twincam2000 said:
Is it OK to use a fuel additive like Power service or Sea Foam occasionally in my 2010 Jetta TDI ? I use about half a quart in my Cummins 5.9 about every 3rd tank. I haven't seen any talk about this on this forum and was just wondering if it would be alright to use it.
My $.02.
-In order to sell a car in the US it must be able to run for 10 yrs/120k miles. This is why you hear about "lifetime" fluids and components. Many TDIer's intend to keep their cars for 2 to 3 times longer. Keep this in mind.
-The companies who build the fuel injection systems (ex Bosch) have stated that the the lubricity present in Euro quality fuel is the minimium which will not shorten the life span of their components. US spec USLD does not meet Euro for lubricity. IIRC their statement never quanitified what "shorten" is.
-Auto companies are not in the additive business, and do not offer certification of additives unlike what they do for engine oil. So you will never have an auto company say any additive is ok and most state no additives required. There's an obvious liablity component which can not be ignored. Now for example it's true that VW sold/used Stanadyne years ago, but that appears to be no longer the case, and I know of another german car company which states no additives yet their dealerships sell a gasoline fuel injector cleaner branded in their name.
-You're seeing more and more "premium" diesel which meets Euro spec for lubricity and cetane. Oil companies are not dumb. They've managed to get a min specification below that of Euro quality only to sell Euro quality at a premium. Consequently there's a greater chance that if you buy diesel from a pump which alludes to being premium or above their normal grade you're getting Euro quality diesel.
-I have yet to read any report/instance where a well known readily available diesel fuel additive caused any negative affects or damage to the exhaust treatment systems or injection systems of a diesel powered vehicle. A car company can just as easily deny a warranty claim citing bad fuel as they would for an additive so from a warranty perspective there really is nothing gained when choosing not to use an additive.
-Biodiesel (B2,B5) seems to be the best/cheapest option to insure adequate lubricity for our injection systems and VW allows it. If it's available, it's worth using in my opinion.