I'm not afraid to look stupid, so I'll be the one to ask.

So there's three grades of gas (regular, mid, and premium). Why don't they have different grades of diesel? Assume I know nothing. Thanks!

 

Diesel #2 is what on-road vehicles use. There are other grades:

Fuels: United States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_oil
Distantly related to the octane grades for gas. Distantly.

 

I dont believe i've ever payed attention to the "grade" and if it was listed on the pump. I wonder if there is a power advantage to running different "Brands" or "Grades"?..hmm

 

Generally, the higher the Cetane rating, the better the fuel will burn. However, diesel fuel isn't handled the same way inside the engine that gasoline is. Gasoline has to resist being ignited by compression heat and hot spots in the engine, while still being reliably ignited by the spark plug. Octane is the measure of this resistance.
In a diesel, the fuel needs to ignite when injected, without exploding.

 

the older pre 90's diesels would run on just about anything. waste motor oil to JP-1
the new diesels are designed to run on #2 fuel oil, and putting anything else in them will usually do damage.

 

it would be great to see a regular, mid, and premium grade option at the diesel pumps as well.as those all basically mean higher octane ratings for gas 87/89/92 or the like,they would mean higher cetane for the #2 diesel fuels.40/45/50 or the like.
the problem is,there are not enough diesel cars and trucks on the road for it.in many places still,your lucky if you don't have to drive 5-10 miles between fuel stations who just has a diesel pump,let alone one offering multi grades.-i run into it a lot here in Maine.iv got to know where and take mental notes still who just sells diesel.
i don't foresee any of the stations installing 2-3 devoted diesel tanks for multi grades.they would all condensate and be loaded with water before they would sell enough of it.im always just happy to find a fuel station who just has one tank lol.
it's not even federally mandated for the single diesel pumps to list their cetane rating like it is a must for them to list the fuel's power ratings for gas.the store clerks don't even know what cetane number even stands for,so there's no point in ever asking either i learned very quickly lmao.
if this energy crisis keeps up with killer fuel prices,who knows.perhaps they'll start offering some decent diesel car options here in the states and we'll have some options.but i wouldn't hold your breath.

 

Yea I've heard and seen guys put gasoline in their diesels to get them somewhere or another. Will putting a more aggressive less compressively explosive high octane fuel in a diesel say, make more power than if it was running on diesel due to the more explosive traits of gasoline? or am i getting abit of topic?

 

that would be about different type of fuels not so much fuel grades.
you don't want to put any gas in your modern diesel.they used to cut it with gas back in the day with a little k1 i guess.that was just to help keep it from gelling up.that was only the idi's.very bad things would happen no doubt trying that with such high pressurized direct injection.

 

Thanks for the answers, everyone! I learn something new everyday.

 

There are 2 grades of diesel #1 and #2. #1 is for blending with #2 in the winter but you dont hardly see it any more i havent seen a truckstop with #1 in ten years or more

 

Well there is two grades of diesel.
Its not #1 and #2 but premium and regular.
I pick it up at the terminals and bring to stations.
Its how the diesel is processed.
Most stations get regular.
I used to have the write up on both. Been looking for it but no luck.

 

The #1 was mainly used north of the i-40 corridor during winter and you blended it yourself now there is no need as most fuel distributors do it

 

up here (North Pole) we got #1, #2, and sometimes "Mixed" (whatever that really means) diesel, and heating oil- (#1 and #2 also), some stations even have a K-1 pump.

I have been sticking to one larger station trying to make sure get fresher fuel. If drove North more would get fuel at HillTop Truck Stop, that's where most of the semi's on the Haul road appear to be fueling at.

Chris

 

I use Diesel #2 in my pickup. It seems to do well though.