2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Diesel Fuel Additives

[jadssh]

Greetings to all, any comments on the Amsoil diesel fuel additive. Is it really needed? I have friends trying to talk me into using it. Haven't had any problems so far with my Ram. I'm a newbe here so if it has been covered already, I apoligize. John

 

[SSolderitch]

I run fuel additives 100% of the time, summer to lube the pump (orig @235k) & switch over to a winter blend for 4 months. I buy my supply from Genos (fleetguard), however Wal Mart and auto parts places all have it. It comes down to brand & $. I run all Amsoil in everything except fuel. I don't have a good reason why not... . The fleets around here have an outside company test & condition the fuel in thier tanks... If they didn't think it was necessary, they wouldn't waist the money. Quality of #2 is very poor and inconsistent.

 

[DonTX]

I guess I am just too "old school" to buy into any of the silly hype over "snake oil additives". When Dodge and Cummins starts telling me that their engine needs something besides pump diesel, I will just go buy a diesel that don't need additives. Far too many have run hundreds of thousands of miles with no additives and no problems. Of course, the Amsoil sales teams don't like to hear that kind of talk.

 

[JLandry]

Greetings to all, any comments on the Amsoil diesel fuel additive. Is it really needed?

If you don't have a specific problem you're trying to correct, then don't waste your money! You'll just be unnecessarily increasing your operating costs.



From Daimler-Chrysler's training publication "Cummins Electronic Fuel Injection":

"Some after–market companies are suggesting that additives are needed to make up for the lubrication lost by the reduced sulfur content of the diesel fuel. Some companies have even suggested fuel additives are needed to prevent fuel injection system damage. Chrysler does not recommend the use of additives to compensate for fuel with a low sulfur content. If fuel quality is questionable, a known good fuel supply should be used to ensure that fuel system components are not at fault. Furthermore, inappropriate additives can retard ignition timing, leading to white smoke. "​

Under "Fuel Specifications" in the owner's manual:

"...commercially available fuel additives are not necessary for the proper operation of your Cummins Diesel equipped Dodge Ram Truck. "​

 

[jadssh]

Thanks Guy's for the response. I have had no problems at all with my truck running with the exception of the rear fuel pump went out on me and didn't even notice it until I replaced the fuel filter. Thats when my friends who use it say if you used the additives, that pump would not have gone out. Who knows, but I think your right, if it aint broke, don't fix it. Thanks again. John

 

[AH64ID]

One other benefit to an additive like Amsoil, which I run, is that it helps soot loading, and helps reduce the acidity of combustion, both leading to increased oil life.

 

[DeezelDood]

Talk about a can of worms. Check out the hundreds of TDR posts, at woodalls.com (towing vehicle forum) and diesel place.com. Additize or not to additize. Personal preference. My guess is that a small majority of oil burners are using fuel additives. I don't believe the claims about improved mileage, power etc. The lubricity issue with ULSD has not been satisfactorly covered IMHO. My sister's 2nd gen just wiped out a VP44 @ 110k miles (does that thing really cost $4500 to replace?). Probably due to a failed lift pump but poor lubricity could have helped it along. I advised her to install a fuel pressure gage. The only risk to the OEM (Cummins, Duramax, Navistar) is to get the engine to 100,000miles. You can run almost anything through the Cummins and get there. Personally, I feel better running B2 100% of the time (zero extra cost) and anti-gel (Power Service white bottle) in winter. I use the anti-gel because I fuel up in a relatively temperate area that does not switch to winter blend, but I regularly drive up to the mountains.

 

[JLandry]

One other benefit to an additive like Amsoil, which I run, is that it helps soot loading, and helps reduce the acidity of combustion, both leading to increased oil life.

Who says so?



Wait... let me make a guess... would that be Amsoil?



Hmmmm... that would be an unbiased source of scientific information wouldn't it?



I say: show me the blind study conducted by an independent testing agency, then I'll believe it!



Best regards,



John L.

 

[Regcabguy]

Clean that fuel.

I think the money would be better spent on upgraded filtration,especially on our 3rd. gens.

