Thanks for the replies but I'm still on the fence as to whether any additives are necessary and if they are, which ones should be used but I suppose that's a personal preference. As long as the additives aren't causing any harm and may in fact be beneficial, I think I may just use something as a precaution. By the sounds of things, additives for lubrication of the fuel system, pumps and injectors I'm assuming, are the way to go.
Now for personal preference. Power service has been mentioned a couple times, gen 49 d and 2 stroke oil as well. Any other suggestions or coments on the forementioned products?

 

Forgot to mention that it never gets much colder than maybe 10 F for a few days during winter as I'm on the west (wet) coast.

 

I use stanadyne performance formula year round. At every fill up. I notice a roughly 1 mpg gain by using it. It seems to make the truck idle smoother and the added lube is a great thing. For the cost of injectors or other parts in the engine it is good insurance in my opinion.

 

2 winters back I had gelling at 16 below, outside of Chicago.

 

I gelled last winter at -4 (stupid B20), with additive!

I have a fuel heater in the mail for this winter. I don't run B20 (only twice, so a 50% BAD experience) but don't want to gel again.

 

Lubricity standards for diesel fuel vary in different locations. For instance, Europe requires more lubricity in diesel fuel then the standard here in the US. Fuel lubricity is also dependent on the company putting out the fuel. I use Opti-Lube summer blend all year around, because in a private test it reached European standards in completely dry diesel with its' recommended ratio. It is also less expensive then most of the other additives. A couple times a year (when leaving on a long trip) I also add a heavy shot of PS Silver to clean up the injectors. You have to be careful what you use, because some additives can actually make things worse. I discovered in the lubricity test I already mentioned that a marine additive I used to use actually decreased lubricity. Same thing form MMO which used to be popular. PS makes only a very slight improvement in lubricity, but is pretty good at cleaning up injectors.

 

I've always ran a anti-gel in the winter months up here, never left me in a bad situation. I can't tell you if it will reduce smoke, add more power and whatever else they claim. But if gelling up is any bit of concern to you, pour something in.

I also add an additive to our fleet of 60 semis at work, it's no fun getting those buggers un-gelled on the side of the road. We use a product called E-Zoil with great results. Only gets used during the winter months. They live without it the rest of the year.

 

I use lucas fuel treatment with almost every fill up. i notice that when i dont use it my engine is a little louder and smokes a little more. i also get about 1.5 mpg better. im pretty happy with it, they claim it totally neutralizes the harmful effects of low sulfur diesel fuel, and i think it does! they also make an extreme cold whether with anti gelling.

 

I have been using TCW3 2 stroke oil ever since the ULSD went to the pumps in '06. My concern was the lubricity was reduced when the sulphur was removed. Lubrication must be added back and this is done after the fuel is pumped by pipeline to the distribution locations. I felt and still do that the mix may not be uniform and I could get fuel that does not have the lub that is needed for the CP3 and the injectors.

I started adding 2/3 oz for each gallon of fuel. I started doing this before any research was done and I still use the same amount after considerable research has been done. A better lub to use is 10% bio-diesel, but it is not readily available in my location.

I did notice that the tick from the CP3 is much less noticable after I added the oil.

If you have to choose between using an aditive or better filtration, choose better filtration and water seperation. Water is the biggest killer for the injectors.

 

To use or not to use,,live in manitoba gets cold, i use 49gen year round same treatment level 8ml/10l not to much engine runs better with more mpg and power used in VW pd engine now in truck still have a 96 VW and use it there and in the tractors. worked for prov. govt mech. there none was used winter of summer never had many fuel problems these were newer engines and alot of the older engines cummins and cat some ford 6cyls. and all the const. stuff.only gell problem was related to summer fuel.

 

After doing a little research, here is part of a study done on diesel fuel additives..........................

These results are listed in the order of performance in the HFRR (a device called a “High Frequency Reciprocating Rig”) test. The baseline fuel used in every test started at an HFRR score of 636. The score shown is the tested HFRR score of the baseline fuel/additive blend.
Also included is the wear scar improvement provided by the additive as well as other claimed benefits of the additive. Each additive is also categorized as a Multi-purpose additive, Multi-purpose + anti-gel, Lubricity only, non-conventional, or as an additive capable of treating both gasoline and diesel fuel.
As a convenience to the reader there is also information on price per treated tank of diesel fuel (using a 26 gallon tank), and dosage per 26 gallon tank provided as “ounces of additive per 26 gallon tank”.

