Stanadyne additive in 2013 VW Golf TDI (void warranty?)

obsidian_viii · Aug 9, 2013

Hey guys, so this is my first forum post ever so I apologize if I'm reposting something that's obviously been discussed to death, but there are just two things I'd like to hear about from you guys...

I've been reading up on using Stanadyne with CR diesels, as you know with mixed opinions. In my personal account, my manual says not to use diesel additives, the dealership technicians didn't seem to know what I was talking about so told me to follow my manual, and Stanadyne says its use with ALL diesel injection systems is fine and recommended, even with new high pressure CR models.

I live in the boonies and the overwhelming majority of the diesel available in my area is rated 40 Cetane, which is basically the lowest legally available diesel sold in the states. I understand VW recommends 50+ in their diesels, but I also know my CR motor is supposed to run just fine on what's available. The point is, this car is basically my livelihood, and I don't want to just run it responsibly, I want to do everything in my power to keep the injectors, DPF, and emissions hardware as healthy as possible, and upping the quality of the fuel I put in my car is something I just can't see a problem with.

My questions are:
A) If I use Stanadyne with my fuel ups, do you suppose my warranty could be voided?

B) Do any of you out there drive a 2013 2.0L TDI running Stanadyne or any additives with positive or negative results?

Any opinions/experience would be greatly appreciated! Hope to see some of you at Dub Deliverance!

Cogen Man · Aug 9, 2013

To question #1 no. Just no need to inform your dealership about using it. To question #2. I use an additive in my 2011 Golf's(not Stanadyne). Used since new. My dealership wasn't informed. Use it as insurance basically. Someone will tell you to do a search I'm sure.

tditom · Aug 9, 2013

obsidian_viii said:
... In my personal account, my manual says not to use diesel additives,...

What is the exact wording in your manual regarding use of additives? I ask because people often claim this, but then others with the same car will refute the claim and cite the wording of the manual.

obsidian_viii said:
...I live in the boonies and the overwhelming majority of the diesel available in my area is rated 40 Cetane, which is basically the lowest legally available diesel sold in the states. ...

The pump may be labeled as 40 cetane minimum, but the odds are that it is around 45. That's the national average based on fuel surveys done by Infineum.

Cogen Man · Aug 9, 2013

The wording in my manual (2011) says fuel additives not recommended. In a 2013 I'm thinking that word recommended is there also.
Oops. Sorry Tom. You were probably looking for that word from the OP.

WutGas? · Aug 9, 2013

Cogen Man said:
The wording in my manual (2011) says fuel additives not recommended. In a 2013 I'm thinking that word recommended is there also.
Oops. Sorry Tom. You were probably looking for that word from the OP.

You sure that isn't under the gasser section? That's what most claim.

Cogen Man · Aug 9, 2013

WutGas? said:
You sure that isn't under the gasser section? That's what most claim.

You could be right Wut. Now you're going to make me read my manual again.

WutGas? · Aug 9, 2013

Better you than I

MontrealTDI · Aug 9, 2013

My 2013 TDI Golf Variant manual says FUEL additives not recommended and stays silent on diesel additives. Every VW dealer I went to in Quebec sells Stanadyne at the service department counter. Take that to mean what you want.

nikhsub1 · Aug 9, 2013

Unless it specifically says using a fuel additive will void your warranty then it won't.

Cogen Man · Aug 9, 2013

Last time I read it, it was about 6 months ago @ 3 am @ work. Not something to read if you're trying to stay awake.

But to the OP. Go for it.

Cogen Man · Aug 9, 2013

MontrealTDI said:
My 2013 TDI Golf Variant manual says FUEL additives not recommended and stays silent on diesel additives. Every VW dealer I went to in Quebec sells Stanadyne at the service department counter. Take that to mean what you want.

FUEL being both diesel and gas. My dealership sells it also.

JSWTDI09 · Aug 9, 2013

MontrealTDI said:
My 2013 TDI Golf Variant manual says FUEL additives not recommended and stays silent on diesel additives. Every VW dealer I went to in Quebec sells Stanadyne at the service department counter. Take that to mean what you want.

Fuel additive and a diesel additive (for our cars) is exactly the same thing. However, the important part is the word "recommended". It does not say that they are not allowed. VW does not recommend the use of additives for 2 main reasons:
1) It would mean admitting that US fuel is not good enough for their cars.
2) They would have to decide which additives to recommend (and which not to recommend), and no additive maker has payed VW to recommend their additive (with the possible exception of Stanadyne, because most VW dealers sell it). There are many additives out there. Many are excellent and many are snake oil. VW does not want to have to sort them all out. A search here for "Fuel additive*" or "lubricity additive*" will give you enough reading to keep you busy for a long time.

