Another Clean-Fuel Weapon: Additives
Additives can play an important part in the quest for quality fuel, if you choose and use them carefully.
For instance, Fleetguard offers an asphaltene conditioner to combat the problem of asphaltenes. There are various additives you can use to treat and prevent microbial growth. Other additives help minimize water problems, or improve cetane or lubricity. There are also additives designed to help prevent problems with wax and ice in fuel in cold weather.
Cummins notes that premium diesel fuels often contain several additives that can accomplish the same thing as buying additives and adding them to lower-quality diesel fuel. The company recommends using fuel additives that perform a single function so you can tailor the additives to the needs of your specific fuel.
"There are a lot of people out there who offer snake oil," says Fleetguard's Clevenger. "There are a lot of great things you can do with an additive, but they can't do everything. Don't go for hype. If they're saying stuff that sounds too good to be true (like a 5 to 10% improvement in fuel economy), it probably is. Ask for data and make sure it's from reputable labs, and work with companies that have a very good reputation. Some companies will offer customer testimonials instead of test data. If all you get is testimonials, run."
Donaldson's experts note a couple of things you might want to think twice about before adding to your fuel: used motor oil and biodiesel. "In the past, dumping used motor oil in the diesel fuel tank was probably a common practice and the engines were OK with it," says John Hacker, director of liquid filtration development. "But with the higher tolerances, now it can cause a problem." Hacker says biodiesel "is kind of a wild card." Depending on what the biodiesel is made from (soybean oil, corn oil, animal fats, used French fry oil), it could cause problems with fuel filters not designed for these compounds.
