Favorite Diesel Fuel Additives

[TomSeller]

Power Service. I tried to use up my white bottles before summer but now that we are headed to winter, I will just finish them off now. I use Power Service because it is so available. I don't know how it compares to other additives.

 

[Copperhead]

I am not sure what they did to the diesel fuel, but on Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely in Alaska, the fuel was already blended up for the cold winter weather. We just fueled up the vehicles and added nothing.

 

[IslandTractor]

I am not sure what they did to the diesel fuel, but on Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely in Alaska, the fuel was already blended up for the cold winter weather. We just fueled up the vehicles and added nothing.

That's what I suspected. No "mil spec" additive. I think that says a lot about how reliable the marketing claims are for all of these compounds.

I'm guessing the same is true for large corporations. No fuel additives because there is no believable data to support them.

Fuel additives are kinda like taking big vitamin supplements. Just pissing money down the drain.

Happy to reconsider if anyone has believable data to support using a particular additive.

 

[rswyan]

That's what I suspected. No "mil spec" additive. I think that says a lot about how reliable the marketing claims are for all of these compounds.

Not really (due to flawed reasoning) ... because the additives may already be added by the supplier to the military before it's even delivered to them. Nothing says you have to treat it when you fill the tank ... it can be added before it's pumped by the end user.

Example:

Our local off-road fuel supplier - Campbell Oil - offers a variety of fuel products: from plain LSD/ULSD to "premium ULSD" ... which is treated with Power Service specifically (PS Silver in Summer, and PS White in Winter)

I'm guessing the same is true for large corporations. No fuel additives because there is no believable data to support them.

Fuel additives are kinda like taking big vitamin supplements. Just pissing money down the drain.

Happy to reconsider if anyone has believable data to support using a particular additive.

Most diesel fuel available for sale in the normal places is blended/treated according to season ... the change-over to winter fuel usually happens early enough to avoid any cold weather problems (up - or down as he case may be - to a point)

Whether it's sufficiently treated to avoid all problems is another matter altogether however.

Usually, with most commercially available diesel fuel, you're safe to down around 15F ... after that you're rolling the dice if you don't treat.

I've only experienced gelling once - when I was sitting out in Iowa and it dropped to -26F one morning ... I was able to run the van, but the supply line to the auxiliary Espar heater - which is small - gelled.

Idling didn't really do much for keeping the van warm tho' ... it was so cold out I couldn't get the air coming out of the vents much above 50F ... but it kept me from freezing.

That one experience - which was rather painful - got me to change my behavior: I now treat my fuel (for potential gelling problems) if I am heading anywhere where the weather forecast dictates it might be a wise idea.

And, FWIW, compared to Europe, US diesel fuel is crap (lower cetane numbers ... in the US 40 to 45 cetane is common ... in Europe it's generally around 50 ...)

PS Silver will improve cetane numbers ... but it's limited in terms of how much actual improvement can be had (IOW, more is better up to a point ... after that you are wasting your money)

 

[IslandTractor]

Not really (due to flawed reasoning) ... because the additives may already be added by the supplier to the military before it's even delivered to them. Nothing says you have to treat it when you fill the tank ... it can be added before it's pumped by the end user. Example: Our local off-road fuel supplier - Campbell Oil - offers a variety of fuel products: from plain LSD/ULSD to "premium ULSD" ... which is treated with Power Service specifically (PS Silver in Summer, and PS White in Winter) Most diesel fuel available for sale in the normal places is blended/treated according to season ... the change-over to winter fuel usually happens early enough to avoid any cold weather problems (up - or down as he case may be - to a point) Whether it's sufficiently treated to avoid all problems is another matter altogether however. Usually, with most commercially available diesel fuel, you're safe to down around 15F ... after that you're rolling the dice if you don't treat.)

I understand that normally available "truck stop" fuel is formulated differently in summer and winter. And, it is certainly possible that the DOD has special formulations delivered to military bases that might differ from what is routinely sold for civilian purposes. However, I have a hard time imagining that big companies (I'll use FedEx and UPS as examples) would allow their equipment to operate with routinely available diesel on our nation's highways if there was some additive missing. Those companies must have pretty sophisticated maintenance engineering divisions that work hard to optimize engine longevity and reliability in order to maximize profits. If plain vanilla truck stop diesel, seasonally adjusted, was not "optimal", wouldn't you expect 1) that FedEx and UPS trucks would always supplement with an extra additive and 2) if the did that the company that sold that additive would be bragging to high heaven about it?

I see these various additives on sale at local auto parts stores and track stops and typically in modestly sized pint and quart containers. If they are used at even 0.5% concentration in fuel (note: wildazz guesstimate) then where are FedEx and UPS trucks getting it? An average big rig must go through at least a hundred or more gallons of fuel per day. Where are they getting the additives?

Though I appreciate the anti gelling issue is critical, I imagine the routine fuel available nationwide is appropriately adjusted by the distributor for 99.9% of needs. To put it another way, why is there any real need for additional or supplemental additives for a guy running a pickup or tractor in Texas?

 

[Looking4new]

I use Power Service (gray jug) in the big truck in summer and Kleen Flo in the Kioti in winter.

 

[Wolfy]

IslandTractor, first, I know a mechanic who works at UPS. When I run into him, I will find out the answer to that question. Second, no a man in Texas wouldn't need extras in his diesel. But diesels in cold states do. I have had a few diesels gell up, these products absolutely make a difference and prevent gelling. They may be like laundry soap in that the bottle says to use more than you really need? But think, even if a bottle costs $20, you would spend way more than that in time alone ungelling an engine from just one freeze up. I am not a salesman for anything, just a user who sees results.

 

[IslandTractor]

IslandTractor, first, I know a mechanic who works at UPS. When I run into him, I will find out the answer to that question. Second, no a man in Texas wouldn't need extras in his diesel. But diesels in cold states do. I have had a few diesels gell up, these products absolutely make a difference and prevent gelling. They may be like laundry soap in that the bottle says to use more than you really need? But think, even if a bottle costs $20, you would spend way more than that in time alone ungelling an engine from just one freeze up. I am not a salesman for anything, just a user who sees results.

I totally understand the gelling issue as you and rswyan have noted. That should be an issue only in mid winter and in the northern states however and I believe the distributors already deal with that by having winter blends of fuel. Cannot imagine that any diesel fuel sold in Minnesota or North Dakota in February is not already treated by the distributor against gelling. I appreciate as rswyan pointed out that ultracold days might cause even winter fuel to gel but that must be a pretty uncommon phenomenon or we'd see fleets of stuck trucks on I90 and I80 every winter.

While I think I understand the gelling business, it is the "magic potion" element of these additives that I find hard to comprehend without some real data. If regular diesel fuel does not have adequate lubricity, why don't UPS, FedEx and ?the military force the fuel industry to fix that globally rather than with expensive additives. If additives are really necessary, how come the major truck manufacturers do not require such additives to maintain your warranty? Would Ford/GM/Mercedes etc really design engines that don't operate (or wear) as expected with fuel that comes straight out of the pump???

 

[Diamondpilot]

But what evidence, other than marketing material and anecdotal word of mouth, makes you think any of those expensive additives are doing your engine any good?

I have personally delt with gelled equipment. It is timely costly mistake that says to me spending $20 a year is a wise investment.

Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

I am not sure what they did to the diesel fuel, but on Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely in Alaska, the fuel was already blended up for the cold winter weather. We just fueled up the vehicles and added nothing.

They blend it with #1 fuel or run it straight. #1 fuel has less energy per gallon but is also less dense which results in less performance.

Chris