I'm curious to learn if the diesel owners have noticed any changes in performance using the new, ultra low sulfur, diesel.
I've noticed a 6% decrease in my fuel economy over the last several tanks of fuel. I've changed my fuel filtors, and drained my water seperator. My driving patterns haven't changed. I'm not sure if it's the new diesel or something else. I've just turned 30k miles on the Excursion, and was hoping for an increase in my mpg, not the other way around. Oh, I was getting right at 16mpg in town, and now it's under 15mpg.
__________Tom
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'04 34' Classic S/O lounge, dome king, twin a/c, faux fireplace to keep the wife warm , equa-li-zer, prodigy, 4 birds, cat, dog - no kids allowed!
'05 Excursion 4x4, 6.0 PSD, magnaflow, helwig anti-sway, air lift springs.
Our daily driver is a diesel Jetta and we haven't noticed an appreciable difference in fuel economy with the ULSD so far. I did notice a subtle difference in the labeling at the pumps - now that it's 15ppm on sulfur it's "recommended" for 2007 and later vehicles. Additives are definitely in order, though.
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Cheers, Dave
"Finish." AIR #4188 1994 34' Limited / 2002 Chevy 3500 CC 4x4 D/A Equal-i-zer Hitch / Jordan Ultima 2020
Just curious...what are they doing physically to the engines to change them to "adapt" to this new fuel? I mean, what will be different on a 2008 diesel of a given brand vs. a 2004 model if they are the same displacement? Are they changing the fuel injection? What do they change to combust the low sulphur fuel differently?
I use the additive the local napa stocked up on. The increase in MPH more than pays for the additive, which I use at double strenght. So I can live with it.
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Thanks 2air. I should keep more current in reading the forum posts. I'll check out the stanadyne products.
______Tom
Yep, thanks for the info 2air. We have a few diesels in the driveway. I suspect that if we don't start using some additives, some of these ole' timers are going to die a fast death:
3 Peugeot 505 turbo diesels, all with over 300,000 miles each. (one is running bio)
2 Ford Power strokers with less than 90,000 miles each. 97 models (young ones in the group)
2 Mercedes 300 SDL's that are nearing 300,000 each.
We can't complain about getting our monies worth out these, but do have to complain about the loss in lubercation properties in diesel. With California's $$$ price per gallon, could make this collection museum pieces.
In reading these threads, I note that you have discovered that:
A) ULSD 15 made entirely from petroleum base stock has lower lubricity.
B) Oil companies say they have added lubricity improvers, but you wonder if they really did, therefore you add an additive to be sure.
C) You note biofuel has good lubricity.
What I haven't seen is the explanation that taking petroleum base stock ULSD to 15 ppm is an expensive process. Oil companies have discovered that if they take ppm down to a certain level then blend bio fuel with it takes it down to 15 ppm. They save production cost and restore lubricity. I discovered that one of the country's largest oil company's ULSD is actually a B11 blend, 11% biofuel! You won't need to put lubricity improver in his fuel, because he has in fact already done it, and will continue to do it because it saved him money. Other oil companies must surely be doing this. You need to ask someone in their organization and be certain he knows what he is talking about.
It is in interesting that in Illinois this company only has to label his dispensing pump as ULSD, he is not required to also say it is biofuel.
You also know that that ULSD contains fewer btu's per unit volume. It is perhaps less well known that biofuel can carry more water in suspension. It robs heat from combustion to flash this water to steam. Both of these facts will, in a carefully controlled mpg test, give lower mpg.
A local supplier gave me a free bottle of Stanadyne performance improver
with the assurance that it would boost my mpg. In a carefully controlled road
test with the same load, fuel, speed, wind direction and velocity, and temperature on the flat plains of Nebraska I 80, it made virtually no difference in mpg in my F350 7.3 liter PSD. Most fuel additives contain kerosene. Kerosene added to to ULSD must be special to blend with ULSD. I don't know how you can tell if it is old stuff or new.
I see that you know that ULSD has a higher cloud point and is a solvent that will clean out your tank, lines and fuel filter housing. Aside from an additive that might improve flow/waxing characteristics in cold weather, I personally am going to save my additive money to spend on fuel filters. I carry a spare all the time.
I have seen people swear that cetane improver improves fuel mpg , and they add it to ULSD. It is well proven in engineering circles that cetane improver will give virtually no improvement in mpg. Besides ULSD blended with biofuel will already have a good cetane rating anyway. Ask your fuel supplier if his ULSD is a biofuel blend, and ask him how he can prove it.
We just bought a 2007 F-250 with a 6.0L PSD. My wife's cousin turned me onto Diesel Kleen, which is a lubricant and cetane booster. It's compatible with ULSD15 and biodiesel and costs about 70 cents per tank (29gal). With only 2600 miles on the truck and limited use to date of Diesel Kleen, I have no reliable anecdotal data yet on fuel mileage. I have noticed that my mileage depends substantially on how well I control my right foot! However, this thread has encouraged me to consistently use Diesel Kleen to keep my new Ford's injectors clean and the fuel pump lubricated. It's available from Kragen Auto Parts.
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Oh, I was getting right at 16mpg in town, and now it's under 15mpg.
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