ULSD Availability

[Big_Charlie]

So other than you guys in ecomania states, have you found ULSD to be widely available yet? With the new 2007 trucks showing up on dealer lots right now (I'm looking at a Dodge 2500 with the new 6.7L Cummins and 6 speed auto tranny) that are required to use ULSD, I'd hate to buy one and then not find fuel for it. Our local fuel stops, so far, don't seem to have anything but LSD. Thoughts?

 

[cp1969]

I see pumps marked both ways, so getting ULSD is not a problem for me--but I don't HAVE to have it.

However, what happens if you take a 2007 on a trip through unfamiliar territory? Do you then have to chase all over creation looking for a ULSD pump? By 2010, this is not supposed to be a problem, but this ain't 2010 yet. I am not sure I'd want a truck that has to have ULSD before 2010.

 

[MadReferee]

100% "pure" ULSD at the retail pumps will happen well before 2010, probably within the next 12-18 months. Most, if not all, refineries are only producing ULSD for on-road use. Most likely your local station has ULSD in the underground tanks already but since is was mixed with the old LSD it will take a while for the contamination to subside. That is one of the main reasons for the 2010 deadline. High volume stations will be in compliance much sooner than the mom & pop stations. According to the EPA, as of Jan 1, 2007, 85% of all on-road diesel was ULSD.

 

[LoneCowboy]

Everywhere here on the front range/cheyenne area is all ULSD and has been since like October.
Everywhere.

not an issue.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Ditto in Michigan. I know of one single station that still has old LSD, and they seem to be a low volume place. They may also be too lazy to change the pump stickers. All other stations I visit have ULSD.

EDIT: I can name two stations where the biodiesel B20 pump is still LSD. These stations have ULSD for petrodiesel.

 

[DieselPower]

Everything around me is ULSD. No problem in MD/PA.

 

[Big_Charlie]

This is good to hear. The warning on the pumps here that dispensing their fuel into a 2007 or later model year vehicle is a Federal offense is somewhat disconcerting. Anyone know what the penalty is for putting LSD in your ULSD truck? A few months in the nearest Federal penitentiary? I know it'll void your warranty at least...

 

[Z-Michigan]

LSD, at the higher end of its permitted sulfur range, will damage the NOx scrubbers on 2007+ diesels. This will make them work less efficiently and fail earlier than they are supposed to. While any LSD is bad for a 2007+ diesel, one fill-up if you can't find ULSD is not likely to hurt it that much. And I doubt that there are any legal penalties in the real world. A regular diet of LSD would cause the scrubber to fail pretty fast, which would be caught if you're in a state with emissions tests, and may trigger some sort of onboard diagnostics on the vehicle.

 

[MadReferee]

Anyone know what the penalty is for putting LSD in your ULSD truck? A few months in the nearest Federal penitentiary? I know it'll void your warranty at least...

No penalty as such, except for your pocketbook when you might have to make expensive engine emission repairs.

The only monetary penalities I am aware of are for distributors and retailers who fail to label their product correctly. As per the EPA:

The new standards provide strong incentives for suppliers to provide the proper ULSD fuel formulation. Civil penalties of up to $32,500 per violation per day can be assessed for non-compliance with EPA’s ULSD fuel standards, or for misrepresentation of the sulfur level of diesel fuel.

 

[Wesbo]

I would guess that 50%-60% of the pumps where I have stopped since 1/1/07 are still LSD, not ULSD. I wouldn't want to have one of the newer diesels around here just yet (Charlotte/Monroe NC).

W