Best Fuel Conditioner?

[Delhikins]

Hi:
Can anybody recommend a good fuel conditioner? And can you tell me how much and how often it
should be added (the directions are not always specific)?
Thanks,
Sandra

[Modsqwad]

Try Lucas Fuel conditioner. It works well to replace the lubricating value lost in low sulfur fuels. It also raises cetane levels which improves efficiency by lowering ignition point of fuel and giving more burn time. My only concern is how to get good mixing with the
dual tank set up we have in our vans. I think you want to use it in the recomended concentration and that would be hard to regulate
with this setup (put in the required amount for 65 L of fuel and have it all stay in the first tank). Perhaps if you put it in first it might
mix well as you filled up? Suerte.
Andy Wilson
PS I would use it at the recommended ratio of 2 oz to 10 gal US ( about 10 ml./ fillup) and more often is better. Cost becomes a factor.

[marsgal42]

Why do you think you need a fuel conditioner?

...laura

[after oil]

stanadyne... recommended by ccauto

[Green1]

The engineers who designed the engine, and the company that built and sold it, specifically recommend no conditioners be used... that's good enough for me. In fact I have never seen any designer, manufacturer, or seller of imported diesel engines that does recommend any form of fuel additive. (though for some reason the domestic companies seem willing to endorse various ones, I suspect if you follow the money you'd find that the additive companies had to pay quite a bit for that endorsement!)

[Blackberry]

I thought the reason to use an additive was because the engines in our Delicas, particularly the injector pump and injectors, were designed for use with the older higher sulfur content diesel that had better lubrication properties than current diesel. This site explains it:
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_stana.html

[Green1]

The manufacturer, as well as all of the fuel providers, state that the new fuel has all the same lubrication properties that the old fuel had.

near as I can tell, many companies are getting rich selling these things, but that doesn't make them necessary

[Modsqwad]

The manufacturer, as well as all of the fuel providers, state that the new fuel has all the same lubrication properties that the old fuel had.

near as I can tell, many companies are getting rich selling these things, but that doesn't make them necessary

Do you remember Richard Petty pushing STP back in the 70's, all them good ole boys bought it cause you got that cool
road runner sticker with it!

[DeliTan]

Hi:
Can anybody recommend a good fuel conditioner? And can you tell me how much and how often it
should be added (the directions are not always specific)?
Thanks,
Sandra

Just so you aren't confused Sandra, the talk about dual tanks doesn't apply to us L400 owners.

I have never used a fuel additive before, but since I am having a cold engine hesitation issue, Mardy gave me some. I will report after a few fuel refills...

john

[MardyDelica]

hi, sandra, pls call me i do have good diesel fuel conditioner specially made for this weather here in canada.
used it for about nearly 4 yrs now no problem even minus 30 when its cold. has a highher cetain booster on it & other lubicant mix witrh it, works very good.
Cheers;
mardy

[JMK]

I'm confused now. I thought I interpreted conventional wisdom gained mainly from this site last year to indicate we needed some sort of additive to stop the older elastomere seals from degrading, and it was really only safe for the vehicles that use the newer viton type seals to use the LSD fuel. So when I try to buy the additive on sale at Can Tire I'm mainly doing it for that reason in spite of the cetane boost.

However I agree with Green's sentiment on the North AMerican manufacturer's endorsements. I have a co-worker that religiously uses on Stanadyne in his circa 2004 GMC diesel. I personally suspect the cult following that Stanadyne has achieved may be largely due to a very talented marketing effort, a sentiment reinforced when GCL gave me a free bottle of it after they did my injectors and then again when they did the fuel pump. Just guessing here, but I wouldn't be suprised to find that the profit margin on the retail price of Stanadyne is at least 50 points (100%) whereas the other stuff at Can Tire or maybe Wally World may be 25 points.

Whatever the case, I find it a Royal PIA to make sure I have a non-leaking upright bottle of additive with me each time I'm filling up, and then try to guess the correct amount to add.

[sasquatch-hunter]

Kleen Flo from Princess Auto are pretty good. Kleen Flo gives you wings!

[JMK]

Oops, I guess I should have said 'rubber seals', it would appear that the Deli's indeed being an early '90's vehicle would have rubber, note the current reference to 1993 which just happens to be the latest year for most of us here on the forum:

To protect DOC life, sulfur must be removed from diesel fuel. For the better part of a century, there were no regulations concerning sulfur in diesel. Prior to 1993, most diesel contained 3,000 parts-per-million (ppm) with some having 5,000 ppm or more (0.3 to 0.5 percent). Effective October 1993, the 1990 Clean Air Act limited sulfur in diesel to 500 ppm (0.05 percent). It was called low sulfur diesel (LSD). Removing sulfur also lowered particulate matter (PM) in exhausts. The actual amount of sulfur in diesel today averages 300 and 350 ppm. When it burns, sulfate particles comprise about 10 percent of total PM emissions. The current limit is 0.1 grams per horsepower-hour (g/hp-hr).

For 2007, the PM limit is reduced by 90 percent to only 0.01g/bhp-hr. To meet 2007 emissions standards, 2007 engines must use fuel with as little sulfur as possible. Current technology limits that to 15 ppm, (0.0015 percent). It’s called ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD).

That’s why ULSD is necessary for 2007 engines. They’re built to use it. But what about current engines, especially older ones? Many of us still remember that seals in fuel systems started leaking badly when the industry switched to 500 ppm LSD in 1993. Will that happen again?

It shouldn’t. Engines then had rubber seals lubricated by fuel. At the same time sulfur was reduced, the EPA also reduced the aromatic content of diesel. Aromatics and paraffinics are the primary structure of diesel. Paraffinics burn more easily and completely. California’s Air Resources Board further reduced the aromatic content of diesel sold in that state in an effort to improve diesel combustion even more. But fuel system seals had adjusted to the aromatic content. Trucks that used the new California fuel regularly had seals swell or crack, and leak. Replacing rubber seals with elastomer seals stopped the leaking. Since the mid ‘90s, virtually all fuel systems have elastomer seals. They still react but much less than natural rubber does. If you have an older engine and it hasn’t had fuel system seals replaced, you might want to get new seals.

Losing sulfur will mean a loss of natural lubricity, but it will be made up with additives and, perhaps, biodiesel. ULSD has, on average, less energy per gallon, so fuel mileage may drop slightly. Since extra processing is needed to remove sulfur, ULSD will cost more. Operationally, it will be hard to notice any differences using ULSD in current trucks.

ULSD has already entered distribution in order to help flush LSD from tanks. By mid-October, 80 percent of diesel sold must be ULSD. Those with pre-2007 engines can use 500 ppm LSD, if they can find it.

From: http://www.roadking.com/story.php?id=705

I did notice this on a Shell site, excuse me if I'm somewhat sceptical:

Could lubricity be an issue when I fill up with ULSD?
No. Shell Canada adds a lubricity improver to its ULSD so drivers can be assured of worry-free driving when they fill up with the new diesel fuel.

From: https://www.mackenzieoil.com/diesel#q7

[Green1]

All fuel suppliers add lubricity to their diesel, this solves the problem, you adding further lubricity doesn't help. replacing the seals with Viton ones may help though.

[Erebus]

It shouldn’t. Engines then had rubber seals lubricated by fuel.

The skeptic in me wonders about this quote. There haven't been many "rubber" things made with real rubber in a long time. Is the author being slipshod, or is this marketing?