My First Diesel-Fuel Question

[CT Yankee]

The new JD 3320 is in the garage. This is my first diesel...it will get very light usage maybe an hour or two per week. Do I need to add an additve or stabilizer to the diesel fuel? If so, what type or brand is the best? Thank you.

Mike

 

[thatguy]

I always add either Power Service white bottle (available at walmart and tsc) or howes (Northern tool) everytime i buy fuel.. I like the additional lubricity it provides..

Brian

 

[tomd999]

Hiya,

Oh boy, many a thread has turned ugly while discussing Diesel additives and brand loyalty.

Myself, I use amsoil. That's just me, other people use different brands.

Take a look in the fuel/oil forum, there are plenty of threads there about all types/brands. Do some reading.

Tom

 

[yankeerider]

. ...Do I need to add an additve or stabilizer to the diesel fuel? ...

Mike

"Should I" and "Do I need to" are two different things to me. FWIW, My 755 was purchased new in 1991 or so and currently has almost 900 hours on the clock. I have never used any additives in the fuel and have had no performance or reliability issues.

 

[JDFANATIC]

I used PowerService on my 755 and now on my 2210. Could I get away without it? Probably. Do I like the added Cetane boost and anti-gel properties? Yes.

 

[Ned Farlinger]

Power Service (silver bottle) or the JD diesel fuel conditioner.

 

[Whitey]

That is a very good question. I have a 2006 diesel Jetta that has a heated fuel pump and apparently needs no additive. However, my brother who sold me this gem told me to put one bottle a month in the tank during cold weather periods. (car salesman) My JD 770 sat for the month of December which was very cold and when my wife went out to operate it, the unit started right up and I have never put anything in it besides diesel fuel. So I am as confused as I was when I statred writing this!

JD 770 / 70 FEL / 7 BH - 425 AWS / 54" mmm / 54" FMP

 

[EastTexFrank]

Do you need to ..... probably not. Diesel isn't like gas, it doesn't go "off" as quickly. If you look at the oil company web pages, I think that they say to use diesel within 6 months or so but I've put 2 year old diesel in a tractor at the farm and it ran just fine. Personally, I bring my diesel home in two 55 gal drums and add a stabilizer bought from TSC just as a precaution. It helps tie up any water or condensation that forms in the drums while they are sitting around. Also, it's always goes through a water-block/particulate filter before it goes into the tractor.

 

[RalphVa]

I've a 25 year old Benz diesel that still starts (INSTANTLY, after glowing, always) and runs great. Have hardly ever used an additive in it. TWICE in its life, it had a diesel ping at constant speed: when I got it at 22k miles and after being stored for 4 1/2 years. Used Chevron Techron to stop the ping both times. A couple other times, I got a wild hair up my tail and threw in some Power Service.

Started off using PS in my tractor. Rarely put it in now. A good idea to use it if you have nights well below 0 F. Can't see too much use for it otherwise.

Ralph

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Injector pumps on older diesels were designed with high sulfur diesel in mind. New low sulfur fuels don't lube the pump as well. Some treatment is good for the oldies. I've been using a Lucas Oil product in my 150 for the last few years. Newer diesels were (supposedly) designed to operate on low sulfur fuel. No real need for treating fuel. The contractor I work for runs thousands of gallons of diesel a year and NEVER treats it. All my tractors on the mowing crew don't get anything beyond "pump fuel". No issues. I'm talking about tractors that accumulate more hours in a typical summer than some do in a lifetime. So long as you're using relatively low volume of fuel, no reason why you couldn't treat it to be on the safe side though. A jug of fuel treatment should last you a lifetime!