Opti-Lube XPD or Stanadyne?

[Golf4me]

Any preferences or feedback?

 

[Lightflyer1]

There is no real requirement to use any additive. It is a personal choice. Most people use them for a specific reason. I have tried all three of the ones you listed. No difference really between them. You probably won't notice any difference between them or not using anything. Plenty of threads here already with the details you want, but for the most part there is no real difference. You put it in your car and burn it and that is about it. You just hope it is doing what it is supposed to be doing.

 

[hskrdu]

Not that it matters, but some Stanadyne products do carry VW part numbers. If you live in an area where the fuel quality is such that you have specific concerns about cetane, lubricity, water, storage, frigid temps, etc., (and you believe product X addresses these issues), then you may have sound reason for purchase. There's probably not much new we can add to the discussions about the most popular products from the last 20 years, so I suggest brushing up on the Spicer Report and similar tests, the debate about emulsifiers, demulsifiers, solubilizers, etc., and the threads that speak to these issues and products.

A search will reveal lots more threads....

Emusifier or Demulsifier

Greetings, I'm starting this very simple thread to see who uses an additive that is a emulsifer or demulsifier. I'd also like your reasoning behind it. Please, do not comment or flame others on their postings/rational. Keep it SIMPLE. This is simply an info gathering thread. For those who...

forums.tdiclub.com

HTH

 

[Matt-98AHU]

I've been very happy with how Stanadyne can, over the course of a few tanks in a row with additive in it, make a very noticeable difference in performance of diesels that have rarely, if ever, received additives.

Opti-Lube takes the cake for best lubricity, if that's your most major concern (which when owning a commonrail, it should). But I can find Stanadyne locally...

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

At one point VW recommended Stanadyne in TDIs. Now I believe they don't recommend using additives. I've used some kind of lubricity additive in all my diesels for at least 15 years. I started because of the impact of ULSD on injection pump seals. I also like the anti-gel properties of additives, although I believe that pump diesel has adequate anti-gel. For what it's worth, in nearly 20 years of driving TDIs I've only had one injection pump leak, and none ever fail.

Regarding which to use, I think either is fine. Both offer lubricity, which is what I think is important. I'd honestly decide based on price and which package you like better. I put Opti-Lube in my at home 275 gallon tank, but use Stanadyne when I travel because the 16 oz bottles are divided in 15 gallon doses, which makes them easy to measure.

 

[showdown 42]

I have not use either ,but use Power service, Diesel Kleen lubricant. Have used it for over ten yrs, no issues with HPFP or anything else with the TDI. Readily available and not expensive. Grey bottle for summer, white bottle for winter. I would use something that has a lubricant to help with the mediocre fuel in NA.

 

[Golf4me]

Thank you!

 

[tikal]

I've been very happy with how Stanadyne can, over the course of a few tanks in a row with additive in it, make a very noticeable difference in performance of diesels that have rarely, if ever, received additives.

Opti-Lube takes the cake for best lubricity, if that's your most major concern (which when owning a commonrail, it should). But I can find Stanadyne locally...

Not an endorsement of this specific additive for lubricity (I have not used it myself) but the results of the testing provided show a very noticeably improvement (scar rating):

New lubricity additive on the market...

https://www.hotshotsecret.com/shop/lx4-lubricity-extreme/ They posted test results with wear scar ratings as well.

forums.tdiclub.com

 

[tomo366]

I use Hot Shots Secret EDT and Diesel Extreme and recently started using LX4 and I also use their winter Additive
I use these products in all 3 of my Diesels

 

[GolNat]

I use Hot Shots Secret EDT and Diesel Extreme and recently started using LX4 and I also use their winter Additive
I use these products in all 3 of my Diesels

I just picked up a bottle of HS EDT but have not tried it yet. Do you use a standard funnel to put it in the tank? I was thinking of just using the nozzle adapter funnel.

 

[n1das]

OptiLube is great for lubricity IIRC because it is biodiesel based. If you are OK with using a biodiesel blend in your TDI then OptiLube is the way to go.

Howes Lubricator Diesel Treat and PowerService Diesel Fuel Supplement (white bottle) are my 2 favorite additives and I use one or the other with every tankful. My priorities with an additive are to take care of any water I can't avoid getting and to increase lubricity. Providing anti-gel and boosting Cetane levels are of secondary importance. I don't use PowerService Diesel Kleen (silver bottle) because it doesn't do anything for water and doesn't have any anti-gel stuff in it. PS Diesel Kleen is a summer-only formula. I use PS Diesel Fuel Supplement year round to take care of water and add lubricity.

Assuming diesel fuel at the pump has been properly winterized for the region, most gelling problems people report in the dead of winter are actually icing problems due to water from condensation and not actually gelling. People often mistake icing for gelling. They think they have gelling but actually have icing instead. Even with properly winterized fuel, icing due to water from condensation can get you in trouble long before gelling will in the bitter cold. Avoid the water! Fuel up ONLY at high diesel turnover stations along major routes to avoid getting water contaminated fuel from condensation. Go where the big rigs go to fuel up. Avoiding water in diesel fuel is particularly important during winter months in cold areas due to condensation being more of a problem.

Water in diesel fuel from condensation destroys pumps and injectors in no time at all and does so faster than poor lubricity will. Free water in diesel fuel appears to be what kills the HPFP in the CR TDIs instead of poor lubricity. The HPFP in CR diesels are more susceptible to damage from water in diesel fuel compared to older rotary injector pump diesels and VW's PD TDIs but they too will eventually be destroyed. The bottom line is free water in diesel fuel absolutely must be avoided at ALL costs!

Standadyne takes care of water with a demulsifier to help water drop out of diesel fuel so the water separator in the fuel filter can catch it. PowerService Diesel Fuel Supplement (white bottle) controls water with a solubilizer to help keep water completely dissolved and dispersed so that it can pass harmlessly through the system. Howes uses a demulsifier like Stanadyne. I don't know how OptiLube takes care of water. Whatever method an additive uses to control water, it is slugs of free water that absolutely must be prevented from being ingested by the pump and injectors. Which additive you should use depends on how you want to take care of any water you can't avoid getting.

 

[ShelbyRazorback]

I use Optilube XPD. I did some research here on these forums and other places and thought Optilube XPD would be best for me.

 

[Golf4me]

very informative and detailed read

Thank you!

 

[NewTdi]

I have been using Stanadyne as recommended by my mechanic Matt-98AHU. While I cannot tell firsthand what is going on during combustion I trust that when I add the additive in the tank it will do what it claims it does. My daily driver is a stock car that racks up about 70-80K miles/year and I believe in spending money where it counts: fuel system, oils, tires and brakes.

 

[bmwM5power]

neither, LM2002