Crud in fuel system

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M

mercian

Member
Posts
34
Location
Stoke-on-Trent
Hello all...looking for suggestionsfrom those cleverer than me. Experienced sudden loss of power while driving back from Wales to Staffordshire. AA and mechanic friend have pinned it down to fuel system i.e engine not getting it. Changed fuel lift pump to new Delphi. Finding crud in it: get it going...fails on test drive...crud in pump again. Decided to have fuel lines blasted through with compressor (yet to be done). Have also emptied tank and found bits of brown filmy crud floating in fuel and when i wiped out the tank as far as i could reach with rags. Invested in new fuel sender (old one looked ripe for replacement) What could this stuff be? and should I get a new tank? Help appreciated as its only car and am completely immobile at mo
RRC is a J reg with 300 tdi
 
There is a type of bacteria can colonise diesel tanks and results in the kind of crud you are describing. I'm sorry I don't know what is needed to disinfect the system, but that is what you will need to do. I would have thought that emptying it all and then a thorough clean obviously but there maybe something you could rinse it out with too... I'm sure some of the wise ones will be along soon to give better advice. Good luck.
 
If the 'crud looks something like...

main.php


Then you need something like Wynn Oil UK
 
As above, bacterial growth, always a good idea to keep the tank full especially in winter to stop condensation which feeds the bacteria. Marina's and agricultural suppliers usually stock bactericide.
 
Last edited:
Datatek said:
As above, bacterila growth, always a good idea to keep the tank full especially in winter to stop condensation which feeds the bacteria. Marina's and agricultural suppliers usually stock bactericide.
Click to expand...

+1 its an algae normally called diesel bug found often in boat tanks.
Had it in my boat and had to flush tanks and give them fresh fuel with additive.
Some additives dissolve the algae others simply kill it.
Bio and red diesel suffer the worst, if you have wiped the tank out just add some bug killer to be sure and will probably be fine, just change fuel filters regularly for a while until alls totally clean.
 
SmileySteve said:
+1 its an algae normally called diesel bug found often in boat tanks.
Had it in my boat and had to flush tanks and give them fresh fuel with additive.
Some additives dissolve the algae others simply kill it.
Bio and red diesel suffer the worst, if you have wiped the tank out just add some bug killer to be sure and will probably be fine, just change fuel filters regularly for a while until alls totally clean.
Click to expand...
When I was working on sail boats, it was a regular problem, as long as the tank was brimmed before the winter lay up, it didn't happen.
It's the condensation that starts the problem, never had the problem in my 1,000 litre red diesel storage tank as it's in a celler at a fairly constant temperature.
 
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