PumpDaddy

I HAD to fuel again at Wally World on Monday, coming home I realized that the truck was sucking fumes, Yeh, the little ding went off and the light was on, but I was tired, when I finally decided to fuel, I pulled into the Wally World because it was easy and .15 a gallon cheaper. Now the best I can do, even going down hill is 16.2, truck was running 18.6 when I stopped. I have noticed at times the Wally fuel drops my MPG from the good stuff. Anybody got any ideas about this, is it just crappy fuel, or could they be dumping fuel from tankers that have other stuff in them. 2 days on the tank of fuel and I'm down to 1/2 tank. Air filter was changed 3 weeks ago along with fuel filter at oil change. I'm half way tempted to siphon the tank and re-fuel it with the good stuff and see, and then install a BIG red "re-fuel me you IDIOT" light on the dash. And this isn't winter, crap, it was 99* at the shop the other day, but only 79* inside, thanks to the new 10 ton A/C unit

Foxborough

The same thing happened to me last month. Comming back home with the boat, getting around 13.5 mpg. Stopped at a Mobil in Bloomington, Illinois. Back on the road got 11.5 ( I always reset @ fill-up) every time I reset again... the same. Then I noticed the EGT was about 100 deg hotter. After the next fill-up the truck got better. The truck ran & sounded fine the whole time. I think some of these places are using the ethanol blend stuff. Ethanol has somewhere above 2/3 the BTU content of diesel. I am sure there are other people on this sight with more information.

MikeyB

My last two tanks from Wal Mart has been down also. My guess we are now getting ULSD. Suxs......

MikeyB

Foxborough

I can't see how less sulphur will affect combustion by say 10%, ULSD. Also here in Illinois they are starting to produce the ULSD, real low output so far. I can see how an operator would buy cheeper bio-diesel and sell it at regular diesel price. I am sure the new stuff will be more $$$$ as always. Just my thoughts.

Foxborough

Correction... I looked it up today and see that production of the new ULSD has increased significantly last two weeks here, yip yip yahoo. The web is http://www.eia.doe.gov has a lot of good information. It says there that biodiesel ignites quicker and is 11% less efficient than normal diesel. FYI.

abc4yew

Water doesn't burn as well as diesel also I've been burning 80ppm sulfur diesel since day one as that is all we get. I do get about 100 more km on a good stinky fill of old #2. ks

Foxborough

If you get 100 k more per tank with #2 then you must be burning some sort of diesel with ethanol, right? Or do you always have winter blend up in Canada.

ramtd02

no we dont always have winter blend.....but as the sulpher content drops in diesel....so does its btu/gallon. as well as lubricity. Good old #2 has 5000 ppm of sulpher and at 80 ppm your probably looking at 8-10% reduction in heat energy in the diesel, therefore 8-10% less fuel efficiency!

qmcdt

Yes we do always have winter fuel up here, sled dogs and igloo's all year round. (the kids are sleeping tonight in the one we built in the backyard.) You shouldn't travel to Canada even in the summer months cause it's so cold up here, that the low alcohol beer ya'll drink down there will just freeze up here if you set it down. That's why our beer starts at 5%. Just like our diesel. Na just funning ya. We are running on full #2 now, but there are still some winter batches in the odd tank or delivery out there. I'll get 13.5 mpg imp towing the fifth wheel on one batch, and then I'll get 10 mpg imp on the next fuel up. Sulfur has 1/3 the energy of carbon but a lower ignition temperature. It helps light the fuel off (just like it does in oldstyle blackpowder), increases lubricity and is twice as dense as water so it increases the density of your fuel which means more fuel mass per squrit.

ramtd02

yep, but the process of removing sulphur unfortunatly also removes some of the aromatic compounds, which is lowers heat energy/mass.

Foxborough

Wow I didn't know about the sulphur, interesting stuff. I know Canada isn't cold and snow all the time, but I believe you have two seasons, winter & misquitoes .

tomm

LOL...

qmcdt

I see have already been here. Did you enjoy the free tranfusion?

Childofthewind

Ethanol can be blended with gasoline, not diesel. There should never be gas or Ethanol in your diesel fuel.

Strjock81

Removing the sulphur will have little if any impact on the energy content of the fuel. The aromatics contribute to seal swell and conditioning, but relatively none to the energy level of fuel per pound. Don't believe the rumors that the hacks on the message boards are spreading--look at the actual industry tests and government documents that back it up. I could locate the documents to back these statements up but I am ready for bed.

Lubricity of the fuel will be brought up to mandated standards before the fuel ever hits your tank, but it won't hurt to add a little dose of additive. Bear in mind, and this isn't brought up enough here, that some of the chemicals found in additives like Diesel Kleen, or any other diesel additive that smells like it (most do) attack bearings in engines when used in overabundance. Especially in winter when fuel is forced past the rings and gets into your oil. I used to use slightly higher than maintenance doses of the stuff all the time and couldn't figure out why my bearing wear metals were so high in my UOAs. Terry Dyson figured out what was going on and once I switched to Schaeffer's Neutra and/or Fuel Power (FP60) the abnormal bearing wear ceased in one OCI. In Winter, I don't have any gelling problems running winterized diesel here in the NE part of IL without any additional additives, although sometimes I do add just a dab of white power service because it makes me feel better if it is going to be below 0.