got a new E300D OM606 - any veg tips?

[tpv01]

just got a diesel 24v W124 and very happy with it. It is completely different to the sporty jap cars i have previously owned but i am soon to start doing major mileage which is why i bought the W124 and plan to go veg.

i have done some general research on veg cars and merc diesels as i originally planned to get a 190D but this nice W124 24v popped up so i went for the extra power and size.

It is a solid well running engine which i plan to see how it goes on SVO before i source and start processing WVO to eventually run of 100% WVO year round without converting to a twin tank system or any other expensive mods.

I know the basics of veg cars i just need to know any specific tips for this car. such as;

1. need to change any parts (glowplugs)?
2. whether best to introduce straight away or gradually increase in a ratio from derv.
3. things to watch out for
4. recomended change periods/intervals for fuel filter, engine oil + filter, prefilter, glow plugs, etc
5. Is there a fuel heat exchanger similar to found on a 190 that uses coolant to heat the fuel. this was a very good way to get temperature into the veg. On the 190 there was also a thermostat that only opened at a certain temp that made sence to bypass. Is there a similar system on the W124 OM606?
6. what i am really interested in is ways of warming my fuel up pre-engine. On the 190 it was possible to put a babies bottle warmer around the fuel filter which seemed a winner. Is there a way to attach some kind of cheap warming solutions to fuel lines, filters and even around the tank? electrically preferential to coolant based as coolant obviously takes a while to warm up.

Thanks,
Tom

 

[SilverSaloon]

Hi Tom,

i have the exact same car as you and on 100% veg at the moment.

1. you'll need to replace all the o-rings around the clear plastic fuel pipes (see all my recent posts) along with the delivery valve seals once they go. If the glowplugs are fine, then they should be ok as they are.

2. i introduced it gradually. see how it goes. i have 2 E300D's and one is fine on 100% veg - the other (admit it needs a good service) does seem to run alot better with a bit of derv in it.

3. watch out for fuel leaks and fuel starvation at around 1/4 of a tank! Keep a spare fuel filter and tools to fit it in your boot just incase.

4. change the fuel filter and pre-filter after about 1k on veg intially. then engine oil i would say around 7k-ish and keep with the fuel filter until you experience problems or just replace after say 10k or something - they are cheap. Go for genuine MB parts.

5. i think there is a heat exchanger yes

6. see my post - i have added the bottle warmer mod - not noticed any difference with it but it cant do any harm.

basically just pour it in with no mods (apart from fixing the enevitable fuel leaks) - atleast thats what i've done without any issues apart from leaks which i am sorting out gradually! Just done a 2k caravan trip (towing heavy large caravan) on 100% veg - no diesel for ages now!!

The fuel leaks are the only problems i have had, which are easily fixed but i find it hard to find time to sort them so its a gradual process for me.

KTC 20L bottles currently £17.99 at Bookers.

 

[tpv01]

Thanks mate. unfortunately i am going to be quizzing you with a lot of questions from now on!

1. Wow! 6 pages about it! i am almost scared to start reading through it. you couldnt sumarise the problem and how you sorted it could you?

2. I guess that is the most sensible way of doing it. I am going to run some injector cleaner through the current full tank of diesel i have in there currently then maybe add a litre or to of SVO with the next tank of derv and close my eyes and hope for the best!

3. is this to do with the fuel pump pulling rather than pushing and airlocks forming. I saw this a couple of days ago. http://www.mercedesshop.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=214313
havent read it properly yet and it does refer to the OM606 engine in the W210 but is this the same issue?

4. sounds sensible. what engine oil do you use? is this based on running on veg or is it what you stuck with since running on derv?
I am going for MB genuine for the oil filter because of the non-return valve but was told parts from GSF for other things are ok. Surely the prefilter cant be any different? the fuel filter i got from GSF is MANN, any thoughts?

5. do you know how to bypass the 'stat so it is always flowing through there? running on veg it is best to get all the heat you can into the fuel and it was very nice of MB to provide this HX so might as well use it! found this http://www.w124performance.com/movies/OM606/ fuelheatr.mpeg shows the exchanger on the OM606 (albeit on a W210 again but the guy says it is the same of previous models so assume it is the same).

6. i cant find that thread of your do you remember what it was called to help my search? just seen that you have installed an alarm to your central locking which is a job on my list....get ready for some more questions when i get round to that!

are fuel links gaurenteed to happen because the veg eats the seals or the extra pressure needed to pump it? sounds like a pain i could do without.

looks like you need a shop owners card to shop at bookers which i dont have. anyway to get round this or any other place with good deal?

thanks again mate and sorry to bombard you with questions.

 

[SilverSaloon]

THIS thread details the issues i've had with the clear plastic fuel lines and how i fixed the leaks here. I've still to do the delivery valve seals. The good thing is that all the parts that need replacing are very cheap from the main dealer. A lot of what i've replaced probably didnt need doing but i was trying to avoid doing the delivery valves and eliminating all other routes beforehand. New rubber gaskets and seals are always good to have though and i've learnt a lot so far.

