Diesel additives

[ger08]

Can anyone recommend an additive. I have used Liqui Moly clean and boost in the past and it was pretty good, but just wondering if there’s anything better.

[NTBenny]

https://costeffective.com.au/product/ftc-decarbonizer/

I've been using this for 2 yrs and very happy with it.

Benny.

[Garc]

I use Chemtech Diesel Power from Supercheap. It quietens the diesel clatter from the engine. Get it when there are specials.

[ger08]

Thanks for the responses

[WHID]

I have searched the internet exhaustively and cannot find anything resembling an 'independent' review of any diesel additive. Everything I have found is presented by some entity or another which appears to have a vested interest.

A phrase, used in another field and which I heard once, goes something like; 'There's more BS in the diesel additive business than there is in a Northern Territory feedlot'.

The catch can/oil mist separator thing is similar. Though, one is able to find an odd 'independent' view.

I would really like to know if a diesel additive IS necessary. I note that it would appear that standards for diesel fuel in Australia have not been updated in the past 19 years. I'm not sure that that is a good thing.

[NTBenny]

Worth a read this information. Specifically the UWA Centre for Energy test report.

https://costeffective.com.au/fpc-diesel-additive-scientific-testing/

Benny.

[onair]

I would really like to know if a diesel additive IS necessary.

Not sure if it's necessary or not, but I'm pretty sure the warranty book says that adding any additives voids the warranty. (Not sure if those asking are for older out-of-warranty vehicles, or new ones), so might be something to keep in mind.

[geopaj]

https://costeffective.com.au/product/ftc-decarbonizer/

I've been using this for 2 yrs and very happy with it.

Benny.

I’ve been using Cost Effective Maintenance products for a few years after being recommended them by a few of the SA Pajero boys.

I also use the Common Rail Diesel Fuel Enhancer (https://costeffective.com.au/product...-rail-engines/) which is their ‘normal’ diesel additive. About 50-100km after I first started using it, I noticed the engine was quieter, smoother and ‘happier’. Only last week, a friend with an NW with half the mileage of mine was in mine and commented on how quiet my engine is compared to his (mines at almost 340k km). I don’t think it is ‘essential’ to use an additive but I have continued to use the CEM stuff. While it’s expensive to buy, with the the low treatment rate, it’s fairly cheap (1ltr treats 8,000ltrs of diesel, so the ‘average’ 60ltr tank refill costs $1).

I know that this thread is about diesel additives, but I’ve also been using their Flushing Oil Concentrate (https://costeffective.com.au/product...l-concentrate/) and I can’t believe how much gunk comes out the engine and home cleaner the oil stays.

[BruceandBobbi]

We use a diesel additive plus 2 stroke in the tank. Use quality oil/filter and change every 7,5000ks. We also use an oil flushing agent every change.

Everything under the rocker cover is immaculate when tappets are adjusted.

At 330,000k plus it uses no oil.

[greybeard]

Not suggesting that regular oil changes aren't a good thing but given that every oil change uses up 5-6+ litres of oil it's a bit of a stretch to say that your engine doesn't use oil.
Just arguing the toss over when the oil is used, between service intervals or at the end of each service.

[JohnFromPerth]

Adding low ash two stroke oil to diesel fuel in the ratio of 200mls to 80 litres or there about is widely done.
The rational is that since recent regulations require very low sulphur content in diesel, and the fuel loses its lubricating properties and causes fuel pump and injector wear.Fuel manufacturers state that they add lubricating chemicals to the diesel to counter this problem so maybe the practice is a waste of good two stroke oil.
As far as fuel additives go, I agree there is little independent reviews of additives and I would steer clear of them.

[WHID]

. . . As far as fuel additives go, . . . I would steer clear of them.

Thank you JFP.

Based upon verifiable 'facts' (not opinions), are there any here who would support an opposing position?

It's another discussion, but I'm not completely comfortable with the UWA report. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something about it which leaves me discomforted. I almost feel a need to 'test the tester' - peer review maybe.

Why are there so many (fuel/diesel additive) products available and so little research as to their value and efficacy?

Thoughts?

[BruceandBobbi]

I'm not saying additives are good or bad. It's up to individuals to decide if they use them.

As I said in another post Mitsubishi promote and sell an OEM injector cleaner. Make of that what you will.

Don't get to wrapped up with peer reviews. Lance, the most prestigious journal in the world recently had to remove two peer reviewed papers from it's journal.

[insect_eater]

The search for truth is but a wonderful thing. Facts (verifiable, or simply 'known' truths), opinions, deductive truth, inductive truth - by what tests will you be satisfied?

I suggest refining your question to something very narrow and use specific search enquiries on google scholar eg:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=fuel+additive+diesel+-biodiesel+-filter&btnG=

interestingly, one of the results was from 1967. I don't know if this is true here (I never rely on just one journal article, but the do the body of literature that stands the test of time.), but if something is well established in science, soetimes little attention is further given to it. I also cannot vouch for this source, nor have seen article, and if I did would not have sufficient knowledge to assess the methods used.

it says:

"The use of diesel smoke suppressant additive (SSA) provides an effective method of suppressing black smoke formation in 25 different makes of engines tested both in Europe and the United States. A proposed mechanism is offered to explain the smoke suppressing action of the additive.
The additive also reduces carbon deposits, provides antiwear protection for injectors and piston rings, and may offer a modest increase in fuel economy. Fleet tests covering more than 4,000,000 miles of operation have proved the value of SSA.
Exhaust gas analyses are substantially unchanged by the use of SSA. Animal feeding and respiratory tests on the exhaust solids from engines using SSA-treated fuel show negligible toxicity.
Additional benefits of SSA include better storage stability, improved antistatic properties, and antibacterial protection."

https://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/670093/

This however, may not be relevant to the information you seek.

I do not know the answer to your question, but one answer to your question may be that: Their value was established long ago (whether or not that is relevant to modern diesel engines now is another matter). Another may be that there is little academic value in undertaking research on such a topic. these two possible reasons may be related.

I also agree with BruceandBobbi the peer-review process is flawed and is far from from the objective process it purports to be. Science can be very much influenced by human frailties. EDIT: As noted above, science give little weight to the most recent publications, it relies on the concepts that have stood the test of time despite reexamination, so often the primary source material is older than that available through the electronic literature.

NOTE: I have not been using additives. Though I did throw in a little two-stroke oil a couple of years ago for a bit of fun. I don't have a view either way. I am intrigued by the positive anecdotal experiences of members, and I have learned to not discount anecdotal observations out of hand.

[nj swb]

My 2c:

A few years ago I was walking through a car park, leaving a sporting event, when I passed a bloke sitting on the tailgate of his Hilux, organising some small bottles. I thought they were sauce bottles, and he'd just finished his lunch, and I made some small chitchat comment as I passed.

They were bottles of additives, and he'd just finished dosing his tanks.

We got chatting. He was a retired lab technician, having spent his working life working for a major petrochemical company, testing blends and additives.

As a result of his experience he used two additives in his D4D - one was his own custom concoction (that he let me smell, then said he shouldn't have - but it was OK for him because he already had cancer ), the other was Flashlube Common Rail diesel conditioner. He even gave me the 250ml bottle he was putting away, so I wouldn't forget.

There was no benefit for him to give it to me, I wasn't asking him for hints or tips or advice. If he was a salesman in disguise he did a very good job - I've been using it ever since. Buying 1 litre bottles on sale it adds a bit under 3c per litre to fuel costs. I can normally save more than that by shopping around when it comes time to fill both tanks.

If I stop using this I think it will be to swap to CEM.