ULSD Fuel

[Larv]

While having my '04 serviced the other day I posed the question to the svc mgr about the new ulsd fuel if I need to use any additive. Of course he said I did and he just happened to have a bottle of it ($8) but you only use a portion of it per fill-up.



Is he running a scam on me? I know this issue was covered in the TDR Mag but can't find that issue and don't remember if additives were covered in that article.



Is everyone using any additive?



Thanks in advance!



Larv

 

[CSkal]

PS white or gray, depending on the season. A little cheap insurance can go a long way. . or at least give you a warm fuzzy...

Everybody has their own opinion on this, but it appears that most people are usign an additive of somne kind, from Powerservice to 2-stroke oil. There is a whole lot of reading on this. Search on additives, 2 stroke, etc. Others will chime in on this...

 

[onestackdram]

You should defenitely be running an additive. I also reccomend running powersevice. I personally have had the best luck with the silver, a friend of mine runs it as well in his 05. Its more of an insurance thing for the CP3 guys, but for us VP guys, its a neccesity. I wonder if I can get some of the oil companies and/or gov to pay for my repairs if i quit running it. . jk. . lol. But really you should be running it. Your pump and Inj. are fuel lubricated and when they take the sulfer out they take lubrication out.

 

[DPKetchum]

You are NOT required to run any additive of any sort in these trucks. The fuel depots are suppose to be adding what additives are needed. I can't remember reading ONE post (almost a decades worth)of NOT using a additive causing a failure or preventing one(other then a de icer) Nor does D. C. or Cummins say anything about HAVING to use fuel additives. I have talked to folkes/friends that have owned a number of these trucks and NEVER poured NOTHING in them for 200k but what comes out of the fuel station. I have tried additives and combos I couldn't tell a hairs breath differance in power/mileage/idle quality. I have spells I use some and wonder why.

 

[pwr2tow]

I have spells I use some and wonder why.

Because the advertising marketers know everyone wants to be like the next guy so if they can get some to use it they can get others to use it. :-laf :-laf :-laf #@$%!

Additives good or bad who really knows but I use some for anti-gel in the winter.

 

[roperteacher]

It can't hurt to run the additives. Who knows what the Long term ULSD will do to our systems. There are TONS of posts on here as well as tons of additives each of us on here is using. Power service is usually a good choice because it is readily available and not expensive. Same with Marvel Mystery oil etc. SOme use Howes, Lucus. I am using a mix of MMO and PS. GOing to try the Lucus just to see if there is a difference. Once you find something that works. . keep it. . :-laf

 

[firemansdiesel]

Here in California. We been using ULSD since the first of Jan. '06. No difference in performance and my mpg hasn't really changed. No need to put a additive in, because like stated above. They add what is needed during refinery process. If it makes someone feel better about adding a additive then go for it. Wasting money for that purpose.

 

[onestackdram]

Well I'm kinda sceptic (among other names many could come up with about me. . lol) and I just don't trust the "Oil Companies" to be doing what all is neccessary. I firmly believe if they think they can get away without putting it in and save them selves some $$$$ but still charge us for they will.

 

[firemansdiesel]

The ULSD is regulated and monitored for test. So what is being deleted and added in the fuel is safe for distribution (sp?). Unlike BIO Diesel. There is no regulation and you can get a bad batch and screw up your engine. Which DC will not cover your warranty until it has a standard regulation.

 

[RSimmons]

The additives are not added at the refinery..... They are added at the terminal after the pipeline. They can't add before the pipe because additive residues mess up the jetA when transfered. Therefore, there is a great deal of room for error or possible cost savings on the terminal operators part. So, just to be safe, I will stick with Power Service as it is cheap insurance... It is actually the cheapest thing on the truck when you think about it

 

[CSkal]

IIIRC, I read in an issue of TDR (can't recall which, within the last 4) that the standards for ULSD are in place, but that meeting the standards is done on a state-by-state basis. In other words, fuel you buy in PA may meet spec and need to meet spec by law, but fuel purchased, say, in Indiana does not have to meet spec because state law does not specify. The requirement that I refer to is the wear scar test to verify lubricity of the fuel. States are just examples, I have no idea which states have mandated the spec.

