Low Sulphur diesel is causing a higher incidence of fuel pump failure due to the decrease in lubricant.
Discuss.
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Isn't it a bit early to judge?
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Sure does, thats why we all use Millers Dieselclean Plus in our diesels!
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Do we all use Millers? I have had a diesel for the past 10 years and never come across it.
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I had not seen it when I wrote this thread but there is another similar one from yesterday
www.honestjohn.co.uk/phorum/read.php?f=1&i=50067&t...7
which talks of the same stuff. Seems like there is views either way about whether it is worth using. I started this one because I was just told by a local mechanic that he is starting to see a lot more pump problems and believes it is down to Low Sulphur diesel.
Anyone else want to nail this one properly
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Going back to when lower sulphur fuels were beginning to make a presence about 5-6 years ago I was informed by the diesel specialists I use for pump and injector overhauls that Bosch had sent round a memorandum advising of premature pump failure due to the lack of lubricity of low sulphur fuels. I have used Millers ever since.
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Do we all use Millers?
Covered just a few miles shy of 200k in 3 diesels using cheap supermarket stuff, usually Sainsbury's City, or Tesco's, no Millers or other additive. In theory should make me a prime candidate for problems. Resultant number of problems is a very round number. 0
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Sainsburys City is "special stuff" that's shipped in from Sweden. It has the lowest amount of sulphur of any diesel in the world. It also uses a highly developed additive package. Tesco is not nearly as good stuff. 200k between 3 diesels isn't very many miles. I would use Millers as cheap insurance against dodgey fuel. It also increases the cetane rating of the fuel, so you should get more mpg.
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Todd is absolutely correct here. When ULSD was first introduced in Sweden, there were indeed problem with injection pumps and so on. It was proved that this was due either to the removal of suphur itself, and/or the extra processes done to remove the sulphur. Therefore a lubricant package was added, and this was all sorted well before Greenergy imported the first lots of City Diesel into UK. That is why I tend to use Sainsbury's.
Just to start a tangential thread, remember them MBRM?
OEH (Our Exalted Host) HJ frequently mentions using petrol with good detergent packages, twice in Saturdays DT column alone. Shell and Texaco being mentioned by name. I'm sure its generally good advice but Shell and Texaco are like rocking horse effluent round our way.
So my question is this. Where is this info on which fuels have a high detergency factor? (english? spelling?)
Is there some report other than eg shell website? Where does say Esso, which is easier for me to buy, stack up in all this.
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This came up some time ago, with respect to supermarket fuels versus, say, Shell. The suggestion was that supermarket low sulphur diesel was suspect because of lack of additives to replace the lubricant. If I remember correctly, HJ said that hsi favoured fuel was Shell Optimax.
I e-mailed Sainsbury's to ask if their product contained additives to replace the lost lubricating properties of sulphur and they replied, confirming that it did.
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AE
To confirm what others have said, this is by no means a new 'problem'. However, I'm sure I've seen information in the motoring press that this has been countered by the inclusion of suitable lubrication aditives by the fuel suppliers. I'm sure Sainsburys confirmed that in advertising for their low-sulphur diesel.
Like FIF really do have doubts about the 'poor quality' of supermarket fuels. I've never yet seen a Sainsbury's or Tesco refinery, and even the majors share refinery products. So, wherever you buy, you'll get a mix of fuels. I've used supermarket petrol for years and never had problems, and I don't believe the odd tank of Esso or whatever has saved the day.
Regards
john
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I tend to share your view. If some fuels are fine (in terms of additives) and some not, how do we know which are which?
If Millers, or any other product, is good for replacing non-existent lubricant, what happens if you add it to fuel which is already treated at the refinery? Might it then become detrimental?
It's possible that, over a long time and high mileage, the effects may show one way or the other. By then, though, other factors such as air pollution, frequency of oil and filter changes, etc., would also have had their effects.
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Somewhere way back in the Back Room I seem to recall it said basically ALL fuel of whatever name/brand comes from a limited number of refineries but that the delivery drivers were responsible for controlling the addition of additives as the fuel was delivered to the garages. Sounds a bit odd to me but I don't think my memory is at fault; maybe the person who posted hadn't got it quite right!
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Pete
Could have been my post. Yes, there are very few (4 or 5?) major refineries in the UK
The additive comment refered to the old 'New Formula Shell', which used a special additive pack added to fuel storage tank on delivery. Caused no end of problems with sticking valves where treatment levels were not corect. The fuel was withdrawn.
I believe this method is not currently used.
Regards
John
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