1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Here in cold climate in the old times the diesel guys used to mix diesel oil with gasoline when filling-up on winter. If I remember right the propotions were something like 50/50. But this was something like 50's & 60's and mostly the truck engines...
There are several blends in the diesel oil: for example here at the winter time a winter quality is sold on the filling stations, the summer of course has summer quality,,,
(speculation mode on)
The first thing that may be damaged by gasoline is the fuel pump of the diesel engine,,, the diesel oil is much better lubricant than the gasoline. In the other hand diesel oil is also better solvent...
Parts in the diesel engine are basically designed to withstand the very high pressure and "pre-detonation" i.e. knock as we call it in gasoline engines... However I'm not sure how the temperature in the combustion changes if gasoline is used instead of diesel... Heat may break parts in diesel engine, since normally the temperatures are much lower in diesels.
I think modern Common Rail Injection systems should be quite clever and most probably they'll also adjust the timing of the fuel spray (by investigating the combustion), I think they'll need to do that to enable the diesel catalysator to work properly. But this is just a believe.
The petrol engine may also run with Diesel oil, however what happens to cat and fuel injection is a mystery... Also the engine will be definetly full of carbon deposits and most probably it'll take long time to work again properly (if at all). Most probably the carbon deposits may block the cat.
The run most probably happens more easily on hot/warm engine. On cold start the matter may be how much gasoline is mixed with the diesel oil (= how much evaporated gasoline is in the cylinder in when spark comes.), and the condition of the spark plugs (and on the other hand the condition of valves).
My mother once (~15 years ago) filled-up with diesel, but she noticed that in time (no driving). In the shop they told us that yes it'll run with diesel, but very badly and engine may not start in some point at all because the carbon deposits on the spark plugs. However the car was the classic Saab 90 with the famous Solex carburretor. (yes, correct:90-hybrid of 99 and og900 sedan).
Some "Fuel Injection Cleaners" on the market are actually kerosine, that I believe is quite close to diesel,,, But of course the amount that is mixed with gasoline is very low...
Off Topic: Once I heard about a Turbo Saab with original engine block cylinders drilled away, equipped with semi floating cylinder tubes and some turbo _diesel_tractor_ pistons,,, The engine developed some 400-500 horse kicks. No, it was not street legal, but was driven... This just to give hope that maybe the parts in your friends MB are still ok.
Personally I think your friend should have already during the trip filled in the tank with diesel a bit by bit immediately where there was some room to avoid future problems,,,
posted by 192.100.124...
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