They have different size bottles, The small ones you dump the hole thing in at once, The bigger ones usually have to put in a certain amount at a time, The bigger container will last a few fill ups.

 

.64 ounces per gallon

 

Well we spend $55,000 per year on red dyed fuel and legally use it in on highway vehicles including our 6.0.
The only thing the dye tells you is if road taxes have been paid, it won't tell you anything about the sulfer content.

 

The costs difference is probably #1 diesel and #2 diesel fuel.

 

In addition to this, it may also be LSD vs. ULSD

A couple of weeks ago, my wife kept pointing out that most of the service stations around here had raised their price up .40 cents. However, the truck stop where I buy my fuel had not changed their price. Curiosity got the best of me, so I pulled into a couple of the stations that had the higher price. They already have the USLD stickers on their pumps, but the station I use does not. I guess when the truck stop gets their tanks certified as USLD, their price will go up too. I just hope it isn't the $1 difference.

 

I have always gone to stations where I know they go through a lot of fuel. The concept being that since it's renewed it's bound to be fresh. Perhaps it's bad logic.. anyone know any better? I have seen as much as $.25 between stations in town. Everything here in CA is ULSD now.

 

The last station I filled up (Mobile), there was finally a sticker...for ultra low sulfur. No grade rating. Wondering if the ULSD will be more uniform?

I'll stick with that station as much as possilbe until I see marking elsewhere.

Thanks

 

Fuel.....

[B]Lesson #1...[/B]
Stations will mark their pumps with either a LSD (500ppm) or ULSD (15ppm) sticker. They can not use the new ULSD sticker until they have either fludhed out their system or run enough ULSD through it to qualify. Many refiners are even making their fuel with 2ppm - 5ppm sulfur to mix with the the old fuel to try to come to an average sulfur content... at least to meet or be below the current 500ppm level. When they have pumped enough of this, then they re-sticker it for ULSD (15ppm) and that is all they pump.

[B]Lesson #2...[/B]
I doubt that a Circle K gas station has dyed dyed diesel and usually if you ask or it will be stickered on the pump. What is the prevailing price in your area... if a stations price is too low... maybe it is too good to be true? Maybe they are not pumping enough diesel and need to get rid of the old fuel... which means you may not want it anyway? No where in my travels have I ever seen diesel prices between 2 stations more than a .05 - .20/gallon difference... so you are right to question it... so again.. what is the norm in your town or metro area for diesel?

Lesson 3...
The use of additives is good and beneficial. If you lease your truck and will only have it for a few years and still within warrenty.. then only use anti-gel in the winter if you live in a cold climate. Otherwise why spend the money? If you plan on keeping for a long time and own your truck, then use it for the extra lubricity and injector cleaners.

Many of us use additives (Powerservice or Standyne) due to the fluctuations in diesel fuel right now as it relates to sulfur content and quality. The extra cetane boost, cleaners and lubricity are all beneficial whether one feels extra power or extra mileage gains or not.

 

Beachbumcook,

Thank you for the information. Good stuff.

I always questioned the ONE station that was $0.50-$ 0.80 more than 0.5 miles down the road from other stations carrying diesel. I just figured it was more of their location (others were slightly less convenient) and greediness. Maybe it was/is due to a combination of things.

Thanks again.

 

Perhaps it's more expensive because it's a Bio blend?

Gunner15a

 

Depending on when my small town stations get their truck, their price maybe .05/gallon difference for a day or two as one station sells more than the other and it depends if they have lower or higher cost fuel the last time they filled up. Some cities have different taxes so .01 - .03/gallon can be the difference... and of course... just the brand and which corner of the street they are on also plays into it.

Since I fly a lot for my job, I frequent a truck-stop near my airport that has the lowest prices around, high volume/turnover, small city taxes and is on Missouri which has lower state taxes than on the Kansas side of Kansas City.

All play into the cost (gas or diesel).

The "Q-Trip" truck stop I use has 6 lanes of LSD and 1 lane of ULSD for the time being. They also sell Powerservice in the white bottle for $11.99/jug which is less than Walmart or anywhere else!!!

 

One thing on prices. Some list a cash price with all exemptions for semi's. Others do not. There could be the 20 cents difference. Here in Michigan - on the posted sign it says exempt and cash (in small print under the price) . With means the price will be around 15 - 20 cents more for the average person pulling in.

 

Has anyone noticed any appreciable milage per gallon DROP in their MPG with ulsd? I just fueled up on Sunday at Wallyworld (I always buy my fuel there) and I noticed that my milage went from (usual) 14-16 in town to about 11. Never experienced this prior to Sunday. I don't know whether this is an anomoly or maybe less fuel got put in the last fill up or what. I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens the next fill up. I always hand calculate MPG.


JB

 

Hey MAxium 4X4....are they selling ULSD in Findlay yet?

JB

 

Mileage can drop for a number of reasons...

1) Winterized fuel (depends on where one lives and if treated or not). Adding #1D fuel to #2D will cause a big drop!!

2) Cetane level in fuel - In the US can be from 40 - 48 (most is minimum 40)

3) ULSD or LSD - ULSD has about 1% less energy... but will not cause 3 - 5 drops in mileage.

4) Stations switching from LSD to ULSD will mix in very low 2 - 5 ppm to mix with the higher 500ppm (old stuff) to get to an average of 15ppm or less to be labled ULSD.

5) Ambient temps - this will affect ones fuel buring effectiveness.

6) Amount of idling due to coler weather in parts of the US.

7) Looking at overhead mpg monitor rather than hand-calculations.


My vote is on the mixing of old and new fuels as ULSD makes it way into distribution and the lower cetane levels of winterized fuel or just plain "poor fuel".

Try different stations... but my mileage has held steady even though I have run 5 tanks of ULSD through my truck.... but I do use Cetane boost additives from PowerService in every tank.