Quote:
Originally Posted by GH85Carrera
My in-laws had a Mercedes 300 Turbo diesel. 32 years ago we loaded it up, filled the huge trunk, 4 adults, ski rack on top, and went to Colorado to go skiing. We filled up the motel room with our luggage from the car. We got 36 MPH which blew me away. I loved plugging it in at the motel. In the morning all the other cars in the motel lot were covered in several inches of snow, and we had a car that was just wet, and warm. It started easily.
The bad news is back then very few average gas stations had diesel. We had to stop at a truck stop and use the pumps for semis. The ground was black and sticky with spilled fuel, the nozzle pumped fuel at an a massive volume. The tank was full in no time. The nozzle was slick with diesel. No way was I getting back in stinking of diesel. So I had my wife slide over and drive up to the building as I went in and washed my hands and even with gloves on, my hands were stinky of diesel. I had to put that pair of shoes in a plastic bag and use a different pair of shoes to drive.
Most local gas stations have diesel now, and it looks better, but there is still a black stain near those pumps.
|
I know what you mean about truck stop pumps, especially if they are very old. Now days, most stations sell diesel and almost 100% along interstates do. Even truck oriented fuel stations always have an auto pump with a normal sized filler nozzle. None of the stations that I use in Los Angeles have stains like you describe or greasy handles, the biggest difference is that ULSD smells a lot better than gasoline and is a lot less toxic. I never use truck nozzles which sometimes are as you describe.
I'm trying to figure out how an engine block heater kept snow from freezing on your car(?) That's a neat trick that I've never seen and I'm from a place where many gas vehicles use them in the winter.