Cetane ratings; odd situation ??
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 155
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From: New York
Cetane ratings; odd situation ??
I have been using Hess fuels (otherwise known as Amerada Hess in upstate NY) diesel fuel with a cetane rating of 42, I recently re-fueled at a known truck stop which sells a very large amount of diesel fuel- unknown what brand it is other than that it says Premium Diesel Fuel on the pump with a cetane rating of 40...however my 6.0 runs absolutely the quietest it ever has and the mileage was an incredible 17 mpg, 75% city 25% highway!!!...with a lower cetane rating?? my calculation is right on...so would you think this is just a freak thing or is there something to be said for a truck stop diesel fuel??? I do use 16oz. of Sea Foam and 16oz. of Marvel Mystery Oil at every fill-up
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,990
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From: Middleburg, FL
Since it indicated premium diesel fuel, I would assume there is an additive package the truck stop adds to its fuel (such as Power Service or Stanadyne) that boosts the cetane level 4-6 points in order to advertise the "premium" moniker. More than likely the pump was mislabeled with the wrong cetane rating or the cetane rating applied to the base fuel prior to the additive package. You more than likely actually filled up with with fuel having a true cetane rating closer to 45 or 46. It's the only way I can explain your results. If you were actually using a lower cetane fuel, it should have gotten slightly worse mileage and may have been slightly noisier.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 264
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From: Texas
another possibility you might not like
the HESS may not be 42 or even 40 then there's the possibility that the HESS pump shows 20 gal sold but you really only got 19 or 19.5
here's an example
back in the late 70's early 80's i always calculated my gas milage (still do)
fill up at X station milage = 17
fill up at y station milage = 17.2
fill up at z station milage = 16.8
fill up at Gulf station milage = 15
fill up at X station milage = 17.1
fill up at y station milage = 16.6
fill up at Gulf station milage = 14.5 actually put (according to Gulf) 32 gal in a 30 gal tank that was NOT empty
the HESS may not be 42 or even 40 then there's the possibility that the HESS pump shows 20 gal sold but you really only got 19 or 19.5
here's an example
back in the late 70's early 80's i always calculated my gas milage (still do)
fill up at X station milage = 17
fill up at y station milage = 17.2
fill up at z station milage = 16.8
fill up at Gulf station milage = 15
fill up at X station milage = 17.1
fill up at y station milage = 16.6
fill up at Gulf station milage = 14.5 actually put (according to Gulf) 32 gal in a 30 gal tank that was NOT empty
Last edited by albran; Jul 8, 2006 at 11:27 PM.
