Has anyone else experienced fuel leaks with ULSD?

I have had 3 of my cars develop leaks at the injectors in the last month.

I have started adding a little Power Service at each fill-up in the hopes that additional leaks do not happen.

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Chris Young

Current cars:
1978 240D 4-spd manual 99k miles
1987 300TD - 132k miles
1987 300SDL - 280k miles.
1996 Subaru Outback - 132k miles
2003 Chevy Silverado Duramax/Allison - 195k miles

"My wife thinks I have a disease..... I think I have just inhaled too much diesel exhaust .... My neighbors think, well, who cares what the neighbors think"

The return lines on the SDL, they are all soaken wet, only 18 months old too.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I've only run a few tanks of the stuff, since we've mainly been driving the Jetta. But no issues so far at all, other than quite a bit less diesel smell.

But for some reason, the Jetta just plain stinks when you cold-start it. Not a diesel smell. I can't pinpoint what it smells like, if anything, but it's very strong. The smell goes away completely when the engine warms up.

My return lines went quickly, too. And they keep going quickly.

I've lost four brass lines to this stuff.

Also, I've noticed a significant increase on average with black soot, and more often than before, suffer a major hit in fuel economy. For instance, I've been averaging 26 - 28 mpg in my 350SD, last tank yielded 22 mpg. More PM than a Semi can paste at full load. And, FWIW, my EGR spring is perfectly fine (claps right away after 10 psi is applied with Mityvac).

There have been a substantial number of injection pump seal failures in VWs, especially TDIs, due to the use of ULSD in engined that have used high concentrations of biodiesel. You must have used all three - LSD, then BioD, then ULSD to see the problems but they are failing with as few as one tank of the new fuel. I have had to have three pumps done on my cars...2003 TDI and 85 TDs.

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Rich Mason
Chapel Hill, NC
1990 300D 285k miles
1993 VW Cabriolet converted to 1.6 TD
1985 VW Westfalia 1.6 TD

Lots of OM606 engines have developed delivery valve seal failures including mine within about 6 weeks after they started using ULSD here. Then my return lines went and they were less than 2 years old. I replaced everything in December, fuel lines, filters, seals and return hoses and so far no more problems.

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

I had to replace all my injector heat shileds and return lines on the 83 300D - 325,000 mi

Is there anything other than Power Service that I should be adding to my fuel to help slow this down, or am I just going to have to get used to replacing the fuel lines every so often.

So far I am at the return lines on 1 car, the brass lines on both cars, and 1 injector.

I have run about 8 to 10 tanks of ULSD in both cars.

I am afraid to run my 240 if this is going to affect it also.

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Chris Young

Current cars:
1978 240D 4-spd manual 99k miles
1987 300TD - 132k miles
1987 300SDL - 280k miles.
1996 Subaru Outback - 132k miles
2003 Chevy Silverado Duramax/Allison - 195k miles

"My wife thinks I have a disease..... I think I have just inhaled too much diesel exhaust .... My neighbors think, well, who cares what the neighbors think"

I had leaks on 3 delivery valve seals on the 240D. This is a Euro style pump though. I don't think U.S style 240D pumps will normally develop delivery valve leaks.

No problems with return lines so far.

Based on the assumption that lack of airomatics is causing the leaks, I am adding a small amount of Marvel Mystery Oil at each fillup. No way to tell if it really helps or not though.

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Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

My E300 (OM606) had seen nothing but B100 for a year when I ran half a tank of ULSD (low fuel while traveling, last October if I recall correctly). One week later the garage smelled like diesel; the shutoff solenoid O-ring had failed. Replaced it and everything was back to normal.

It is not a coincidence.

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99 E300 TD -- sold
01 540i 6 spd

Replace the return lines with ones made of Viton and you'll have no problems for a long time, its great stuff and not too costly for the small return lines but I wouldn't want to buy it for anything else.
Hot diesel is what eats up the rubber and the return ports off the injectors is where the hottest fuel is so it only makes sense to use Viton there! I put Viton returns on my '87's just before ULSD was forced on us and they haven't deteriorated at all in what a year and a half?
On engines that need valve adjusts I just use the OE return lines and replace it when a valve lash is needed

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

Why did you have to replace the heat shields? I replace them only if removing the injectors.

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

I've not noticed anything and we've been on ULSD here in Phoenix for the last six months at least. I did have to replace my fuel injector return lines recently. They were weeping quite badly but they were also original and had been bad for some time so I don't know that it was the ULSD. I'll be keeping an eye open for leaks though.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

I hate doing this, but since Phil does not sell the viton return lines, I do. (Among other things.)

http://www.fryerpower.com/store/page11.html

-Jim

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1995 S350D, Green with black leather interior.
Bought January 2008 w/ 233,xxx miles.
I did 22,000 miles during the first year of ownership.

We started getting ULSD at the pumps here in Portland/Vancouver WA area in mid summer of last year. I have been running the ULSD in my 300D, VW TDI and the Suburban and I haven't noticed any problems I could attribute to the ULSD. I have noticed my average fuel mileage for the 300D has gone up from 27 to 29 MPG on my weekly commutes. I haven't seen any loss in power from the ULSD.

I would guess depending on what region of the US you are in and which refinery provides the fuel, it will make a difference in what additive blends are added to the stock #2 diesel fuel. The service stations around here do not post cetane values or any other comparitive type of information on diesel fuel.

TimK

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EPA 609 & 608 HVAC Certified
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83' 300D Turbo - 300K + Miles
00' 1.9L TDI Beetle
85' 6.5L Turbo, GV-OD, GMC Suburban,
67' 2.5L Diesel NA - Land Rover Series IIA

Here's what you do if it's so cold your diesel fuel gels. Smear some on some toast and stay inside until it warms up outside.