Premium Diesel Fuel?

[ZeroRing]

So... I just had the fuel gauge on my 2006 F350 go all wonky on me a week or so ago and when I took it in to the dealership to get it checked out I was told that the fuel level sensor was bad.

Well, $804 and change later I asked the service rep what could have caused the thing to go TU on me. He asked me where I typically filled the tank because the quality of the fuel is usually the reason they go bad. When I told him that I fueled at the Fred Meyer on 19th (in Tacoma) he told me that THAT might explain it!

Apparently Freddy's has cheap prices for a reason... the fuel is of poorer quality. (This seemed to be the general findings of my later Google-Fu searching as well, during the course of which I also learned about cetane numbers and so-called "Premium Diesel").

My question for all you fine folks who run diesel rigs is: Where do you get your diesel fuel and do you know of this so-called "Premium Diesel" and how one goes about locating and confirming it at the pumps?

Seems like Chevron and Shell were the places who typically carry the higher quality diesel fuels (no wonder their prices are always higher), but most diesel stations don't post the cetane numbers on the pumps so it's not always easy to verify that the pricey fuel is indeed "premium diesel" (cetane from 45-55).

Discuss.

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[Mark W.]

I drive dump truck for a living I run through 60-80 gallons of fuel a day. This is the first time I have ever heard about Premium Diesel.

 

[spectra]

Yeah I have never had an issues with my 02 SD. I have over a hundred thousand on it. I was told by a Ford mech that they had problems with the sensor when people would leave the key on and listen to music while fueling up? I always fuel up at either Safeway or Chevron here.

 

[Redcap]

I'll bet it has less to do with the cetane rating and more to do with the lack of sulfur.

I run offroad diesel in everything.

 

[spectra]

I run offroad diesel in everything.

Until you get caught once doing that. Hefty fine goes along with that.

My filters in my rig can be seen hanging under the rig all you need to do is look once and you will see what color my fuel is. I do not want anything to do with the red stuff.

 

[deen_ad]

I've seen it advertised here, never paid much attention as the cetane rating for the normal diesel is more than enough. Legislation dictates the cetane must be 40 or above anyway. It's VERY possible to get a bad tank of diesel if the underground tank is low or the tanker was just there a filled them. The low tank allows debris and water to be drawn up and out in your tank. If the underground tank was just filled then it will bring the water and debris up and allow it to be pumped out. If you go to a truck stop a lot of times there will be an external filter at the pump.
I usually fill the motorhome tank up at busy truck stops and have never had a problem.

80 MILLION gun owners didn't shoot anyone today, a few criminals did!

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The "Feedback Score" is low by 4, not everyone posts it I guess.

Deen
NRA Benefactor/Recruiter
Washington Arms Collector member
South West Washington Arms Collector member

 

[deen_ad]

Until you get caught once doing that. Hefty fine goes along with that.

My filters in my rig can be seen hanging under the rig all you need to do is look once and you will see what color my fuel is. I do not want anything to do with the red stuff.

Yep, offroad diesel has a dye in it that takes more than one tank to get rid of. I've never been stopped in the motorhome but others have reported it on the RV websites I'm on.

80 MILLION gun owners didn't shoot anyone today, a few criminals did!

----------------------------------------------------------

The "Feedback Score" is low by 4, not everyone posts it I guess.

Deen
NRA Benefactor/Recruiter
Washington Arms Collector member
South West Washington Arms Collector member

 

[VW_Factor]

Don't bother with any "premium" diesel fuels. Diesels are pretty forgiving by design anyway. (I mean, you can run veggy oil in them after purifying).

If anything, I run a can of that injector cleaner through my tank every other month.

Power service I think its called, with Cetane boost. I can't tell ya if it does anything honestly, but things continue running just fine.

edit : as well, most of our modern diesels are designed to run on the low sulfur highway fuels anyway. Running offroad or high sulfur is giving you no benefits other than maybe clogging your emissions devices more quickly. It is a shame that we don't have access to the diesel they have in Europe and the vehicles designed to run on it.

 

[Redcap]

Until you get caught once doing that. Hefty fine goes along with that.

My filters in my rig can be seen hanging under the rig all you need to do is look once and you will see what color my fuel is. I do not want anything to do with the red stuff.

Not all offroad is dyed. There are still a couple avenues to get non-dyed high sulfur, which I use frequently. Also, even when I have no choice but to use the dyed stuff, it gets mixed pretty heavy with WTF, WMO, WVO or anything else I can squeeze and burn.

 

[deen_ad]

It is a shame that we don't have access to the diesel they have in Europe and the vehicles designed to run on it.

I thought the ULSD we now have was pretty much the same as the European diesel? LSD is still available a few places here but it's all OTR.

80 MILLION gun owners didn't shoot anyone today, a few criminals did!

----------------------------------------------------------

The "Feedback Score" is low by 4, not everyone posts it I guess.

Deen
NRA Benefactor/Recruiter
Washington Arms Collector member
South West Washington Arms Collector member

 

[deen_ad]

Not all offroad is dyed. There are still a couple avenues to get non-dyed high sulfur, which I use frequently. Also, even when I have no choice but to use the dyed stuff, it gets mixed pretty heavy with WTF, WMO, WVO or anything else I can squeeze and burn.

The tests can find ½ gallon of dyed diesel in 100 gallons of undyed from what I've read.

