Diy diesel kleen

norbert77

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2022
Location
Petrolia
TDI
01 beetle
Diesel clean has such a peculiar smell, I know I have came across the chemical that gives it that smell but I can't remember what it is. Any of you ladies or gentlemen know? Touline? Xzylene?

I'm unemployed till September and I get a lot of driving between our place and my parents place and I hate to cheap out on diesel clean but looks like I may have to.
 

Mongler98

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Location
COLORADO (SE of Denver)
TDI
98 Jetta TDI AHU 1.9L (944 TDI swap in progress) I moved so now i got nothing but an AHU in a garage on a pallet.
Yea but it's not nessasary every tank. Do you think its nessasary every time you fill up?
Liquid diesel purge from Molley is the best anyways.
Millions of tdi owners never put a drop of any cleaner in the tank and plenty get that car up to the 300k milestone.
Do what you want but it's not nessasary for your brief unemployment period.
As to your question I used it once and it smelled a bit more like Ballistol to me.
 

jmodge

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Location
Greenville, MI
TDI
2001 alh Jetta, RC2 w/.205's 5speed daily summer commuter and 2000 alh Jetta 5spd swap, 2" lift, hitch, stage 3 TDtuning w/.216's winter cruiser, 1996 Tacoma ALh
For $10 a straight LiquiMoli diesel purge cleans them and the pump. Never used the product you speak of or anything else. Is there a symptom that leads you to believe it's necessary?
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
Playing mad scientist with carcinogenic solvents and such is likely to do more harm than good- for both the car and the car owner. I wouldn't stress over it, pump fuel is fine. Very few owners use fuel additives with any regularity.
 

CleverUserName

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Location
NorCal
TDI
2014 OZ Cruze CTD & 2010 JSW 6MT & 2017 GMC Canyon CCLB ATX 2.8 Duramax
Diesel fuel has salts that precipitate out and cause deposits on injectors. This will eventually effect injectors and cause a loss of power and efficiency.

Additives are 100% beneficial and also can improve all properties of fuel (Cetane, Lubricity, deposit control/detergency, lower soot production, etc) when added at every tank. Additive effect is highly dependent on fuel quality, so if you’re in a state that has marginal fuel quality made to the federal standard an effective additive will have a huge improvement on how your engine runs.
 

Mongler98

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Location
COLORADO (SE of Denver)
TDI
98 Jetta TDI AHU 1.9L (944 TDI swap in progress) I moved so now i got nothing but an AHU in a garage on a pallet.
these salts get abliterated with high heat and compression. you know... those engines we all have that go 300 to 500k with out even putting any of that snake oil in it... enjoy your salts... no one else is... wait.. i mean.. oh whatever
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
There's really only going to be appreciable salts in poorly made biodiesel with excess catalyst. Shouldn't be a problem in pump fuel. Aftermarket fuel additives are mostly useful in extreme cold weather.
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
Some people are just more susceptible to slick advertising than others. I remember when you couldn't walk into auto parts stores without being bombarded with the Slick 50 displays with videos playing and all, lol. Power Service is one of the more reputable aftermarket fuel treatments, so I won't harp too much on it, but Mongler is correct- most people make do without the placebos and still rack up impressive numbers on the odometer.
 

Mongler98

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Location
COLORADO (SE of Denver)
TDI
98 Jetta TDI AHU 1.9L (944 TDI swap in progress) I moved so now i got nothing but an AHU in a garage on a pallet.
As I've always said.... a mechanical problem can not be solved with a chemical solution.
There are only 2 reasons to add anything but fuel to the tank.
1: I'd your not adding fuel from a pump. Aka home brew or sketchy put of a can unknown.
2: cold temps and fuel issues. Gelling or bacterial issues

The only decent cleaner for nozzles is the ones you run in a closed loop.

Past this... add whatever you want by subtracting wallet value or adding fuel cost. Mpg is usually mitigated by repairs and cost of product.