In Order Of Performance:

1) 2% REG SoyPower biodiesel
HFRR 221, 415 micron improvement.
50:1 ratio of baseline fuel to 100% biodiesel
66.56 oz. of 100% biodiesel per 26 gallons of diesel fuel
Price: market value

2)Opti-Lube XPD
Multi-purpose + anti-gel
cetane improver, demulsifier
HFRR 317, 319 micron improvement.
256:1 ratio
13 oz/tank
$4.35/tank

3)FPPF RV, Bus, SUV Diesel/Gas fuel treatment
Gas and Diesel
cetane improver, emulsifier
HFRR 439, 197 micron improvement
640:1 ratio
5.2 oz/tank
$2.60/tank

4)Opti-Lube Summer Blend
Multi-purpose
demulsifier
HFRR 447, 189 micron improvement
3000:1 ratio
1.11 oz/tank
$0.68/tank

5)Opti-Lube Winter Blend
Muti-purpose + anti-gel
cetane improver
HFRR 461, 175 micron improvement
512:1 ratio
6.5 oz/tank
$3.65/tank

6)Schaeffer Diesel Treat 2000
Multi-purpose + anti-gel
cetane improver, emulsifier, bio-diesel compatible
HFRR 470, 166 micron improvement
1000:1 ratio
3.32 oz/tank
$1.87/tank

7)Super Tech Outboard 2-cycle TC-W3 engine oil
Unconventional (Not ULSD compliant, may damage 2007 or newer systems)
HFRR 474, 162 micron improvement
200:1 ratio
16.64 oz/tank
$1.09/tank

8)Stanadyne Lubricity Formula
Lubricity Only
demulsifier, 5% bio-diesel compatible, alcohol free
HFRR 479, 157 micron improvement
1000:1 ratio
3.32 oz/tank
$1.00/tank

9)Amsoil Diesel Concentrate
Multi-purpose
demulsifier, bio-diesel compatible, alcohol free
HFRR 488, 148 micron improvement
640:1 ratio
5.2 oz/tank
$2.16/tank

10)Power Service Diesel Kleen + Cetane Boost
Multi-purpose
Cetane improver, bio-diesel compatible, alcohol free
HFRR 575, 61 micron improvement
400:1 ratio
8.32 oz/tank
$1.58/tank

11)Howe’s Meaner Power Kleaner
Multi-purpose
Alcohol free
HFRR 586, 50 micron improvement
1000:1 ratio
3.32 oz/tank
$1.36/tank

12)Stanadyne Performance Formula
Multi-purpose + anti-gel
cetane improver, demulsifier, 5% bio-diesel compatible, alcohol free
HFRR 603, 33 micron improvement
480:1 ratio
6.9 oz/tank
$4.35/tank

13)Used Motor Oil, Shell Rotella T 15w40, 5,000 miles used.
Unconventional (Not ULSD compliant, may damage systems)
HFRR 634, 2 micron improvement
200:1 ratio
16.64 oz/tank
price: market value

14)Lucas Upper Cylinder Lubricant
Gas or diesel
HFRR 641, 5 microns worse than baseline (statistically insignificant change)
427:1 ratio
7.8 oz/tank
$2.65/tank

15)B1000 Diesel Fuel Conditioner by Milligan Biotech
Multi-purpose, canola oil based additive
HFRR 644, 8 microns worse than baseline (statistically insignificant change)
1000:1 ratio
3.32 oz/tank
$2.67/tank

16)FPPF Lubricity Plus Fuel Power
Multi-purpose + anti-gel
Emulsifier, alcohol free
HFRR 675, 39 microns worse than baseline fuel
1000:1 ratio
3.32 oz/tank
$1.12/tank

17)Marvel Mystery Oil
Gas, oil and Diesel fuel additive (NOT ULSD compliant, may damage 2007 and newer systems)
HFRR 678, 42 microns worse than baseline fuel.
320:1 ratio
10.4 oz/tank
$3.22/tank

18)ValvTect Diesel Guard Heavy Duty/Marine Diesel Fuel Additive
Multi-purpose
Cetane improver, emulsifier, alcohol free
HFRR 696, 60 microns worse than baseline fuel
1000:1 ratio
3.32 oz/tank
$2.38/tank

19)Primrose Power Blend 2003
Multi-purpose
Cetane boost, bio-diesel compatible, emulsifier
HFRR 711, 75 microns worse than baseline
1066:1 ratio
3.12 oz/tank
$1.39/tank

CONCLUSIONS:

Products 1 through 4 were able to improve the unadditized fuel to an HFRR score of 460 or better. This meets the most strict requirements requested by the Engine Manufacturers Association.
Products 1 through 9 were able to improve the unadditized fuel to an HFRR score of 520 or better, meeting the U.S. diesel fuel requirements for maximum wear scar in a commercially available diesel fuel.
Products 16 through 19 were found to cause the fuel/additive blend to perform worse than the baseline fuel. The cause for this is speculative. This is not unprecedented in HFRR testing and can be caused by alcohol or other components in the additives. Further investigation into the possibilities behind these poor results will investigated.
Any additive testing within +/- 20 microns of the baseline fuel could be considered to have no significant change. The repeatability of this test allows for a +/- 20 micron variability to be considered insignificant.

I hope this helps anyone interested.

 

I use an additive sourced from Harbour City Diesel in Nanaimo. Anti gel, water separation, and cetane boost. Plus extra lubrication. Say what you want about additives, I love this stuff. You only use a couple ounces per tank and a a 14 ounce bottle is like $14 or so. The cetane boost definitely increased fuel mileage a little. So it practically pays for itself.

-Jim the Anvil