I've noticed a change in performance since all the stations around here started selling ULSD only, but obviously I don't notice the fuel not adequately lubricating.
I was just wondering if it could help. I'll save my money.
Thanks.

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1984 300TD

The change in heating value (energy content) is about 2% and most, probably not measurable in most cases.

I meant to say 3/4 per gal. That works out to about a pint per tank!! According to the back label that give you the maximun cetane boost. I believe the Diesel Kleen will boost the cetane rating higher.
Wayne

Very interesting diesel fuel lubricity test over on TDIclub (Spicer Lubricity Test) they tested many of the available fuel additives and had some very surprising to me at least results.They did not test for cetane improvement or any of the other reasons we use additives. Some of the common additives actually increased the wear scar, one that did was Marvel Mystery Oil that i have been adding to my diesel fuel for 30 years!!!
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=188203 My $.02 Don

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Red Green "This is only temporary,Unless it works!"

97 E300D 157000 miles
87 300TD ?141k? miles

The problem is that hardly anybody meets those specifications!

You can use 3 ounces of Lucas Fuel treatment per tankful. that is what I do.

__________________
"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Krystal 2004 Volvo S60
Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad

a few months ago, i was talking with an oil truck driver. He said the change in our area is totally irrelevant, since our region has always had ultra low sulfur. He drove out of New Castle Pa, so you've probably been driving on the same stuff for many years now.

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Paul
2004 E500 4matic; 72,000mi

I would expect not as it is a minimum spec.

Any pump product should exceed the ASTM requirements.

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Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

That isn't true. Diesel is batch tested before it ever leaves the refinery.

My $0.02 as a refinery engineer.

The ULSD meets the same lub spec as LSD did.

The difference is that ULSD will be additized to just meet spec. LSD easily exceeded the spec with no additive.

ULSD lubricity should be just fine. LSD lubricity was better than just fine.

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1982 300TD 279K.
1984 190D 5sp 265K

I have to differ with these opinions. "Star Magazine" did an article a few months back (June, I believe) where diesel had been tested in various locations and it did NOT meet the minimum specs for lubricity.
The article is Star magazine, Jul/Aug 2007 'New Diesel Fuel and Old Diesels" by George Murphy pp 84-86

The article had great information about how the junk they are selling as ULSD does not meet the minimum lubrication requirements for even new engines much less our old ones. "Of 27 countries surveyed, only Canada, Switzerland, Poland and Taiwan have worse diesel fuel than the US." There was a grid in the article that showed lubricity levels in various cities. If I remember correctly, only one city came close to the minimum standard. I wish the article was available online so I could link to it, but STAR does not post articles.
According to the article MB likes Lucas fuel treatment and Octal OLI-9070 as lubricity enhancers. They also like B5 BioD but not a higher percentage.

If the stuff coming from the refineries meets the standard, what is happening before it reaches the pump? Can the lubricity agent be precipitating out of the fuel?

Do what you want, but I will stay safe and keep adding Lucas to my tank!

__________________
"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Krystal 2004 Volvo S60
Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad

Well I stand corrected. I didn't know it was that bad.

The diesel is not in spec leaving the refinery. The additive is added at the fuel terminals. Terminals generally don't have a full lab and 15 chemical engineers on staff, and I've seen some interesting things happen at terminals that you wouldn't see at refineries just from the lack of technical expertise.

The additive is also very expensive so I can guarantee that only the minimum amount is put in. What was just good enough today may not be good enough tomorrow. I have no idea what kind of testing the terminals do on this.

I saw a presentation from an additive provider a few years ago. He had a chart showing a ppm addition vs. % fuel meeting lub spec. It implied that you chose what percent of your diesel you wanted to be in spec and added x ppm. That's pretty messed up. There are no other fuel specs that are negotiable that I'm aware of.

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1982 300TD 279K.
1984 190D 5sp 265K

My experience: I've put about 15,000 miles on running B100 (100% biodiesel). I and changed the fuel filters twice (both primary and secondary) in the first 5,000 miles. I checked the original tank screen the other day and it looks practically new. The car runs extremely well... EXCEPT FOR THE TACH!!!!!!!

dennis

Diesel is tested before leaving the refinery for:

API gravity
CETANE
Distillation
Copper Strip
Color
CONDUCTIVITY
VISCOSITY @40C
DOCTOR TEST
SULFUR
FLASHPOINT
HAZE
POUR POINT
CLOUD POINT

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1982 300TD 279K.
1984 190D 5sp 265K

I work with commercial users who test every diesel delivery at an independent lab prior to accepting it. It is very unusual for the fuel to be out of spec, I know of one case where the cetane was a little low.

Search here and on MBCA and you will find that article was contradictory to a few of the Star's own previous articles.