are you guys running any fuel products or recommend it.
I live in mid west Illinois it gets cold. I also use my truck daily and fuel up once a week, and it stays in a just above freezing garage. im getting mixed reviews from mostly old school guys

 

Edited: Apparently, I'm using the wrong stuff. Time to learn.

 

The only thing I would say is make sure there are no emulsifiers/de-emulsifiers or alcohol in whatever you use. These can allow water to pass through your water separator/fuel conditioner module causing extensive fuel system damage. If it does not say on the bottle(most don't), google the product SDS sheet and it will list all ingredients. I use Lucas, mostly to add lubricity to the fuel, something the ULSD fuel is lacking.

 

Do NOT use Power Service products! They contain alcohols & emulsifiers. I was a big fan of them in my 3406E Cat engine in my Western Star, but they will cause damage to your Powerstroke over time, especially if you have water in fuel issues.

 

A user on these forums with ~23,000 posts received an email from PowerService and it contained the following:

Diesel Kleen and Diesel Fuel Supplement are demulsifier/solubilizers. This means that they will not allow the fuel to carry any more water than it naturally would, and they will demulsify excess water. Neither of these products will emulsify free water droplets into the fuel. Diesel fuel typically carries 50-100 ppm water naturally. Biodiesel can carry 10x the amount of water as regular diesel fuel.

How is a guy supposed to learn what's right and what's wrong when there is so much conflicting info? This is a serious question.

 

Water has always been bad for a diesel injection system, but especially for the modern diesels. The fuel injection system is very complex today, compared to the mechanically injected engines of years ago, and as such, very costly to repair. You have to look at the ingredients of a given additive and know what those ingredients do. Alcohols absorb water, which will allow the water to pass through your water separator/fuel conditioner and into your EFI system. Repairs are on the order of $12,000. This is why diesels have always had a water separator, even 50yrs ago. Modern diesels are much cleaner today and most don't need an additive, except for lubricity. ULSD(todays #2 diesel), lacks the lubricity of the diesel fuel of years ago, which may cause injector and HPFP issues. But then again, the new diesels are designed for this fuel. Everyone has their opinion on this issue, right or wrong. Ultimately, you have to decide for yourself. Ask a dozen guys about additives, you will get a dozen answers, even ask different dealers, you will get different answers. I would only say stay away from the alcohol/emulsifiers.

 

Exactly. Read the PSPs for Power Service. It is primarily alcohols & petroleum derivatives that are, in fact, emulsifiers. The letter from Power Service quoted above is largely smoke & mirrors/word manipulation. There is a certain amount of water than can be emulsified in a given volume of diesel fuel. Any more than that will naturally be “demulsified”, or precipitated out. That’s 8th grade science class.

 

I use Motorcraft PM22 anti-gel in the winter and Motorcraft PM23 Cetane booster in the summer months. Ford's additive is affordable, especially if bought by the gallon at the dealership. It also works well for me.
These threads are plentiful on these boards and the same arguments are always made about one brand over the other. It has become about as bad as a "which brand oil is best" thread.
Look guys, you all can do as you please, but the way I see it, I have a very expensive engine here that is going to be under Ford Motor Companies warranty for a long time. I'm not going to run ANYTHING in this engine other than what they recommend. If something breaks, they can't blame the oil, fuel additive or anything else that I put in or on it, as I've done what they asked of me. It just seems to be a wise choice. It's not like one additive is going to give you 5 mpg better fuel economy, so is it really worth the trouble to monkey around with other brands?
To me, No. However, I won't besmirch you for running anything you want.

 

You've got those backwards.

I've seen many who say run the PM22 all year and add the PM23 if/as your weather requires it. Thoughts?

Thanks for helping me understand. This is my first diesel.

 

Thanks for the correction on that, I did get it backwards.
As far as your question goes, I really don't know, I think it would depend upon where you live and how cold it gets. I log every gallon of fuel that goes through the truck. I fill up at the same pump 95% of the time, and do it the same every time. (My wife just rolls her eyes) The cetane booster seems to give a little better fuel mileage than the anti-gel, so what you're proposing may be a good idea.


I prefill a bunch of 4 oz. bottles with the additive and put them in the toolbox so they're ready when I fill up.

 

I have had a bad experience with Power Service when my fuel gelled...even thought I bought diesel from a station in the mountains and followed the directions perfectly on the bottle it still froze up. Once started I didn't turn it off for 24 hours until I made arrangements for a warm garage for night. When we drove the truck somewhere I never turned it off...even for 6 hour ski excursions or snow mobile tours...I just let it run.

I learned my lesson and now run only AMSOIL or Opti Lube formulas.

Many guys run the Ford formulas but there are other options like the 2 I mentioned or Stanadyne.

 

You could run zero additives and you'd be fine. In extreme cold, it is true diesel fuel (which naturally contains some water in the fuel) can wax/gel which can prevent your engine from running. In this case, PM23 anti-gel is a good idea to add before the extreme cold is expected. By extreme cold, I mean well below zero. I doubt you see well below zero that often in Illinois.

Some guys run the PM22 with every fillup, claiming it adds lubricity to the fuel pump. This may be true, but Ford/Bosch are well aware that today's modern ULSD doesn't lube well and designed the pump accordingly. The owner's manual does not require any additives be added to the fuel. So this argument is kind of like insisting the EcoBoost trucks need to run on premium when the manual says 87 octane is just fine.

Additives seem to be more of a thing of the past...like trucks running full mechanical or HEUI fuel systems. Those trucks had a much harder time starting in cold weather. It is true, however, that the older, lower-pressure pumps were more resilient to water. Nevertheless, fuel gelling is still a potential issue, and as long as people keep buying...Ford will leave the additives on the shelf.

I would suggest using only Ford-branded additives. Given the tremendous potential cost of replacing the fuel system, you can be assured the Ford stuff at least won't hurt anything and won't affect warranty.

 

Keep in mind if your state requires bio-diesel to be blended with your diesel, that adds lubricity...


http://biodiesel.org/docs/ffs-perfor...s.pdf?sfvrsn=4

 

I have always used Stanadyne performance formula. It is a quality product made by a large fuel injector manufacturer. Year round, every fill. I have used it since 2006.

Lubricity is one big issue, stiction another and water in fuel a third.
It helps with all this plus has a cetane improver. Might have been fine without it, but when I first started using it on the Ford 6.2, the difference in the actual sound of the engine was amazing...I was sold. Smoother and quieter.

Don't forget to drain your fuel/water separator monthly. Document it.

 

What do you guys think about Hot Shot Secret EDT (Everyday Diesel Treatment). I've been using it but it does contain an emulsifier (I believe).