Additives For Diesel Fuel

[gjones]

I see that there are several additives available for diesel fuel at various fuel stations. Has anyone tried them and are they any good?

[svenivan]

I have heard someone saying that the best is to put half a liter of Automatic transmission oil every 5000 km to clean the engine. Should work both on diesel and gas engines.

Is that a good idea?

:D

Edited January 24, 2007 by svenivan

[Crossy]

I wouldn't put anything except fuel in the fuel tank

OK, on a high mileage vehicle I might use some injector cleaner but not on a regular basis.

Putting ATF (Auto Transmission Fluid) in the fuel tank?? Probably not wise, see above for fuel system cleaner.

BTW If you have a noisy gearbox (manual) or back axle, stick a whole banana in complete with skin, quietens things down a treat

[elkangorito]

I wouldn't put anything except fuel in the fuel tank

OK, on a high mileage vehicle I might use some injector cleaner but not on a regular basis.

Putting ATF (Auto Transmission Fluid) in the fuel tank?? Probably not wise, see above for fuel system cleaner.

BTW If you have a noisy gearbox (manual) or back axle, stick a whole banana in complete with skin, quietens things down a treat

Bananas work good for noisy tappets too

Edited January 24, 2007 by elkangorito

[goldfish]

I wouldn't put anything except fuel in the fuel tank

OK, on a high mileage vehicle I might use some injector cleaner but not on a regular basis.

Putting ATF (Auto Transmission Fluid) in the fuel tank?? Probably not wise, see above for fuel system cleaner.

BTW If you have a noisy gearbox (manual) or back axle, stick a whole banana in complete with skin, quietens things down a treat

Bananas work good for noisy tappets too

They're not bad as food either. Just in case you are not aware, this is sarcasm. Oil used to be used for cleaning off carbon from combustion chambers. Poured in hot through spark plug holes then blown thru before firing the engine.

As for pouring it in your tank. Hopefully it wont block the diesel filter, injector pump or injectors and make it to your combustion chambers. Hopefully then it will ignite when the diesel does and follow thru the exhaust, and not seep past the piston rings raising the compression in your engine. In other words don't bother

[Gary A]

Run bio diesel and that will keep your fuel system nice and clean. Since it's not easy to find bio diesel, a can of injector cleaner about every thirty thousand kilometers is just fine for for your engine.

[svenivan]

Thanks guys, you are right. Not a good idea!

I did a search with Altavista.com for "ATF in diesel" and found 264 000 results. Here are a few of them. Only one that I found that still recommend the ATF in your diesel.

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Using ATF as a diesel fuel additive..

A known practice especially amongst truckers is the adding of Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) to diesel fuel. According to tests performed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the International Standards Organization (ISO) the lubrication benefit from ATF is very slight. The effects and consequential damage that could result from the use of ATF in diesel fuel has not been determined. The addition of ATF in diesel fuel also changes the chemical make-up of the diesel fuel which could result in penalties for use of a NON-EPA approved fuel. ATF is not an additive and it's use could result in costly repairs and/or fines, a more proven and effective conditioner should be used when treating diesel fuel..... More on this to come in the next few months..

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There is *no* advantage to adding motor oil, or transmission fluid to diesel fuel. Period.

There are disadvantages to doing this however, including damaged injector pumps (especially with turbo diesel electronic pumps), clogged filters, etc.

The manufacturer of our injector pumps strongly cautions against using either when their pumps are used.

There are many additives that are approved, and are in fact *much* cheaper than either motor oil, or transmission fluid. As an added bonus, these additives really work!

Most diesel fuels and engines don't need additives, but if you feel the urge to pour something else in the tank besides diesel fule, use a product that is *specifically designed for the purpose*.

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They used to do this in the old days, and apparently it worked just fine. But in these modern times, ATF now contains additives to prevent it from burning, and it will form deposits on the injector tips and basically make a mess instead of solving one.

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How about we look at the chemistry that makes up the Ford ATFs. If you are using Mercon V for your additive, it is a generally 20w mineral fluid and sometimes is a PAO basestock with some diesters. Not bad so far. Now comes the additive package with 2200-2500 ppm's sulphur and 600-800 ppm's of zinc. I don't think I would want to purposely run that much sulphur thru my engine as it will end up as sulphuric acid in the oil. And that much zinc run thru the injectors has got to eventually cause some erosion. So, lets look at Fords Type F ATF. It is a 20w mineral fluid with 12,000-13,000 ppm's of phosphorus, 3500 ppm's zinc, and about 800 ppm's barium. I can't believe this wouldn't poison a diesel engine. The acid load on the oil has to be tremendous. I would suggest using an additive that is made to do the job if you are using an additive at all.

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Tips For Using Automatic Transmission Fluid In The Diesel.

Automatic Transmission Fluid is a Wonderful Detergent Cleaner.

Used in the Fuel Tank about every (3 rd) Fill up it will:

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1- Clean the Injectors. Making for a Smoother Idle and better Fuel Economy.

2- Clean and lubricate the Injection Pump.

*Note*A Diesel can run on straight A.T.F as it's fuel. But would be too expensive.

When changing your Fuel Filter. Fill the Filter as full as you can with A.T.F

This way you won't run out of fuel as your motor is repriming itself thereby stalling.

This also gives the pump and injectors a shot of straight clensing A.T.F.

Note: A bit of controversity has arisen, being that since ATF was Reformulated

10 or so years ago that you should not use it in the VW Motor.

I have NEVER Had One Problem and have one Injection Pump with

345,000 Miles. Also ATF helped my customers weather the low Sulpher

problem of 2 years back.

We are a Supplier of both New And Recycled Parts.

We are also VW nuts, drive what we work on, and enjoy helping others with Both Parts and Tech. Help

Any help you need. Please get in touch with us!

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:D