Have Fun!

Don

WutGas? · Aug 9, 2013

Also, to the OP, if you decide to use (many of us use additives, not necessarily Stanadyne) then just keep it to yourself when it comes to talking with VW. It is impossible for them to determine if you use one so the only person that would know would be you and whoever you tell.

DubFamily · Aug 9, 2013

The key that everyone is missing is the section the wording is in. It is listed in the Gasoline portion of the manual; under the diesel portion it is completely silent on the subject.

I'll post a picture of it in a few to show you what I mean.

WutGas? · Aug 9, 2013

DubFamily said:
The key that everyone is missing is the section the wording is in.

Hey, I wasn't missing that!! Lol

JSWTDI09 · Aug 9, 2013

I think that VW not recommending any additives for gasoline engines makes perfect sense. Since no additives are generally needed for gasoline, I believe that a far greater percentage of gasoline additives are "snake oil" rather than useful. At least there are demonstrable advantages to certain diesel additives (like cetane and lubricity boosters). I have never seen a real need for gasoline additives in modern cars.

Have Fun!

Don

DubFamily · Aug 9, 2013

WutGas? said:
Hey, I wasn't missing that!! Lol

You are correct; sorry to group you into my blanket statement

Here you go, Gas pages compared to diesel pages. On the Gasoline section; there are numerous warnings about additives, and even a separate section on "Gasoline Additives" where most of the statements come from.

On the Diesel section, the only mention remotely close to "additive" is the discussion of not using any alternative fuels (gasoline, heating oil, or other fuels).

It does not state at any point that additives should not be used in diesel engines; or that they are harmful. It simply doesn't address them at all

MontrealTDI · Aug 9, 2013

Yes, sorry I of course forgot to mention the most important part, it is in the gasoline section

JohnnyOilburner · Aug 9, 2013

My dealer (Sutliff VW in Harrisburg) actually recommended the use of Stanadyne in my '12 TDI. I was also a bit taken aback from this as I remembered reading the "not recommended" warning in the manual, but didn't realize it was in the gasser section til now. I guess it's time to pull out the old manual again and check it out.

mobhitmn · Aug 9, 2013

Been running Stanadyne Performance Formula at the recommended ratio (4 oz per 15 gallons) in my 2010 JSW since new. 107k miles, no issues. Same engine as yours.

jahlov420 · Aug 9, 2013

hey obsidian_viii,

i live in chesterfield and i use it on every fill up. i add about 4oz to a near empty tank. its been great so far. i wouldn't say that it add much of any mpgs but its nice to know that its adding lube to my diesel.

what part of va do you live in?

skinnyb · Aug 9, 2013

I have used Stanadyne Performance formula in all of my CR VW engines since new as well. I put 60K on my 2010 Sedan, 43K on my Passat and almost 13K on my JSW so far with no issues at all... My dealer used to carry it but recently was bought out by new owners and the new owner has not elected to carry it in the parts department so I buy it from idparts.com in a 24 pack case of 8 ounce bottles.... Split them in half (4 OZ per fillup) and it works perfect...

dimitar · Aug 10, 2013

Last year when I bought my 2012 Golf TDI, new, I sent e-mail to VoA regarding the subject.
Below is the response I received.

I have not used any additive so far.

Dimitar

[FONT=&quot]Reference #......[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Dear Mr. ...:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Thank you for taking the time to contact Volkswagen of America in regards to your 2012 Golf TDI. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I understand that that you are seeking information regarding fuel additives for your vehicle. Volkswagen does not recommend or endorse the use of fuel additives in our vehicles. The use of fuel additives can cause potential damage to the engine and catalytic converter. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I strongly encourage speaking with your local Volkswagen dealership for additional information. Our factory trained technicians are the best available resource regarding technical inquiries. You can locate a dealer in your area by clicking here: http://www.vw.com/portal/en/dealers?context=Global[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]As Volkswagen takes all customer inquiries seriously, I hope that you find this information helpful. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]If I may be of future assistance, please know our Customer CARE Center is at your disposal Monday through Friday 8 AM to 6 PM, local time, at (800) 822-8987. You are also always welcome to e-mail us again from the “Contact Us” page on www.vw.com. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]In addition, you will soon be receiving a Volkswagen Customer Care satisfaction survey. Please take a few moments to complete this. Your feedback is important for it will allow us to serve you more effectively in the future.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Sincerely,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Amber H.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Customer CARE Advocate[/FONT]

MontrealTDI · Aug 10, 2013

Amber H. did not even bother to look at the owners manual, she is quoting you the GASOLINE section in the manual...

