I've been using Exxon diesel as it appears to be quality, Citgo as well.

When I lived in the northeast Amoco had the absolute best diesel but not much of those here in Atlanta!

So, I'm asking the forum diesel owners "what is your preferred diesel, and why?'

Thank you

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Currently Driving
2006 E320 CDI
1999 E300 Turbo Diesl
2002 ML500
1995 E320 Station Wagon


MBs I've owned
1997 E320 Assassinated by Pine Tree
1987 300E Wife Killed Engine
1981 300D Stretch Limo Total Loss
1970 250 Coupe 212,000 mi.
1974 450sel 184,000 mi.
1974 240D 377,000 mi.
1977 300D 204, 000 mi.
1979 280se God Only Knows!
1983 240D 130,000 mi.
1972 220D 280,000 mi.
1983 300SD 244,000 mi.

Amoco used top sell 50 cetane, but the have been gone a long tme

I try to buy from busy stations that move a lot of fuel, never paid attention to anything else. Fueled my truck once at an older, off the beaten path station that was deserted even though I knew better. Ended up with plugged filters.

So around this part of the country for me it is Shell, Loves, Pilot, Quik Trip and some of the newer super Circle K stores.

The only performance drop I ever noticed is when I ran some B-95 in the Benz, a noticeable loss of power with the AC on.

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Brian
87 300Dturbo 180K #14 head still running R-12 SOLD 12/2017
02 F350 Powerstroke 180K
05 Chevy Express 1 ton w/Royal Utility box 120K
08 Infiniti FX-35 40K
15 Golf Sportwagen TDI 35K
10 Sprinter 3500 chassis with a Class A Winnebago on it. 56K

Totally agree, turnover vs brand.

If I was in an area where Propel/HPR diesel was available, I would absolutely love to try some.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

It also matters who the wholesaler is for the base fuel stock. The additives make it brand specific. If the store in question is buying cheap base stock, you can expect crappy fuel quality. Truck stops are your friend, the busier, the better. Less chance for water to be sitting in the fuel tank and a quick turnover. Truckers can't afford crappy fuel, it kills their mileage and kills their rigs.

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Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

I buy from the local co-op between November thru February that sells the same diesel to the school system for their busses. They say it is good to -35 temps, doubt they want any problems with gelling on a bus full of students.

May have changed but ten or more years back. I found much less diesel fuel milage with one brand of fuel. Tried two tankfulls well separated with the same results. Others told me they experienced the same issue with that brand.

This too may be a problem you will never see at busy truck stop locations. Many of those truckers almost lived on their fuel milage.

This thread reminded me that since winter is coming. I should have a look around the older 2006 volkswagon tdi we acquired. I hope Volkswagon did not drop their decent water separator.

In my extensive travels in America many years ago now. I never observed any real difference between the diesel fuel sold there and in Canada.

This is also getting into the time of year for people that live in the colder climates. To land up with summer fuel and gelling problems if they purchase from small volume suppliers.

Seems like 10 years ago or so, it was easy to find pumps with 45+ Cetane numbers, and also pumps that sold B20 biodiesel blend. Now, all I see everywhere is 40 cetane pumps. No more 45+, and no more biodiesel blend.

I fill up with whatever comes out of the nearby pumps, typically Exxon or Sunoco, plus a shot of OptiLube XPD.

x2, for sure. Seems to not be available outside the People's Republic of California, unfortunately, at least according to their web site.

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1998 E300 turbodiesel

America's Rights and Freedoms Are Not The Enemy!

Propel. Hands down.

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RenaissanceMan Labs: where the future is being made today.

Garage:

2017 Chevy Colorado Diesel (nanny state emissions)
2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 77k
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D turbodiesel, 4 sp auto, 156k - 28.7 mpg
1996 Tracker 4x4, 2 door, 16v, 3 sp auto. 113k - 28.6 mpg

WARNING: this post may contain dangerous free thinking.

Around here, BP bought out all the amaco stations.

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

At least where I live, it's the same stuff but comes in a different branded truck....

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1978 300D, 373,000km 617.912, 711.113 5 speed, 7.5mm superpump, HX30W turbo...many, many years in the making....
1977 280> 300D - 500,000km+ (to be sold...)
1984 240TD>300TD 121,000 miles, *gone*
1977 250 parts car
1988 Toyota Corona 2.0D *gone*
1975 FJ45>HJ45
1981 200>240D (to be sold...)
1999 Hyundai Lantra 1.6 *gone*
1980s Lansing Bagnall FOER 5.2 Forklift (the Mk2 engine hoist)
2001 Holden Rodeo 4JB1T 2WD

The people's republic of California taxes regular diesel and gasoline to subsidize renewable diesel so it's price competitive at the pump through the carbon market.

Normal petroleum based #2 diesel is minimum 53 cetane, 56 cetane on average as required by CARB.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

I usually use Propel's Diesel HPR since totally bio-based, which lets me smugly hold my nose higher than Prius and Tesla drivers (CA electricity is now mostly from carbon power plants since the massive San Onofre nuke plant was shuttered). My 300D's idle smoother with it. It used to cost 10c/gal less than D2, but have seen it 10c/gal more lately. Might become cheaper when the new CA diesel tax is imposed (thanks Jerry).

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1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

I'm not a fan of govt picking winners and losers... solyndra anyone? But I would like to see alternative diesel fuels more widely available. Not sure I care much what the pump price is, I'd gladly pay more for a higher quality fuel, or even a blend, called it "P20" for 20% Propel.

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1998 E300 turbodiesel

America's Rights and Freedoms Are Not The Enemy!

I'm not sure if there is a best diesel fuel brand. But two things can make any diesel fuel stop high quality.
1. Turnover rate - if a lot of people are getting diesel there or there is a lot of diesel being pumped into tanks all the time, then it is likely a place with fresh diesel. Which is why I prefer to fill up at trucker stops.
2. Cetane rating - Minimum cetane level is 40. Personally for me, at 40 cetane my car has worse mileage and it rolls some coal at wide open throttle. When I filled up with 50 cetane fuel WOT the smoke was gone, there was smoother idle and the mileage increased.

With that being said, the best place is in Windsor VA for me. It's a trucker stop called Souther States Fuel. Only gripe is that it's over an hour drive out. And over an hour back so it's not the most economically feasible option for me.

The fuel that is close to me is crap. All 40 cetane stickered on the pump. Some don't even have a sticker indicating cetane rating. There is one exception. There is a Quarrels Fleet Fuel located near me with a cetane rating of 47 IIRC, but they have a monthly membership fee of $30 dollars. Not economically sound imo.

With all things considered I have resorted to going to a shell trucker stop with 40 on the pump. Car runs fine with it. If I give it WaWa or any other rinky dink place with low turnover diesel my 300SDL bucks like a mad horse when cold! I mean to the point where you can visually see the car shaking and bucking, and the idle is horrendously rough, not to mention the white haze of unburnt fuel that ensues the area shortly after.

Just my anecdote about diesel fuel.

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1998 Ford Escort ZX2 5 speed - 279,000 miles My Daily

1992 Mercedes 300D 2.5 202,000 - Pure junk
2000 Mercedes E320 Black - 136,000 miles - Needs repair

Don't forget to grease the screw and threads on the spring compressor.