Salts... more power... better mpg... all of these are snake oil salesmen tactics absorbed by sheeple at pepboys and autozone

Also this is the first time in my life I ever heard of anyone having salts built up on nozzles from pump fuel.
I've seen it actually plenty on bio and oil and veg burners
It's like a crystall structure of soot. Almost like the "sugar" effect of non purged tig welded stainless.
 

norbert77

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2022
Location
Petrolia
TDI
01 beetle
As I've always said.... a mechanical problem can not be solved with a chemical solution.
There are only 2 reasons to add anything but fuel to the tank.
1: I'd your not adding fuel from a pump. Aka home brew or sketchy put of a can unknown.
2: cold temps and fuel issues. Gelling or bacterial issues

The only decent cleaner for nozzles is the ones you run in a closed loop.

Past this... add whatever you want by subtracting wallet value or adding fuel cost. Mpg is usually mitigated by repairs and cost of product.

Salts... more power... better mpg... all of these are snake oil salesmen tactics absorbed by sheeple at pepboys and autozone

Also this is the first time in my life I ever heard of anyone having salts built up on nozzles from pump fuel.
I've seen it actually plenty on bio and oil and veg burners
It's like a crystall structure of soot. Almost like the "sugar" effect of non purged tig welded stainless.
I had bad fuel before, ad the smoking only went away with diese kleen. Usually I fill up on the rez to save a few bucks. Not usually bad, but diesel kleen works even when putting old diesel in the tractor.

Also, free world, I want cheap diesel kleen.
 

Mongler98

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Location
COLORADO (SE of Denver)
TDI
98 Jetta TDI AHU 1.9L (944 TDI swap in progress) I moved so now i got nothing but an AHU in a garage on a pallet.
Like I said. When fuel supply is not up to snuff.
I've used it plenty on old fuel we have stored and on out door equipment.
 

03TDICommuter

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Location
So. Cal
TDI
01' NB, 5spd
Diesel clean has such a peculiar smell, I know I have came across the chemical that gives it that smell but I can't remember what it is. Any of you ladies or gentlemen know? Touline? Xzylene?

I'm unemployed till September and I get a lot of driving between our place and my parents place and I hate to cheap out on diesel clean but looks like I may have to.
See if there is an MSDS for it online - if there is it should show what gives it it's characteristic smell.
 

showdown 42

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Location
naples,FL
TDI
2016 TDI touareg
10 or 12 yrs ago after I bgt my first TDI there were many,many threads on blown HPFPs. It was caused by poor fuel quality ,bad lubricity low cetane. You don't see these threads much anymore. Maybe new pumps,better fuel? I don't know but I've used diesel clean for 15yrs now, no problems,I have no proof it 's diesel kleen,but it's cheap and I'll keep using it.
 

Mongler98

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Location
COLORADO (SE of Denver)
TDI
98 Jetta TDI AHU 1.9L (944 TDI swap in progress) I moved so now i got nothing but an AHU in a garage on a pallet.
10 or 12 yrs ago after I bgt my first TDI there were many,many threads on blown HPFPs. It was caused by poor fuel quality ,bad lubricity low cetane. You don't see these threads much anymore. Maybe new pumps,better fuel? I don't know but I've used diesel clean for 15yrs now, no problems,I have no proof it 's diesel kleen,but it's cheap and I'll keep using it.
how many miles?
15 to 18 bucks a bottle
im assuming you did 250K in 15 years... some what normal commuting miles at 45 miles per gallon over 14 gallons per tank basically = 400 tanks or almost $7 grand spent for what? seems with that kind of money you could do better with replacing the fuel and injection system 3 times over or every 5 years... but that's the gamble right... like you said... will a product designed to do only one thing... make a company money by making you sure you need it.
I remember those posts... it still happens. low surfer fuel switch was doing to crazy things according to the people who drew coincidence with the failure they had to the fuel they used. hard to say.
if you feel its ok to spend the value of your car over its life on a wish and a prayer then go for it. but one hting is for sure... the car was NOT designed to have fuel aditives like this... and the fuel is approved for the car at the pump... usually.
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
I think it makes more sense for the OP to just avoid fueling up wherever he was getting the crappy fuel.
 