Make sure you let them know in that survey.

tditom · Aug 10, 2013

dimitar said:
... Volkswagen does not recommend or endorse the use of fuel additives in our vehicles. ...

"does not recommend or endorse" does not mean they are forbidden

TDIAustin · Aug 10, 2013

Opti-Lube has proven the best in independent, informal testing, at least when it comes to mpg improvements,which should be a telling factor. It is also the cheapest which, together, these two things make it practically pay for itself.

Here in Austin, the Summer blend is fine and very cost effective to use (about 75 cents a tank) but up north, other blends may be preferred, at least some parts of the year. In the tests, Stanadyne came in pretty low on the lubricity ranking but any is probably better than nothing; just not getting the most for your money and effort, from what I can tell.

tditom · Aug 10, 2013

Opti-lube is less expensive than Power Service? News to me.
Opti-lube did well in the Spicer Test, but that test was flawed. I don't believe its "best". Especially in a CR that does not have a water separator (as far as I know)

c17chief · Aug 10, 2013

There is no way for them to tell. Like gasoline, stations often add additives to raw diesel they sell. It's not like they are going to do some chemical test and be all like ahhhh shame on you, we can def tell you were adding additives to the tank so we aren't going to cover you. Well, maybe some unscrupulous dealer might, but it would be a lie/bluff rather then evident. Just don't go blabbing to the service writer like yeah I was adding this stuff every tank just to try and prevent this from happening, simply to give them no reason to try and deny you coverage even if it is unfounded.

Jason8691 · Aug 10, 2013

obsidian_viii said:
Hey guys, so this is my first forum post ever so I apologize if I'm reposting something that's obviously been discussed to death, but there are just two things I'd like to hear about from you guys...

I've been reading up on using Stanadyne with CR diesels, as you know with mixed opinions. In my personal account, my manual says not to use diesel additives, the dealership technicians didn't seem to know what I was talking about so told me to follow my manual, and Stanadyne says its use with ALL diesel injection systems is fine and recommended, even with new high pressure CR models.

I live in the boonies and the overwhelming majority of the diesel available in my area is rated 40 Cetane, which is basically the lowest legally available diesel sold in the states. I understand VW recommends 50+ in their diesels, but I also know my CR motor is supposed to run just fine on what's available. The point is, this car is basically my livelihood, and I don't want to just run it responsibly, I want to do everything in my power to keep the injectors, DPF, and emissions hardware as healthy as possible, and upping the quality of the fuel I put in my car is something I just can't see a problem with.

My questions are:
A) If I use Stanadyne with my fuel ups, do you suppose my warranty could be voided?

B) Do any of you out there drive a 2013 2.0L TDI running Stanadyne or any additives with positive or negative results?

Any opinions/experience would be greatly appreciated! Hope to see some of you at Dub Deliverance!

The odds of your dealership doing a spectral analysis on your fuel to see whats in it are pretty slim. I use Stanadyne Lubricity in my 2012, and have not really noticed a difference in performance as opposed to not using it, so that is hard to answer!

Drive · Aug 10, 2013

dimitar said:
Last year when I bought my 2012 Golf TDI, new, I sent e-mail to VoA regarding the subject.
Below is the response I received.

I have not used any additive so far.

Dimitar

[FONT=&quot]Reference #......[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Dear Mr. ...:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Thank you for taking the time to contact Volkswagen of America in regards to your 2012 Golf TDI. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I understand that that you are seeking information regarding fuel additives for your vehicle. Volkswagen does not recommend or endorse the use of fuel additives in our vehicles. The use of fuel additives can cause potential damage to the engine and catalytic converter. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I strongly encourage speaking with your local Volkswagen dealership for additional information. Our factory trained technicians are the best available resource regarding technical inquiries. You can locate a dealer in your area by clicking here: http://www.vw.com/portal/en/dealers?context=Global[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]As Volkswagen takes all customer inquiries seriously, I hope that you find this information helpful. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]If I may be of future assistance, please know our Customer CARE Center is at your disposal Monday through Friday 8 AM to 6 PM, local time, at (800) 822-8987. You are also always welcome to e-mail us again from the “Contact Us” page on www.vw.com. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]In addition, you will soon be receiving a Volkswagen Customer Care satisfaction survey. Please take a few moments to complete this. Your feedback is important for it will allow us to serve you more effectively in the future.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Sincerely,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Amber H.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Customer CARE Advocate[/FONT]

Written by the VW legal department and useless.

Stanadyne additive in 2013 VW Golf TDI (void warranty?)

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