What and Why do you use it????

What is the reason for adding an additive? After all doesn't it get everything when it is processed?

We got stuck in Washington State this past year until December 6.  We had LOTS of snow and temperatures that were below zero on a few days. We never added anything to our diesel fuel and never had a problem with it gelling.

If your brand truck says it is not required then I would not use it.

Fresh fuel does have what it needs.  Aging fuel that gets moisture/water condensation in it can develop problems.  Good diesel discipline is to park (extended periods) with fuel tank full when possible, and carry extra fuel filters.

I never compared my mpg without the additive, but I did get better mpg on my truck than what I'd heard many others were getting, so at least I felt comfortable that the additive did not hurt my fuel economy

That all said, the use of a biocide such as Bio-Diesel is a preventative measure is not a bad idea if you suspect you will be going through climatological changes that encourage condensation and particularly if you are going to sit for months of inactivity.  I used it in my Cruising Trawler always, as I was operating in that type of environment.  It took one bout of algae to make me a believer, and once started it is difficult to disperse.  It will take many filter changes back to back including the use of a biocide to eliminate it. So it becomes a choice, but I don't see it as
much of a consideration under normal highway operation where fuel is continually turned over both by the supplier and your own usage.  If I had a 200-300 gal. tank and I was going to sit somewhere for months through a seasonal change, I would add biocide just to be on the safe side.

I have never used a diesel additive for the fuel nor have I ever needed it.

If the fuel has all it needs why is there a product called FUEL 911 made by one of the major additive manufacturers.  It is used to de gel the fuel and it is not an instant thing either.

Once I was driving in SD and the fuel gelled and shut the engine down.  By adding additives and a few gallons and fuel and bleeding the system several times with a boost from a service truck I finally got restarted.  It is not any fun trying to get a diesel started when the fuel is gelled.

DO NOT TRUST THE FUEL SUPPLIERS TO ADD THE ADDITIVES. The fuel does not come from the refinery with the additives.  It is added by the wholesale supplier just like gasoline additives are.  The fuel from the wholesaler is just raw fuel bought for resale at all stations that order the fuel from them, no matter the brand name.

IMO the motor runs stronger when on the additive. Here in Florida we use Shell premium that is rated at 45 cetane......

I may not need to use any of it.  Also I don't want to have any need, to buy a new injector pump either.  Your experience may be different and there is nothing wrong with that.

Even so...

"An increase in natural cetane can contribute towards reduced fuel consumption.  To avoid excessive dosage of diesel fuel with cetane additives, the World Wide Fuel Charter (WWFC) recommends that the difference between the cetane index and the cetane number be no greater than 3.2 (Generally large quantities of additive are not added for economic reasons, as the additive is expensive).3  This has also been
general practice to prevent having the general character of the fuel too far from that implied by a certain cetane number. Starting and white smoke emissions appear to be related primarily to ignition delay, and so cetane
improved fuels generally perform as well as natural fuels of the same cetane number.

Oops the above was on MPG

"2.4 Impact on engine performance

Cetane number requirements for diesel vehicles depend on engine design, size, nature of speed and load variations, and on starting and atmospheric conditions.  High cetane number fuels enable an engine to be started
more easily at lower air temperatures, reduce white smoke exhaust, and reduce diesel knock.  With a low cetane number fuel, engine knock noise and white smoke can be observed during engine warm-up, especially in severe cold weather.  If this condition is allowed to continue for any prolonged period, harmful fuel derived deposits will accumulate within the combustion chamber.  While an engine may appear to operate satisfactorily on low cetane number fuel, after prolonged use, severe mechanical damage (e.g. piston erosion) can result.

that does nor sound good???

I ask because I often have a good bit of diesel onboard and I may not actually use off of that tank for several months.  But the truck gets used and moved about so it's not as though the tank is sitting there motionless for months at a time.

Or maybe motion doesn't matter?

Just something I wondered about.
Brian

I wanted to know everything about this truck so I went through the maintenance routine.  When I changed the fuel filter, it was loaded with algae.  It's a substance that looks like soap scum and is very heavy in consistency.  Kind of like a heavy gel. I'm sure that sitting on the dealers lot and the warm Alabama climate contributed to this growth and I can see where it would become a real problem if left unattended.

I also use Power Service or something similar to, to keep this potential problem in check.  A bottle will run you about eight bucks and it will last over many tankfulls.  It also cleans your injectors and provides additional lubricity for your seals in your pump.  Cheap insurance.

Myself I think I will put some in when we head north next month.

Thanks for your responses

Some additives actually do not have anything to do with the combustion process, but instead are designed to perform their duty in the exhaust.  Some are system cleaners, some are fuel stabilizers, etc.

For the most part anymore with the new engines being built to run the ULSD, additives are not as heavily relied upon.  With many of the older diesel engines that were designed to run on "the good stuff," additives are often required or at minimum, additives can show a huge increase in performance and/or reliability when running ULSD. Especially if you have an old rotary pump with brass parts inside.

If you have emission equipment on your engine, often it is best to follow the manufacturers recommends if they say not to use additives. Emission equipment can be very expensive to replace or repair.