CleverUserName

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Location
NorCal
TDI
2014 OZ Cruze CTD & 2010 JSW 6MT & 2017 GMC Canyon CCLB ATX 2.8 Duramax
Diesel additive is cheapest in bulk. I buy the 5 gallon drum. When you add it in at the proper dose of 400:1 it costs an extra $0.11 cents per gallon of fuel.

It literally pays for itself by increasing fuel economy, keeping your intake manifold free of soot and ensuring the injectors remain free of deposits. The protective properties are a bonus.
 

SuburbanTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2004
Location
Midwest
TDI
Beetle TDI, and two Jetta TDI
Don't risk your engine. A bad guess here, a missed observation there and bam!, you're walking. Everywhere and everyday.
 

norbert77

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2022
Location
Petrolia
TDI
01 beetle
Nah. Been making diy seafoam for years, a better version of it. This diesel kleen is a pet project
 

SuburbanTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2004
Location
Midwest
TDI
Beetle TDI, and two Jetta TDI
Nah. Been making diy seafoam for years, a better version of it. This diesel kleen is a pet project
Why would you want to put a mix of 50% cutting oil and 50% carb cleaner/fuel stabilizer in your engine? Are you storing a 2 stroke for the winter?
 

Mongler98

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Location
COLORADO (SE of Denver)
TDI
98 Jetta TDI AHU 1.9L (944 TDI swap in progress) I moved so now i got nothing but an AHU in a garage on a pallet.
some people are hard fast obsessed with adding snake oils to things to get more ouf of them from seat dyno resustls.
FIY i have made my own seafoam and its NOT the same... I used mine for my 10 gallon ultrasonic cleaner parts washer project. seafoam and my home brew stuff are 2 completely different box of frogs. your home brew will separate on its own and it will vaporize when put in the ultrasonic cleaner and it gets HOT from the added energy. Proper Seafoam did NOT do any of those things. i ended up going with PCS 1000 from tractor supply.
bottom line.. whatever OP is doing, its bad news.
I just followed what i froun on redit and google to make it. it does remove varnish but its NOT seafoam... hence why there is a patent on it...
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
Nah. Been making diy seafoam for years, a better version of it. This diesel kleen is a pet project
Well, as long as it's a pet project I think you should make a real witches brew of it for fun. A dash of this and sprinkle of that, etc. Go for variety, the more stuff the better. You could even make little labels and call it PowerJuice 10,000 or something.
 

Toguard

New member
Joined
Dec 26, 2019
Location
Indiana, USA
TDI
2014 Passat TDI SEL Premium
My first diesel was an old Jetta. Bought it for 300$ because the guy selling it didn’t know about the cold start valve. I think it had about 100,000 miles or so. That thing froze up solid the first winter. Ole Mercedes’ guy at work, “ after you thaw the thing out, put in about 3/4 tank of diesel, one gallon of kerosene and 1/2 gallon of gasoline. Then fill the rest of the tank with diesel”. It was quite the gas station dance but, it never gelled again. Every winter that was the mix. Got 200,000 miles out of it and when the cv axle went bad, I sold it for 300$. Can’t do that anymore. I’ve been a VW diesel guy since. I miss the simple diesel. In its Purist form. Black smoke? Yup. Worse environmental contribution in history? We’ll see about that. Number crunchers say there is NOT, not even close, enough precious metals on earth to make a battery, of any kind, for everyone. Poor countries all using old smoke belching diesels digging holes and making some of the worst chemical lakes in their wake so that the people with money can sell expensive new battery, well, everything items to the population that can afford them. No huge messes here. It’s the poor workers digging and refining and polluting their butts off so that people that can afford it can run clean on batteries. Look up and see what it takes from beginning to end to make a battery. Oh, I forgot, the batteries have a shelf life so goes what? More batteries for everyone! We’ll, except the ones digging, and drilling and scraping the earth to the bone.

