Just realize that a huge majority of people use no additive at all and experience no problems at all. If you have a specific issue such as cold weather, as mentioned above, then you should consider using one. I personally have never found any water in my fuel since 2005. If you do, you need to find a better supplier, not an additive. Most fuel has some small percentage of bio in it anyway so lubricity usually isn't that much of an issue. Most cars run just fine with the cetane levels currently in pump diesel.I would like to know this as well. Do you all have links to white papers or other technical articles on the subject?
Thanks in advance!
+1In the 21 years that I've been driving diesels, I've learned to buy and use whatever is on sale. From what I've learned, every brand uses the same additives to mix its own special formula. While the ratios might be proprietary, the chemical make up is not.
Diesel additives 101:+1
Just picked up a 64 oz bottle of Howe's Diesel Treat for Walmart fo $8.99. BK is right its all the same active ingredients, only each company has their own ratios.
I appreciate the input.Just realize that a huge majority of people use no additive at all and experience no problems at all. If you have a specific issue such as cold weather, as mentioned above, then you should consider using one. I personally have never found any water in my fuel since 2005. If you do, you need to find a better supplier, not an additive. Most fuel has some small percentage of bio in it anyway so lubricity usually isn't that much of an issue. Most cars run just fine with the cetane levels currently in pump diesel.
Cold weather is the only thing I would consider using one for. Since I live in Texas that isn't an issue for me. I look at the pump I use to insure there is some bio content and leave it at that. The only thing even close to lab reports or study on this was called the Spicer report, and it found that even a small bio percent was the best thing for lubricity of all the additives tried.
Your choice to use one or not. Don't expect to notice any difference at all except your wallet will be lighter and your hands and car will stink if you get even a drop of the stuff anywhere. I have a couple gallons of different ones I tried some time ago and haven't used since. I would gladly give them away to anyone close to me, just to get them out of the garage. Think I may post them up in the local section for free.
Emulsification additive = allows water to pass through the fuel filter.You either have a water problem or you don't. If you do and it is all the time, you need to change fuel suppliers. If it is intermittent, every so often may not help. Do some searches here and see when the last times you can find that anyone actually reports having a water in fuel issue. I don't think I have read of any in the last 5 years from people using known pump fuel from a national retailer.
If you do want to add something for water, from my reading you want something that keeps the water suspended and passes it through safely rather than something to make it drop out. I don't know or remember the technical terms for it but that is my understanding.
I would also say that the number of owners who use no additives vastly outnumbers those who do. I don't read here much of their cars going kaput any more often than the additive users. It won't hurt and may or may not help to use one, the choice is yours. I have tried most of the major ones in the past with no real noticeable difference with any of them. That is the crux of the issue as you will never be able to tell if it has done anything for you or not, other than the mental feeling it may give you. Good luck!
Holy cow. Thats alot of bio. Bio is good tho. Best mix is 2%-5% in my experiance.I filled up at a serious truck stop. Pump said it might contain as much as 40% biodiesel
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45 cetane is the label on the pumpThe big question here is what was the quality of the fuel as it came from the pump. If it is of poor quality to start with it would make sense that an additive would help. Can you find out the specs on the fuel as purchased?
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=5454405&postcount=34Greetings,
Newbie owner as of the 13th of a 2015 TDI Sportwagen S 6 spd manual. Vehicle came from Calif, via DC area, via Michigan area, its origination. (I found the previous owner's insurance registration cards in the glove box) with nearly 25K miles. It is CPO from a local VW dealer, with whom I'm acquainted. While the vehicle has been CPO'd, I've no idea what was used in the engine previously and want to be as pro-active as possible ensuring the health of the injectors, cleaning whatever carbon may have accumulated, improve overall performance, etc... I'll be through my first tank of diesel before the end of the day and it's been in the 20s F several times this past week.
Have been reading about the necessity for some sort of fuel treat for diesel engines (water, lubricity, keeping carbon build up to a minimum if not eliminated.)
I'm determined to keep this engine as healthy as possible, as I commute to work.
I'm miserably confused with regard to these additives and have been a bit frustrated with searching an answer in the forums.
Requesting knowledgeable veteran TDI owners with the following, please:
I think based upon what I've read, I've narrowed my choices to:
- Are there any reliable 3rd party tests/analyses of the various products demonstrating efficacy?
- I saw one post that noted the use of ONLY petroleum based additive in diesel engines (I'm assuming alcohol or other non-petroleum based products potentially degrade into components resulting in moisture and possible contributing to related issues?
- I'm not in a position to lay out funds willy-nilly on testing a bunch of different additives, funds are currently tight and I'd like to be as surgical about this as possible.
I'm NOT out to offend anyone with the foregoing.
- Howe's (Diesel Treat and meaner Kleaner)
- Stanadyne (though uncertain as to which one, brand name kept coming up)
- Power Service (though for some reason don't necessarily get such a warm fuzzy regarding this one.)
Really looking for tests/answers/legit.
Most grateful for direction to a solid thread on this topic and/or answers to the foregoing.
Respectfully...
You really need to do some reading here, as this has been discussed to death already. There is no necessity to use any additive at all. Thousands and thousands of people use straight D2 with no issues. Some choose to use an additive because they choose to. There is no legitimate proof that any of them provide anything that that makes any real difference other than an additive for extreme cold weather operations, when needed. The HPFP issue has always been a small issue and as time has progressed become even smaller. If it does happen it is covered by the warranty so I wouldn't worry about it at all. If there is any biodiesel component in the pump fuel you buy you are already getting enough lubricity. The pump fuel is already treated for winter by the refinery/distributor. Unless you are operating in below zero conditions you probably don't need an additive for that. If you have water in your fuel you need to find another fuel source. I have never found any water in my fuel since 2000 or so when I got my first diesel. The cetane levels are sufficient for the job. More might make it run a little quieter or give you a small percentage gain in mpg, but it will cost you more money and you need to carry some with you and it stinks to high heaven if you should get any on you. Doesn't wash off easily either.
It comes down to just making a personal choice. You will get a load of people telling you to dump all kinds of things in your tank. All will have little to no proof that they do anything for you other than cost you some money. I have personally tried many of them over the years and have just resorted to finding fuel locations that sell B20 or less fuel and let it go at that.
What you won't hear here much is from the thousands and thousands of those who use no additive and have had no issues. If you were close to Texas I have several left over gallons of stuff in the garage I would give you.