 

[2broke2smoke]

additives are snake oil ...



the fuel you are running is regulated ... the additives are not



EVERY single person on here who recommends running an additive has abosolutely no idea what the chemical make up of the additive they are running is ... they simply trust the manufacturers ad campaigns ...



i have never run any additives in any of my cummins and now have over 500k miles (counting the original miles on my used '01) and could pay for a new cummins engine with the additive money i would have spent ...



that includes a 150k on a vp that has been tapped for 50k miles also ...

 

[Buffalo]

For what it's worth, at May Madness '05, I attended a seminar given by the Las Vegas area Bosch repair facility rep. At that time, the diesel produced in CA. was very dry & Bosch was seeing a lot of fuel system failures allegedly caused by the lack of lubricity. CA. has been producing ULSD for quite awhile, now. He HIGHLY recommended using an additive, at that time, to suppliment the low lubricity.



At the May Madness '06, the same Bosch rep. said that the low-lubricity issues had been corrected & the need for lubricity-enhancing additives was not as critical.



In '05, he also mentioned that communities located near military installations that used jet fuel need to be more concerned about low-lubricity issues. Bosch noticed that some of these communities had far more incidents of fuel system failures due to jet fuel that did not meet the military standards being refused & sent to local fuel depots. There, additives were supposed to be added to turn the fuel into automotive diesel fuel. It seems that not enough additives were always used causing excessively dry fuel to be distributed for our use. Whether or not this is still a problem, I don't know.



Personally, since there is a military installation (Luke AFB) near where I live (Phoenix, AZ. ) & I'm not 100 % sure that enough lubricity is added to our fuel, I've chosen to additize the fuel, I use. There is a local biodiesel provider, Western States Petroleum, Inc. , that carries B-99 (soy based) bio & I understand that a 2 to 4 % ratio of bio to regular diesel is enough to provide more than enough lubricity.



The B-99 sells for $2. 84/ gal. & I use one gal. per 25 to 33 gals. of diesel. Auto diesel @ the Flying J, in Phoenix, is selling for $2. 60. 9/ gal. Since B-99 is considered a fuel, you are getting a gallons worth of energy out of it, also. So, for about 23. 1 cents, you can additize 25 to 33 gals. of diesel. It's a bit inconvenient but, inexpensive. Per DC, it's supposed to be OK to run up to 5 % biodiesel in our engines.



I, also, run Primrose 405 @ the ratio of 1 oz. ot 15 gals. of diesel. I use this mostly to keep the injectors clean. I was having problems with injector knock, which, DC would not do anything about. Had to address the problem, myself.



I have no expertise in fuels and/or additives, just an interest in the subject due to my being forced into correcting the injector knocking issue.



Joe F. (Buffalo)

 

[AKaiser]

There is a local biodiesel provider, Western States Petroleum, Inc. , that carries B-99 (soy based) bio & I understand that a 2 to 4 % ratio of bio to regular diesel is enough to provide more than enough lubricity.



The B-99 sells for $2. 84/ gal. & I use one gal. per 25 to 33 gals. of diesel. Auto diesel @ the Flying J, in Phoenix, is selling for $2. 60. 9/ gal. Since B-99 is considered a fuel, you are getting a gallons worth of energy out of it, also. So, for about 23. 1 cents, you can additize 25 to 33 gals. of diesel. It's a bit inconvenient but, inexpensive.

I get B2 or better at a local Ag Cooperative (Countrymark Coop) around here. The price was $2. 499 two weeks ago, now up to $2. 759, which is steeper than regular DF2 by about 20 cents. I happen to think it's worth it. Their fuel quality is seldom suspect, though it helps to know where they are getting it. Often their C-Store pump gas is pipeline gas, but I think they get all of their biodiesel blend from the Mt. Vernon, IN refinery, but don't quote me on that. If you see "Premium Diesel R" or "Diesel R" on the road fuel pump, it's Mt. Vernon fuel, and that's high quality fuel, better than what you'll get in the pipeline. I have to say, I can't recall seeing the stickers on the pumps I've been to, but I'm not having any issues with filter clogging.

Per DC, it's supposed to be OK to run up to 5 % biodiesel in our engines.

Joe F. (Buffalo)

As of very recently, they upped it to 20%. See this thread