Not sure where you live, but warming up diesel engines is much more crucial than gas engines, especially on cold days.

a reply to: diggindirt

You have made an excellent choice in a car. Those old Mercedes are bullet-proof.

Fuel will cost a little more (though it shouldn't, but we can thank the likes of Revolution9 for this ill-informed stupidity), but your mileage will be far better than you ever got with a regular gas engine.

Others have spoken about warming the engine up, and this is important, but allowing a diesel to cool down before shutting down is equally if not more important. This is especially true for engines with a turbo. Turbos get very hot, and shutting down to quickly after use can let the turbo cool off too quickly and crack. Allowing the engine to idle after a run will let the turbo cool more gradually to a less drastic level is very beneficial.

a reply to: eXia7

Just reading through the replies and saw your comment quoted here:

"Its best to let diesel engines warm up a bit longer than a gas engine before you start flogging it..."

Youre not allowed to be leaving your car warming up in driveway in Michigan...or wont be soon. Only for 5 minutes.

I understand the supposed reasoning they have for making that law...but considering there is an entire industry in Remote Starters...sounds crazy!

A ticket for warming your car up in Michigan winters...kinda stupid if just to prevent smogging the air or prevent theft. Just thought you'd find that as crazy as I do.....

Best, MS

originally posted by: mysterioustranger
a reply to: eXia7

Just reading through the replies and saw your comment quoted here:

"Its best to let diesel engines warm up a bit longer than a gas engine before you start flogging it..."

Youre not allowed to be leaving your car warming up in driveway in Michigan...or wont be soon. Only for 5 minutes.

I understand the supposed reasoning they have for making that law...but considering there is an entire industry in Remote Starters...sounds crazy!

A ticket for warming your car up in Michigan winters...kinda stupid if just to prevent smogging the air or prevent theft. Just thought you'd find that as crazy as I do.....

Best, MS

Its pretty much illegal to leave a car unattended idling anywhere unless you are emergency personnel or a commercial vehicle with an air brake system that requires you to idle(I know, cuz a cop bitched at me about idling at the gas station before).

You don't need to let it warm up longer than 5 minutes, and when you do drive, just be easy on it for the first couple of minutes. I doubt you'll be running around flogging it everywhere you go.. unless you are me, and have a tuned diesel, and you love boost XD

a reply to: mysterioustranger

Yep, but I'm sure the "banner's" would ban these too if they could!

There are lots of examples of these dichotomies in modern cars though. Consider this; how is it any different than having a car capable of going 200 mph, a car which doesn't even start to run properly until it is running at nearly twice the posted speed limit on most highways?

originally posted by: stolencar18
a reply to: diggindirt

Not sure where you live, but warming up diesel engines is much more crucial than gas engines, especially on cold days.

I am not sure about other diesel engines, but the old timer around here warn me about excessive idle time on the dodges. They claim the carbon buildup is damaging. I start my diesel and drive after about 60 seconds. I keep the RPMs below 2k until fully warmed. Some programmers allow for high idle. My truck will go to a high idle when temperatures are below freezing.

a reply to: diggindirt

My mom had a 300D from the mid 80's I think. Very nice car.

Though she did have troubles with it from time to time. Make sure you take the car in for scheduled maintenance and change the oil when needed. It's finicky.

Also keep the car in a garage or covered if possible. Here in Miami Florida the sun was burning the leather seats. The sun may not hit as hard where you are at. So maybe some good tints might be enough.

I would also like to note that its VERY IMPORTANT to check/change your fuel filter pretty regularly. I do it every 15k on my truck, but I'm using it all the time hauling heavy loads and working it. If you aren't doing too much with the car, you can get away with 20-30k per change. Good rule of thumb for me is every 3rd or 4th oil change I change the fuel filter. Diesel is dirty as hell sometimes because some stations have dirty tanks.

Clean fuel is super important in a diesel, older diesel engines can handle crappy fuel better than modern diesels can, so you should be good. If you feel like you aren't getting good power, just change the fuel filter, and use some seafoam in the fuel, or dieselkleen. Never use seafoam in the oil on a diesel engine, just in the fuel.

originally posted by: ttropia

originally posted by: stolencar18
a reply to: diggindirt

Not sure where you live, but warming up diesel engines is much more crucial than gas engines, especially on cold days.

I am not sure about other diesel engines, but the old timer around here warn me about excessive idle time on the dodges. They claim the carbon buildup is damaging. I start my diesel and drive after about 60 seconds. I keep the RPMs below 2k until fully warmed. Some programmers allow for high idle. My truck will go to a high idle when temperatures are below freezing.

You can fix the carbon build up issue by gettin' on it once and awhile grandpa

a reply to: eXia7

Haha! Yes, I try to pull a trailer every now and again too.