Oil & Fuel low sulfur fuel; Should you always add conditioner

[coffeeman]

I wonder;

Do the Mahindras or any of newer machines have to have something added to fuel.

Is there an additive that the fuel already has in it?

How would you know if there was something already in it?

Is it just a waste of time and money to get such additives?

What does additives help in the engine?


Just wondered....Coffeeman

 

[ray66v]

There have been many posts on this issue, not just on TBN, but elsewhere.

Here is what I have decided, based on everything I have seen.

If you have an engine made to run on USLD, you don't need to add anything. BUT, they apparently don't always add more than the absolute minimum amount of additives, to give you the proper protection against wear.

If you want cheap insurance against this you can use an additive. EXCEPT, the old dependable additives don't always work in USLD, some, actually make things worse.

There was a study done recently, that was funded by the participants, and it gave surprising results. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=177728

So, if you choose to use an additive, make sure it has been formulated, or reformulated, to be used in USLD. It will say on the label.

 

[coffeeman]

Here is what I have decided, based on everything I have seen.

If you have an engine made to run on USLD, you don't need to add anything. BUT, they apparently don't always add more than the absolute minimum amount of additives, to give you the proper protection against wear.

If you want cheap insurance against this you can use an additive. EXCEPT, the old dependable additives don't always work in USLD, some, actually make things worse.

Lubricity Additive Study Results - Diesel Place

So, if you choose to use an additive, make sure it has been formulated, or reformulated, to be used in USLD. It will say on the label.

I have read some about this. I was wondering about Mahindra specific and have looked in the service manual that I have. It doesn't mention fuel and it doesn't mention additives. I believe my Mahindra is an 02 or 03 and the manual might be older as I bought it off the shelf at dealer. In fact, how long has low sulfur USLD been around? At the time of manual printing maybe USLD wasn't an issue yet. I lost owners manual.

Where I fuel up, I'm getting off road. Now I'm wondering if it's possible they have low sulfur instead of USLD as it's used for off road. Does home heating have to be low sulfur? Is it the same as diesel used in equipment as off road.

I never worried about this before then it hit me. A little additive might be cheaper than pumps or other problems that might be expensive. I posted here as I was mostly interested in Mahindra brand and fuel relating to. Maybe I should have posted in fuel etc.

Thanks for the web info. I made a list of additives and put it in my service manual.

Cheers...Coffeeman

 

[shvl73]

Inquire where you buy your fuel, as to what your getting. It seems to vary, if I remember correctly from all the recent threads.

 

[flusher]

There have been many posts on this issue, not just on TBN, but elsewhere.

Here is what I have decided, based on everything I have seen.

If you have an engine made to run on USLD, you don't need to add anything. BUT, they apparently don't always add more than the absolute minimum amount of additives, to give you the proper protection against wear.

If you want cheap insurance against this you can use an additive. EXCEPT, the old dependable additives don't always work in USLD, some, actually make things worse.

There was a study done recently, that was funded by the participants, and it gave surprising results. Lubricity Additive Study Results - Diesel Place

So, if you choose to use an additive, make sure it has been formulated, or reformulated, to be used in USLD. It will say on the label.

Interesting test results.

BTW: I think you mean "Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD)".

 

[xlr82v2]

You would think that the "Professionals" doing this study on "Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Additives" would be smart enough in the first place, to spell "sulfur" correctly...

If they can't get that most basic of things correct, then what else did they overlook?

 

[ray66v]

Interesting test results.

BTW: I think you mean "Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD)".

No, I meant Ultra Sulfur Low Diesel
...Thanks

I am throwing some of the Opti-Lube XPD in each tank.

The Power Service users I know. are still freaking out over how poorly it did in that study.
And, how Marvel Mistery oil actually was worse than nothing.

 

[LBrown59]

Where I fuel up, I'm getting off road. Now I'm wondering if it's possible they have low sulfur instead of USLD as it's used for off road. Does home heating have to be low sulfur? Is it the same as diesel used in equipment as off road.


Thanks for the web info. I made a list of additives and put it in my service manual.

Cheers...Coffeeman

Diesl and Home heating oil are the same thing here.

I use Power service in the white bottle the year round.
32 Oz in a 55 gallon drum or 3 Oz in a 5 gallon can.

 

[coffeeman]

Inquire where you buy your fuel, as to what your getting. It seems to vary, if I remember correctly from all the recent threads.

I checked with gas station. It's actually a gas station with a person that owns it. They have a bell across the driveway and they pump the gas for you. The fuel is off road 500 PPM if I remember right. It also says; to be used only in equipment before 2007. I think I got the wording and numbers right.

Now the question is; does the older Mahindra need some kind of fuel conditioning if the sulfur is not ultra low? I'm guessing that most believe one should use something anyway.

Cheers....Coffeeman

 

[xlr82v2]

Now the question is; does the older Mahindra need some kind of fuel conditioning if the sulfur is not ultra low? I'm guessing that most believe one should use something anyway.

Cheers....Coffeeman

No... actually, the older Mahindras (any older diesel, for that matter) will need conditioning BECAUSE the sulfur is ultra low.

The process to remove the sulfur from the diesel fuel also removes the majority of it's lubricity...

This is a case of the old fuel being better. Thanks, EPA!