I know this has been thrashed out several times, but as a diesel newbie I must ask a question. In the US when we stop for fuel many stations do not have any labels on their diesel pumps stating the sulphur content and the station clerks for the most part have absolutely no knowledge of what I'm asking. I realize that in the US stations may sell LSD until December 2010 and that pumps dispensing ULSD must be tagged as such by federal law.
Therefore my question is if a diesel pump is not tagged as ULSD does everyone assume that it is just LSD and not fuel up their post-2007 diesel trucks?
I stopped at three station's today between Detroit and Ann Arbor before I found a station with ULSD labels on their pumps.
I wonder how many post-2007 diesel trucks are inadvertently being filled with LSD diesel causing DPF problems?

Looking at the Flying J, T&A, and Pilot fuel websites show that quite a few locations still sell LSD.
Guess we still have to be very vigilant look for the ULSD pump labels.

I must assume that the EPA website reporting 98.5% of all pumps being ULSD for 3rd QTR 2009 never surveyed any of the BIG 3 fuel service centers

As consumers we need to demand fuel stations follow the pump labelling law to avoid damage to our vehicles.

I will assume that if a pump is not labelled then it is not ULSD.

EPA also states that .27% of pumps labelled ULSD do not meet the 15ppm standard.

About time the refiners quite making LSD altogether

I really have to wonder whether alot of the plugged DPF issues are caused by inadvertantly running on LSD instead of ULSD .

How much warranty costs and customer dissatisfaction with late model diesel trucks is a result of the burning the wrong fuel???

EPA Fuel Survey

 

Personally, I agree with you. I travel the southeast and have to jump around between stations like you stated because I won't pump from an unmarked pump. Lots of folks tell me "don't worry about it, it all comes from the same place, etc..." I won't do it, call me crazy too.

Supposedly Ford will test your fuel system to see if the customer has been irresponsible but I can't see that they would be able to nail us with 100% accuracy. Who knows.

 

If it doesn't say ULSD on the pump, I would never put it in the tank. It is a pain in the neck still and when travelling I always stop with about a quarter tank left in case I have to keep driving to find ULSD.

 

Part of the problem is if the tank had non ULSD in it before, it can be impossible to clean the tank and sulfur will leach out long after it has been purged, cleaned, and filled with ULSD.

If you think 15ppm is hard, Europe is standardized on 10ppm...

 

I believe US refiners were to stop production of LSD in June 2007. If that's so, the likelihood of finding LSD, even in an unmarked pump, should be fairly slim by now.

 

Larry have a look at the attached link. US refiners have until 06/10 to cease LSD production. Distributors have until 10/10 to cease distribution of LSD and retailers have until 12/10 to cease the sale of highway LSD to the public.

Many station in the US still do sell LSD and owner's of DPF trucks still need to be very careful.
Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel will be the primary highway diesel fuel produced - Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance

As I stated I suspect that many owners of DPF equipped trucks are inadvertantly using LSD in ULSD vehicle's and while it may not cause an immediate problem to use LSD once in a blue moon it will clog up the DPF if used frequently.

ULSD pump survey results

It is also scary that the EPA survey show that while 98.5% of pumps are supposed to be selling ULSD .27% of pumps labelled as ULSD do not meet the 15ppm standard suggesting that stations are selling LSD out of ULSD pumps.

 

I would not pump from a unmarked pump and would make sure the pump s aid ULSD. having said that we did , due to my own negligence and inattention, pump @ 15 gallons of LSD into my tank which mixed with maybe 1/4 tank of ULSD. We had to run maybe 60 miles or so before we found a ULSD pump and filled up. We noted no difference what so ever with the LSD in the tank or there after.... Just our experience..

 

LSD is still being made and costs a hare cheaper. Stations are still running it because it is easier then purging the old stuff out for the new.

Don't pump unless you can verify the correct stuff.

Also what I have learned is to program your GPS if you have it to show all the truck stops. Most will have at least one pump with ULSD