Which Diesel fuels to use ...

retrogo

Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2006
Location
Baltimore, Md.
TDI
2006 Jetta
I just got my 2006 Jetta TDI last night. Which fuel merchants should I buy from? Is Cetane rating something I need to look for? Is there a gold standard out there?

Thanks
 

pruzink

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Location
Granbury, Texas
TDI
GLS, 2004, silver
Buy fuel from places that sell alot

I usually buy my fuel at the truck stops where a lot of it is being sold. These are usualy the places with the lowest prices. Most places have no idea what the actual cetane # for their fuel really is, the pump will often say a minimum rating of 40. I usually add a cetane booster with some lubricity enhancer in the summer (WalMart sells power service, I use the grey bottle in the summer and the white bottle in the winter). There are other good additives to prevent jelling in the winter if your are in a frigid area (Howe's Anti Jell, and Stanadyne Performance formula). If you use the search function you will find tons of info in here on the various additives. I find that my car tends to run just a bit smoother with a little bit of a cetane boost, but even without it you won't notice any differance at anything other than idle.
 

2004STARWARSTDI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 19, 2004
Location
LAKELAND, FL
TDI
2004 Platinum Gray GLS Jetta / 2006 Silver Jetta with DSG
Diesel stations

On the 2006 Jetta you can only use the smaller diesel nozzle. Check this out at stations you go to. Some have a smaller nozzle on one side of the pump and a larger nozzle on the other side.:(
 

Matt65

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2005
Location
Alabama U.S.A.
TDI
2006 Jetta DSG
I also stick to the high-volume diesel outlets. I have also been running Stanadyne for the last 3 months.
 

Fahrfuwerfuelen

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2004
Location
Puget Sound
TDI
Jetta, 2005 (A4), Platinum Gray
retro

Not likely you will find the actual cetane rating on the pumps. US regs only require the pumps to specify that the diesel has a minimum cetane of 40. Cetane can vary from batch to batch, so retailers don't want to get caught claiming the fuel is at a certain level when they can't verify the same.

But high volume places have fresher fuels. Additives are also a good idea.
 

daBooj

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2005
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
TDI
Jetta GLS, 2004, could only find silver
I have found it good to shop around a bit. I know 3 stations I like in my areas. One where I work that sells large quantities of fuel, one near home that says it's fuel is premium (though I like this one the least), and one I visit once a week that sells B5. I've tried many others, and these three yielded the best fuel economy, the least smoke and especially the B5, the most user satisfaction (other lesser variables that can be dropped into one value).

Find a station you like most. Look for good fuel economy from it, no noticable smoke, and many customers (fresher fuel)
 

tiesel

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 24, 2004
Location
Chicago, IL
TDI
former owner Golf A4
go biodiesel

If higher cetane is what you want, skip the diesel altogether and use biodiesel instead. It lubricates your injection pump much better and burns cleaner.

tiesel
 
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