The above thread and THIS one are the 2 main veg related threads i've contributed to in the main and cover most issues i've had so far. Also HERE and HERE may be of help

i believe the fuel strainer in the fuel tank is blocked with crud and thats why i get fuel starvation at 1/4 of a tank, although i've yet to check this out properly. i always just consider 1/4 as empty and refill then. Beware of cold-starting issues if you get any air or fuel leaks anywhere. If you do get these then also avoid parking nose-upwards until you have sorted them otherwise the car wont start without charging the battery!

Go for genuine filters - fuel filter is around a tenner from MB dealer. The pre-filter can just be cleaned out.

i'm not modifying the fuel lines at all (apart from viton o-rings) until i experience issues when the weather begins to get colder again. car runs fine on 100% at the moment, with minor starting problems due to the leak which should be fixed soon, so i think its a case of if it aint broke, dont touch!!

fuel leaks are guranteed as the veg is harsher to seals - thats why its best to replace with viton seals.

search the site for 'clear fuel lines', 'bottle warmer', 'delivery valve seals', 'viton' for some good veg threads - many i've contributed to.

my other W124 (saloon) has yet to spring a leak, but its not on 100% veg yet and is used much less than the estate which has been on 100% veg for about 6k with very little DERV put into it.

I put Castrol GTX Diesel in last time, but have no real preference.

Veg is ony a route i would recommend for the DIY'er. I'm just starting out with working on my car really and i've learnt loads so far - much help from this forum.

Provide booker with 2 invoices with a company name on and you'll be fine alternatively, due to the price of veg nowadays, CO-OP is pretty good at 95p i think and also Costco and Macro sell 20L KTC drums.

I personally get EuroShopper 1L bottles from Booker (15 bottle packs). Car runs very well on it and smells nice too. KTC is easier as it comes in 1 20L bottle so easier to pour and its what i use when i am travelling on holiday etc for convience.

I believe booker have Happy Shopper 2L bottles that works out at about 85p a litre so i'll give those a try next time.....

The multivalve W124 diesel is indeed considered one of the very best offerings from Mercedes-Benz, only downside is that all the service stuff for running on veg is under the bloody inlet manifold!!

 

[tpv01]

ok i am going to give the WVO route a go when i have managed to source and filter some oil but i am going to try it with SVO before i make any costly purchases.

i cant get any of the details to get a bookers card or makro or costco unless there is a way to fudge it or someone can apply for a card or get an extra card in my name. if you have a spare card and you dont need to show ID when you shop their then i guess that might work.

other than that there is a big chinese supermarket close by which has 20L cans of veg oil (says soyabean based) for less than £20 and also another type of oil that was 'premium oil', cant remember what it was though wasnt rapeseed but might be ground nut, that was on offer 20L for £20.
This is pretty decent price i reckon but should i go for the soyabean oil or 'premium oil'?

other than that the supermarkets are well over £1/L. will check co-op tonight but dont fancy filling up with 1L bottles.

any other ideas of where to get some or can anyone help me out getting a trade card for cash and carry?

 

[SilverSaloon]

ok i am going to give the WVO route a go when i have managed to source and filter some oil but i am going to try it with SVO before i make any costly purchases.

i cant get any of the details to get a bookers card or makro or costco unless there is a way to fudge it or someone can apply for a card or get an extra card in my name. if you have a spare card and you dont need to show ID when you shop their then i guess that might work.

other than that there is a big chinese supermarket close by which has 20L cans of veg oil (says soyabean based) for less than £20 and also another type of oil that was 'premium oil', cant remember what it was though wasnt rapeseed but might be ground nut, that was on offer 20L for £20.
This is pretty decent price i reckon but should i go for the soyabean oil or 'premium oil'?

other than that the supermarkets are well over £1/L. will check co-op tonight but dont fancy filling up with 1L bottles.

any other ideas of where to get some or can anyone help me out getting a trade card for cash and carry?

soyabean is mentioned here (no one has replied yet):

http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/forum/viewthread.php?tid=7241&page=2

if its pure liquid then its probably ok, might need to add more diesel though....

you can join booker easily enough. provide a reciept from a company with your company name on it and also a utility bill of the same address. a simple purchase via the net that provides an invoice with the delievery address is all you need to do.............


if you can get oil for £1 a litre then its probably good enough - booker price will soon be that anyway i reckon - however co-op was selling rapeseed for 92p per litre last week........

 

[SilverSaloon]

other than that the supermarkets are well over £1/L. will check co-op tonight but dont fancy filling up with 1L bottles.

if you dont want the 1L bottle hassle then your cheapest option is £17.99 for KTC oil (20L containers). This is soya based and is much thicker than rapeseed. my car takes longer to start in the mornings with this in it. pure rapeseed is much better... this is 1L bottles though but does work out 86.6p per litre. Otherwise pure rapeseed from booker in 20L containers is over £1 per litre

i fill up empty 20L KTC containers with the 1 litre bottles at my convience (when i am pottering around in the garden, garage etc) and then i always have enough to fill the car with ease each week.

i generally only use the 20L KTC stuff if i am making long journeys and i need the 20L containers pre-filled.