Does brand of diesel fuel matter?

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Nick1994

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I know there can be some benefits to using top tier gasoline, but I now drive a TDI and am wondering if it makes much of a difference. I usually fill up at Circle K and occasionally Chevron. I haven't noticed any differences with brands of diesel fuel I fill up with. One of my most previous tanks was about 36 1/2 mpg with a mixed style driving and this last tank I drove it hard with plenty of city driving and 75 mph highway driving, was not driving conservatively and it got almost 35 1/2 mpg so I'm not sure much changes with this car as far as mpg. Also does one run cleaner?

Thanks
 
I run Power Service silver bottle in the Ram, & 100:1 TCW-3 2-stroke in the old IDI diesels. In my experience, diesel is pretty much the same-with the exception of stations that don't sell a lot-don't buy from them!
 
Our Circle K's here sell "Circle K" fuel, no names of the fuel brand anywhere else.

I do have some Power Service silver bottle I occasionally use, but it never makes a difference in mpg
 
Run some 20% biodiesel (B20) for a few tanks.

Have a spare fuel filter available...
If there is lots of gunk in the tank it will dissolve and get caught by the filter. Only happen when you start using B20 or higher...

Biodiesel has a Cetane of 50, Diesel is 40.
More solvent in biodiesel, a few less MPG, like 5%.

Lots less emissions, and smells like French Fries too.

The local school system runs B20...
It is made locally (West Point, VA), out of damaged crops, fire, water, mold, etc...
 
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Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I know there can be some benefits to using top tier gasoline, but I now drive a TDI and am wondering if it makes much of a difference. I usually fill up at Circle K and occasionally Chevron. I haven't noticed any differences with brands of diesel fuel I fill up with. One of my most previous tanks was about 36 1/2 mpg with a mixed style driving and this last tank I drove it hard with plenty of city driving and 75 mph highway driving, was not driving conservatively and it got almost 35 1/2 mpg so I'm not sure much changes with this car as far as mpg. Also does one run cleaner?

Thanks


Yes, it does, don't buy cheap [censored] diesel from low volume places.
Find a top tier high volume diesel place, I go to a mobil and a shell on the interstate. I go to a truck stop but you need a larger hole for the bigger dispenser there.

Read about cetane rating, not all diesels are make equal.
also addy pack matters, I found that local chain Meijer's diesel has shaefers addy.
 
Do you already have WWFC4 class diesel in the U.S.? It's better than normal EN590, less soot and dpf regeneration. WWFC4 fuel sold by local refinery has better cold weather resistance too.
 
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VW TDI has a bad problem with lubrication destroying the fuel pumps & injectors from pump fuel. An article in the Amsoil dealer magazine identified one person paid $14,000 in repairs.

I use the Power Service treatment (grey bottle in the summer and the white bottle in cold weather) in every tank of fuel and dose it up with a little 2-cycle oil. One of the guys here said to use the 2-cycle oil at 600:1 for lubrication, he is an engineer. The HFRR test was done with Walmart oil at 200:1 and several popular diesel additives. Some additives failed the test, while SlickDiesel used in PS products was an acceptable score.

Biodiesel is an unclear area because it competes against ZDDP as an antiwear agent in the crankcase. One of the reports I read identified 1-2% biodiesel is all that is needed for lubrication. Biodiesel is higher in cetane but lacks the BTU value of pump diesel. If you choose to run biodiesel, I would remain conservative with a B5 blend and top it off with a lubricant additive such as Power Service or Stanadyne (now available at Autozone) without compromising bottom end engine wear or losing power from biodiesel.
 
I go thru around 21,000 gallons of diesel a year, most of it B10 or more, and never have any issues with bio. Two engines went to over 1 million miles without every being opened up for more than valve adjustment and they ran good when sold. All I ever use is a Schaeffer anti gel in the winter. Most of the running is in the top tier of the U.S. Been using bio blends for just about a decade now without any real issues. And my commercial semi averages 20% better mpg than the trucking industry average. And yes, I regularly have payloads that put my gross weight close to 80,000 lb. If bio was such a fuel mileage killer and problem, it should have showed up in my trucks by now.

Not sure that bio "competes" with ZDDP per se. Bio has a higher flash point and higher vaporization point than regular diesel. There is always some fuel that gets by the rings and into the crankcase irregardless of fuel or engine. Under most operation, this fuel is vaporized and gets eliminated by crankcase ventilation. Under some conditions, it is realistic that bio could build up in crankcase oil and cause a little fuel dilution more so than regular diesel. Good case for making sure that one always get their engine up to full operating temp for a while. Short tripping with a diesel engine would really make any fuel and oil issues more pronounced.
 
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