Ahh yes. No real way out. Man is unable to direct his own steps.
 

norbert77

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2022
Location
Petrolia
TDI
01 beetle
My first diesel was an old Jetta. Bought it for 300$ because the guy selling it didn’t know about the cold start valve. I think it had about 100,000 miles or so. That thing froze up solid the first winter. Ole Mercedes’ guy at work, “ after you thaw the thing out, put in about 3/4 tank of diesel, one gallon of kerosene and 1/2 gallon of gasoline. Then fill the rest of the tank with diesel”. It was quite the gas station dance but, it never gelled again. Every winter that was the mix. Got 200,000 miles out of it and when the cv axle went bad, I sold it for 300$. Can’t do that anymore. I’ve been a VW diesel guy since. I miss the simple diesel. In its Purist form. Black smoke? Yup. Worse environmental contribution in history? We’ll see about that. Number crunchers say there is NOT, not even close, enough precious metals on earth to make a battery, of any kind, for everyone. Poor countries all using old smoke belching diesels digging holes and making some of the worst chemical lakes in their wake so that the people with money can sell expensive new battery, well, everything items to the population that can afford them. No huge messes here. It’s the poor workers digging and refining and polluting their butts off so that people that can afford it can run clean on batteries. Look up and see what it takes from beginning to end to make a battery. Oh, I forgot, the batteries have a shelf life so goes what? More batteries for everyone! We’ll, except the ones digging, and drilling and scraping the earth to the bone.

Ahh yes. No real way out. Man is unable to direct his own steps.
I saw an old vw manual that said in winter diesel up to 25% gasoline was acceptable
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
My first diesel was an old Jetta. Bought it for 300$ because the guy selling it didn’t know about the cold start valve. I think it had about 100,000 miles or so. That thing froze up solid the first winter. Ole Mercedes’ guy at work, “ after you thaw the thing out, put in about 3/4 tank of diesel, one gallon of kerosene and 1/2 gallon of gasoline. Then fill the rest of the tank with diesel”. It was quite the gas station dance but, it never gelled again. Every winter that was the mix. Got 200,000 miles out of it and when the cv axle went bad, I sold it for 300$. Can’t do that anymore. I’ve been a VW diesel guy since. I miss the simple diesel. In its Purist form. Black smoke? Yup. Worse environmental contribution in history? We’ll see about that. Number crunchers say there is NOT, not even close, enough precious metals on earth to make a battery, of any kind, for everyone. Poor countries all using old smoke belching diesels digging holes and making some of the worst chemical lakes in their wake so that the people with money can sell expensive new battery, well, everything items to the population that can afford them. No huge messes here. It’s the poor workers digging and refining and polluting their butts off so that people that can afford it can run clean on batteries. Look up and see what it takes from beginning to end to make a battery. Oh, I forgot, the batteries have a shelf life so goes what? More batteries for everyone! We’ll, except the ones digging, and drilling and scraping the earth to the bone.

Ahh yes. No real way out. Man is unable to direct his own steps.
What you did with the ancient diesels of yesteryear isn't applicable to modern TDIs. And who are these "number crunchers" you speak of? The world is full of self appointed "experts" that don't know their head from their ***.
 

johnsTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
May 25, 2019
Location
Canada,ont North America were Neighbours to usa
TDI
2012 Highline
Yes Diesel Kleen is a good product half a bottle covers a full tank on my TDI Jetta would i use it every tank No... no need to that's way overkill to do running a tank or 2 maybe 3 on it is more than enough to-do every 6 months and that's being maticulous at keeping the fuel system clean i fill up at C.T. in Canada and always see a deal on half price STP 5in1 diesel injector cleaner with cetane boost that's a good product to use. i think over kleen flow i think.? also i change the fuel filter yearly in the fall everytime i take it out looks good but VW recommends changing it every 30K's
 

norbert77

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2022
Location
Petrolia
TDI
01 beetle
Dirty injector from questionable fuel. I once filled up amd my truck started smoking white in an hour. Didnt clear, i tried other treatments because i knew it had to be fuel related, and diesel kleen made it go away.
 
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