80 MILLION gun owners didn't shoot anyone today, a few criminals did!

----------------------------------------------------------

The "Feedback Score" is low by 4, not everyone posts it I guess.

Deen
NRA Benefactor/Recruiter
Washington Arms Collector member
South West Washington Arms Collector member

 

[SheepDog223]

Side note: I've talked to guys who burn used motor oil filtered down to one micron in thier diesels. It does not smoke any more than diesel and does not smell any worse. Maybe a little less. They claim since it has more BTU's that it's like having a higher octane??? Look into it if you want to. Just thought I'd share.

 

[mjbskwim]

I drive dump truck for a living I run through 60-80 gallons of fuel a day. This is the first time I have ever heard about Premium Diesel.

That's because y'all go thru so much diesel it doesn't matter.
And those trucks can run on anything.

Diesel collects water and if you buy your fuel at a place that doesn't sell much diesel,the tanks will collect water and make bad fuel.Same if you buy Premium gas out in the boondocks.(nobody buys the premium and it gets old.First hand knowledge here)

So go down to Fife where the big rigs buy,and the tanks are contently being filled and emptied.
I used to live in Gig Harbor and bought out there.At the time only a few of us had diesels.The fuel wasn't very good,so I started to buy in Fife.(Any of the places that are busy.)

He may be stating it wrong,but you just need to buy your fuel elsewhere

 

[Mark W.]

That's because y'all go thru so much diesel it doesn't matter.
And those trucks can run on anything.

Diesel collects water and if you buy your fuel at a place that doesn't sell much diesel,the tanks will collect water and make bad fuel.Same if you buy Premium gas out in the boondocks.(nobody buys the premium and it gets old.First hand knowledge here)


So go down to Fife where the big rigs buy,and the tanks are contently being filled and emptied.
I used to live in Gig Harbor and bought out there.At the time only a few of us had diesels.The fuel wasn't very good,so I started to buy in Fife.(Any of the places that are busy.)

He may be stating it wrong,but you just need to buy your fuel elsewhere

Actually our trucks are specifically designed and computer controlled to run on the new super low sulpher diesel. And our shop runs control tests on our engines at every service. Even a 10% difference in mileage is a huge consern when your burning 2000+ gallons of fuel a day.

 

[VW_Factor]

I thought the ULSD we now have was pretty much the same as the European diesel? LSD is still available a few places here but it's all OTR.

What I know, is VW, BMW, and Mercedes all have fabulous diesel options in Europe that will never see the light of day here. One reason, is fuel quality / sulfur. Europeans have better gasoline as well.

When my TDI here can squeak out 55+mpg but the European models were known to reach 80+mpg (corrected to US).. You'd know we'd see these diesels here if there wasn't something holding them back. Its not just sulfur levels from what I read. Its minimum required cetane levels as well. Diesel technology forums talk about EU diesel having a touch lower sulfur, but much higher cetane levels.

Also, it reads along the lines of in Europe the cars are not held to such strict emissions standards as they are in the US. Think about that, to have a bit more emission from the engine, but be able to consistently return 50+ mpg. Wouldn't that be better in the long run? Hybrids can barely touch that.

Being a fan of TDI's and small diesel engine technology, its something I could probably yak about all day. In the end, it still doesn't change anything other than... Here in the US, we get the short end of the stick for fuel for our cars and trucks.

 

[ZeroRing]

That's because y'all go thru so much diesel it doesn't matter.
And those trucks can run on anything.

Diesel collects water and if you buy your fuel at a place that doesn't sell much diesel,the tanks will collect water and make bad fuel.Same if you buy Premium gas out in the boondocks.(nobody buys the premium and it gets old.First hand knowledge here)

So go down to Fife where the big rigs buy,and the tanks are contently being filled and emptied.
I used to live in Gig Harbor and bought out there.At the time only a few of us had diesels.The fuel wasn't very good,so I started to buy in Fife.(Any of the places that are busy.)

He may be stating it wrong,but you just need to buy your fuel elsewhere

Thanks for the info (everyone)! I had heard also that the place to go was the "truck stops" in Fife since they had high fuel turnover there and thus were less likely to have contaminants. But I've also read that fuel dispensed there was typically about 40 cetane (the minimum). I guess the thing to do now is visit a few of those stations and see if they post the cetane levels and/or have someone knowledgeable on-staff who knows.

I'd like to run a few tanks of higher cetane (45 or better) diesel just to see if it has an impact on performance and/or mileage.

 

[VW_Factor]

If your diesel engine will adjust to use the higher cetane fuel, you will get better performance and efficiency netting increased mileage.. If you can keep you foot outta the pedal.

 

[PBinWA]

I'm a big fan of Power Service as a diesel additive - especially in the winter. My tractor likes it and my old 99 F250 liked it to. I haven't heard anything bad about it but sometimes the additive issue can be a little like the Glock issue.

http://www.powerservice.com/dfs/

 

[jimwsea]

My TDI likes the Oregon diesel with 5% biodiesel. BioD is a good replacement for sulfur; they both act as a fuel lubricant. Biodiesel also has a cetane rating much higher than the diesel, so it can take the place of a cetane additive. The Pacific Northwest has the lowest cetane numbers in the country.

 

[VW_Factor]

My TDI enjoys the biodiesel as well. I found a station somewhere in PDX that had a 50/50 blend. Worked great. Mine is an early 2k model w/ 5 speed stick. Before they went with the different pumps on them, making them more picky.