For my older diesel engines, I run a simple lubricity additive, Marvel Mystery Oil.

Oh, another source of information on if a additive is recommended or needed might be the owners manual on your brand Truck and motor.

Another fact I did not know is, diesel fuel in Europe and Australia is a much higher quality than North America, which has the worst engine wear rating test results.  My conclusion, I will likely begin using a fuel additive.  Thanks in part to what I have read in this thread too.

Almost forgot; there is yet another alternative diesel fuel in the future:

I know diesel owners use an additive in the "colder" areas to prevent jelling, but do you use an additive every fill up?  Once a month, 3 months, year?

What is the reason for adding an additive?  After all doesn't it get everything when it is processed?

It was actually a wide open question and got like responses.

Our homework included the same information as RayIN and then some. We have used the additive since day one.  Information, Research,learning, knowledge, homework are the great equalizers.

I haven't been to any engine seminar where either Cat, Detroit, or Cummins will tell you to use a certain additive to improve engine performance or add to the longevity of their products.

How much more life do you want out of an engine?  All of them will run 300,000 without anything other than regular maintenance.

Cost effective? I don't think so; then again, neither is RVing.

1. It was recommended by a long time diesel mechanic that took care of my Dad's and then Brother's big rigs.  Very particular and the only additive he recommends.

2. It is the only additive recommended/sold by OEMs.  Specifically, I know Ford does and it is sold under the Motorcraft label.

3. Stanadyne makes injectors, pumps, filters and other related items. I have more faith in their analysis of any fuel system benefits.

I hand calculate my mileage every tank and consistently get from 1.5 to 2 mpg increase.  The variance is related to how fast I am running.  When I either deliberately skip or simply forget the additive my mileage decreases.  That has been the consistent result for several years.  Now none of this is 'authoritative' in sense you are requesting.

'Your mileage may vary'.

When you say 'they' do you mean Stanadyne claims an increase in cetane rating?  That certainly does not surprise me, what else could they say?  And where can I read an 'independent lab' report that shows a 9.6% increase in mpg?

I'm not being argumentative just "Show me money", as the saying goes.
Jim E

Your mileage may vary.

Here it is (CLICK HERE) a test done by a independent research firm in Texas was hired to do the laboratory work.

I just returned from Diesel Injection Service here in Louisville, KY after purchasing a new supply of their Performance Formula

In the test that "Performance Formula" was rated 12th and very expensive per tank compared to the better ones.
12)Stanadyne Performance Formula
Multi-purpose + anti-gel
cetane improver, demulsified, 5% bio-diesel compatible, alcohol free
HFRR 603, 33 micron improvement
480:1 ratio
6.9 oz./tank
$4.35/tank

Do more research//keep looking.  Links have been provided by others but find others that suite you.

Would this help, probably not as you will not accept anything other than your view.  But do not give up looking..the data is there.

http://en.wikipedia....i/Cetane_number

Have there been very many diesel engines damaged from using ULSD? Just wondering.
Jim E

The article illustrated that there are some additives that improve lubricity to ULSD.

You got that part of the Test right.

The purpose of that research was to determine the ability of multiple diesel fuel additives to replace the vital lubricity component in ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) fuel.  No test was done on Cetane improvement.

Have there been very many diesel engines damaged from using ULSD? Just wondering.

ULSD doesn't damage engines unless they are not enough lubricity in it.  And I don't think it has been out long enough to blame it for any engine damage yet. ULSD is not made with lubricity in it.  As it is added in the tanker before delivery.  And not all use the same lubricity or amounts added to it.

And there is the possibility that it may be forgotten at times to add the lubricity.

That is the reason I use Opti-Lube Summer Blend(No added Cetane) Multi-purpose demulsified HFRR 447, 189 micron improvement
3000:1 ratio 1.11 oz./tank $0.68/tank.

That is my choice and yours can be different.  And there is nothing wrong with that.

Remember that old oil maybe filter ad.  You can pay now or later.  It's your choice

With the conversion to ULSD the refineries no longer add the additive they once did.  Instead those additives are to be added by the distributor either in their storage tanks or delivery truck's tank.  Do they always add them, and are they consistent with the mixture, I don't know? Believe what you will.

Removal of the sulfur has other ill effects then just the lubricity, as important as this might be. It also effects corrosion and wear throughout the fuel system, along with the effect of water accumulation and such during storage.  Does this have a catastrophic effect initially?  No certainly not, but long term is another story!  I have 94300 miles on my 7.3L.  I plan on another 150000 miles or so before any major work.  I will keep using the Stanadyne Performance Formula.  Other additive may or may not be just as good, I don't know.  The Stanadyne is the only additive I know of which is sold by Ford under the Motorcraft label.  I simply prefer to save several dollars and by mine from local Stanadyne dealers.

There are scientific studies concluding that the most inexpensive lubricity additive is bio-diesel.  As little as B2 (2%) University of Idaho bio-diesel study has a huge impact on wear scar index.  This is why most diesel fuel sold is B2, some B5.  A few stations sell B20 -which BTW, is not mfgr. approved for pre-2010 engines.