 

[jeepit]

and... what about 2 cycle oil added to fuel for lubricity???

 

[Missouri Mule]

I run Amsoil additive in the Mule(Dodge) and Freightliner once a year to make sure the injectors are cleaned.

 

[DonTX]

I don't, and my injectors are clean anyway.

 

[Crash&Burn]

I'll just kept adding my Howes, it's kept my diesel farm tractor going for 29 years.

 

[GAmes]

I don't, and my injectors are clean anyway.

So are mine, I only add conditioner in the winter, and then only if I'm buying fuel in the south and going north. From a previous thread, 568k miles



https://www.turbodieselregister.com...d-my-568k-mile-injectors-today-questions.html



For the question on 2-cycle, here it was, ad nauseum



https://www.turbodieselregister.com...ission-1994-1998/186487-2-cycle-oil-fuel.html

 

[LandShark]

It's funny to me that many on this site think that Cummins engineering is the best thing that has ever happened to diesels, but they ignore the Cummins and Dodge reccomendation on not using additives.

 

[Diesel Manor]

I run the Stanadyne Perf. Formula every fill up. At last calculation I get an increase of . 63MPG. It saves me money and is great for the injectors.

 

[DonTX]

Hey now Diesel Manor, that is not fair, you are SELLING the stuff!

Seriously if I were to use any additive, the Stanadyne would be my choice (and it would help me make up my mind if I could get it at your price too)

 

[GAmes]

I run the Stanadyne Perf. Formula every fill up. At last calculation I get an increase of . 63MPG.

Sorry, the BS flag is up. I get 20 mpg, hwy, driving at 65mph which gives me 600 miles using 30 gallons. At 20. 63 mpg I would get 618. 9 miles, an increase of what nearly a gallon of diesel would give me. I can't believe that a few ounces of Stanadyne have the same BTUs that . 95 gal of diesel has. :-{} If what you claim is true, why not double or triple the dose and get 1. 26 or 1. 89 more mpg?

 

[DonTX]

Well, he sells it for about $35 a gallon, so at some point even if it has lots of btu's, the cost would outweigh the mileage increase.

 

[Diesel Manor]

There's a couple of things wrong with your assumptions. You get 20MPG with raw fuel. That's great, but I get 16MPG. Let's do the math here.

Cost of Stanadyne per gallon treated is $0. 08, so to treat 30 gallons (a tank full) the cost is $2. 40

If my truck gives me 16MPG untreated, then a 30 gal tank allows me to drive 480 miles.

If fuel costs $4. 80/gallon, then a tank (480miles) costs me $144. 00 or

---> To drive 1 mile it costs me $0. 30 [untreated]

Now, let's add the Stanadyne. $144. 00 + $2. 40 = $146. 40 (this is what it costs me to fill up and add the Stanadyne)

Now I get a mileage of 16. 63MPG which allows me to drive 498. 9 miles (18. 9 more miles on a tank)

A gallon of treated fuel costs me $4. 88

498. 9 divided by the cost of a treated tank $146. 40 = $0. 2934

---> To drive 1 mile it costs me $0. 2934 [treated]



Or in other words I can go 18. 9 miles more on a treated tank of fuel. To drive that 18. 9 miles on untreated fuel it would cost me $5. 67. So there in lies the savings.

Not a big deal, but if you drive 12,000 miles in a year (at today's prices) the cost of untreated fuel would be $3,600.

On treated fuel the cost to go that same 12,000 miles would be $3520. 80, a $79. 20 savings.



And this says nothing about the added benefits of the lubricity and longevity of the fuel system.



I have doubled up on the additive and I did get better mileage than at the normal rate, but that does not necessarily mean that adding more is infinite. You can't add a full tank of stanadyne alone and get phenomenal mileage. It just doesn't not work that way. I feel that it is safe to add up to 2 times the recommended dose, but I wouldn't add more than that.





BTW, most of our customers report better mileage gains than what I get with the stanadyne. I'd like to hear some reports on what you all are getting. My test was back when fuel cost 1. 79/gal. About 5 years ago. I haven't done a test lately for an up to date comparison.