W123 - 300TD Fuel heater?

[dot]

Evening all,

I’m currently still getting to know my ’85 300TD, and she’s beginning to run well. In doing this I want to begin cleaning components in the engine bay and the fuel pipe work to give a nicer appearance.

The injector pipes covered with orange insulation tape which I began to remove only to see a braided wire inside. This appears to run from the terminal block (pictured), along the fuel injector pipes and to an earth (finger pointed at in the pic). Before I touch it, has anyone seen this before and can shed any light on what it is?

Another non-standard item appears to be some kind of plumbed in pre-heater for the fuel, powered by a relay from the same terminal block as what ever it is I’m trying to find out about above.

If anyone can help I’d appreciate it, thanks,

Dot

 

[ChipChop]

I have no idea what the orange insulation tape with a wire inside could have been for but as i am sure you are aware your car has a fully mechanical diesel injection pump so no electrics are required to start or stop the engine (vacuum), bar the electrics powering the glow plugs and firing the starter motor.

Looks like there is a temperature sender on the coolant 'pre-heater' although how that would pre-heat the fuel in the metal fuel filter i have no idea unless it just stops coolant running through the interior heating matrix to speed up engine warm up.

 

[dot]

I have no idea what the orange insulation tape with a wire inside could have been for but as i am sure you are aware your car has a fully mechanical diesel injection pump so no electrics are required to start or stop the engine (vacuum), bar the electrics powering the glow plugs and firing the starter motor.

Looks like there is a temperature sender on the coolant 'pre-heater' although how that would pre-heat the fuel in the metal fuel filter i have no idea unless it just stops coolant running through the interior heating matrix to speed up engine warm up.

Thanks Chipchop - she does warm up quickly, running at about 90/95 C. I’m looking into this too and think this should be cooler. I am thinking about checking the thermostat.

Dot

 

[gr33nmachin3]

Looks like a previous owner was running veg, perhaps. Those heater leads are indicative of WVO or SVO or some alternative fuel usage, to keep temps high.

 

[dot]

Ahhh ok I’ve never done that. Should I remove it? I’m not intending to run veg Thanks Dot

 

[gr33nmachin3]

I'm not sure if the extra heaters are 'on', leading to the raised temps you're experiencing? Certainly if you lived in colder climes, they'd come in handy. But if you want a tidier engine bay and someone else will be working on the car, those could get in the way and cause potential annoyance.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Previous owner fitted some kind of trace heating system ? . Was the mid 80's not the time when Diesel was freezing in cars and trucks all over the UK ? Maybe the owner was fending off this phenomena ?