ULSD once and for all

[Cattletrkr]

I want to hear from the guys hauling the stuff or working at refineries. I don't care what everybody has seen on pumps or heard from the person behind the counter.

Is LSD still available? Last fall my fuel guy told me that ALL refineries in the US had started switching production over to ULSD last June or somewheres thereabouts. If that's the case, there can't be any LSD left anywhere, just stickers.

 

[JacobsD]

Yep. We get a delivery of it every week at work. Granted, we're about 20c a gallon more expencive than every one else, but I'm not going to fill up on ULSD until I absolutly have to.

 

[mhenon]

I'm not going to fill up on ULSD until I absolutly have to.

Why! You're probably using it right now and they just haven't changed the pump sticker yet.

The best I can tell. . we've been getting ULSD for over 1 1/2 years now. I noticed a difference in the color (or lack of color) back in August of 2005 (somewhere in there). Fuel color went from a nice greenish/yellow to almost clear as water. From the info I could get locally this was the "new" ULSD, minus any lubricant, that was coming online to flush the system and replace the LSD. Most of the pumps now have the new sticker announcing ULSD is being pumped. Let's hope they're getting the lubricant in there too.

So far i've had no problems with leaking seals or mileage drop. Both the Dodge and Jetta start, idle and run just like before. Long distance mileage tests with the Jetta (Idaho to Las Angeles to Austin Tx and back the same route) covering over 5000 miles achieved >51 mpg @ 75 mph. I can do even better in the Jetta at 65mph but we were in a hurry. Regardless... that's good mileage in anyones book and we were using ULSD the entire trip.

Stop sweating the change over. Now that it's in the system, along with the proper additives, I don't think you'll see much difference.

Mike

 

[07drj]

Pump Stickers

I don't know about the rest of the country, but around St. Louis virtually every gas station I stop at has both the #2 Diesel AND the ULSD stickers on the pumps. Have not found one attendent yet that can tell me if it's LSD or ULSD being dispensed. Surely the EPA and whatever other agencies that produced the signs sent instructions. Fortunately, I have a 2007 5. 9L CTD so I can use either fuel but expect some new 6. 7L owners will be mighty scared at the pumps around here.

 

[Dieselnut59]

They cannot post the "ULSD" (15 ppm) sticker unless it is certified as "ULSD", 15ppm sulphur. The stations, terminals and refineries with the highest sales volume were the first to post the "ULSD" stickers. They cannot post them until the fuel in the tanks is certified as 15ppm or less, which takes longer with lower sales volume stations. Only fuel that is still available as "LSD" is some companies' "off road" (non tax, red) fuel. Much of that has gone to ULSD also and is required to be the same 15 ppm by 2010 when tier IV (exhaust aftertreatment) emissions starts for off-road equipment.

 

[Cattletrkr]

Dieselnut59, that's more along the lines of what I was thinkin'. The fuel is most likely ULSD, but the stations don't know for sure. Heck, anybody here ever asked at the station what the % of #1 is, or to what temp the fuel is good. All I ever get is blank stares.

 

[steved]

Dieselnut59, that's more along the lines of what I was thinkin'. The fuel is most likely ULSD, but the stations don't know for sure. Heck, anybody here ever asked at the station what the % of #1 is, or to what temp the fuel is good. All I ever get is blank stares.

Ditto... I usually get the standard "it's winterized fuel. " The one station I deal with also hauls home heating oil (it's clear, not dyed... hmmm, maybe time for a storage tank?) and was able to find all this out for me... his stuff is good to around -5*F... which is a little warm if you know what I mean.



I know I have seen the guy at the Love's adding a 2. 5-gallon jug of stuff to the tank just prior to off loading... I assumed this was "Love's" own additive.



The local BP has their additive injected at the rack, I asked about it. They sell dyed ULSD and regualr ULSD... he said that the only LSD you would find would have been sitting for over a year around this area. LSD is no longer produced, only ULSD.



I got my first "marked" tank of ULSD last fall from a station in NM... since then, all the stickers have popped up everywhere... but I know I was running ULSD prior to that for quite some time...





steved

 

[WDixon27]

the thing that marked ulsd for me was when i noticed the lack of foam, the filler neck on my flatbad is kinda rigged and not really at a good angle and would burp several times on lsd, ulsd pretty much will run right out the neck if i am holding the nozzle high in the neck

 

[BTowler]

I don't know about the rest of the country, but around St. Louis virtually every gas station I stop at has both the #2 Diesel AND the ULSD stickers on the pumps. Have not found one attendent yet that can tell me if it's LSD or ULSD being dispensed. Surely the EPA and whatever other agencies that produced the signs sent instructions. Fortunately, I have a 2007 5. 9L CTD so I can use either fuel but expect some new 6. 7L owners will be mighty scared at the pumps around here.

ULSD is #2, just stricter sulphur content.