If you’re new to owning a diesel vehicle, chances are you’re also new to diesel additives. These formulas protect, clean, and lubricate the vehicle through its fuel. To give you a good idea of what they are, let’s explore diesel fuel additives, what you should look for in a good blend, and why you should use them in the first place.
The long and short of it is that using additives for diesel fuel improves diesel quality.
Various formulas do different things, and we’ll be going over specifics later. But overall, diesel fuel additives help improve engine performance while reducing emissions and noise.
Many diesel vehicle drivers use these additives to improve their vehicle’s combustion process as a whole.
A lot of what a diesel additive can do depends on how it’s formulated. There’s a wide range of diesel fuel additive types out there, and many can do more than one thing. Here are some of the most common additives on the market:
Many diesel fuel additives act as engine protectants, detergents, and cleaners. This category includes fuel injector cleaners, corrosion inhibitors, and lubricity additives.
Protectants and cleaners prevent diesel fuel injector and fuel pump failure. Modern fuel systems, especially ultra high pressure fuel injection systems, are much more sensitive to fuel quality these days. This makes these additives even more important for a diesel engine’s health.
Detergents are base oils combined with hydrocarbons that clean out the sludge in the diesel and unclog the vehicle’s filters and injectors. The liquefied gunk then gets flushed out. These protectants and cleaners often form the base of almost all diesel additives.
Take care when you use additives that include certain alcohols that degrade plastics, rubbers, and metals though. Try to find a formula that uses oil-derived isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol), which removes residue without corroding or drawing moisture.
Stabilizers contain metal deactivators and antioxidants that prevent certain metals in diesel engines and other vehicle components from catalyzing. The formulas keep the dissolved fuel from oxidizing, gumming, or otherwise forming sediment in the fuel.
Stability enhancers also include demulsifiers and dispersants. Demulsifiers in particular help remove and separate water from diesel fuel, which allows the water to be filtered out or siphoned.
Stabilizers help keep the diesel fuel potent and usable even after a lot of time in storage. They’re excellent for collectors and drivers whose vehicles aren’t seeing daily drives. Stabilizers can keep diesel fuel fresh for 12 to 24 months.
Speaking of water, let’s talk about biocidal treatment. Water in fuel doesn’t only rust the fuel lines, it can also allow microbes to grow.
Biocidal additives are formulated to kill and discard fungi, bacteria, algae, and other microbes that might otherwise grow inside your vehicle’s fuel.
Because diesel is a more viscous fuel than gasoline, cold weather can slow or stop the diesel flow through the system. This can lead to the diesel fuel gelling in extremely cold temperatures of 15° F or lower. Wax crystals can form in the diesel and clog up the system.
Cold temperature additives, also known as diesel fuel winter additives, improve flow at lower temperatures. They also prevent gelling and disperse formed wax crystals and water contaminants in the diesel.
Anti-gel additives lower the diesel’s freezing point and its cold filter plug point (CFPP), allowing the fluid to continue flowing through the system unobstructed.
Some diesel additives improve performance, like antifoam agents that allow fuel to flow faster.
Ignition improvers have nitrate, which ensures proper fuel volatility. Other additives raise cetane numbers for shorter ignition delay and less smoke and reduced emissions during cold starts. Some reduce engine noise and increase fuel economy as well
How frequently you need to add diesel fuel additives to your fuel depends entirely on the additive in question. It’s best to check the bottle for the manufacturer’s recommendation.
Most diesel additives are made to be used daily with every fill-up, but some more potent formulas are solely for deep cleans once or twice a year. For anti-gel additives, it’s best to add more each time you fill your vehicle’s tank. Make sure to add it before filling up the tank, though.
Using low-quality additives in your diesel vehicle’s tank can be risky. You get what you pay for, after all. Make sure to check for undesirable alcohols and follow the instructions on the bottle. The last thing you want is to use deep treatments too often. This can lead to degraded rubber, plastic, and metal in your vehicle’s fuel system.
At the end of the day, diesel additives are great for maintaining your vehicle’s diesel fuel lines and protecting its many fuel-related components. Just be sure to do your research to find which ones you need to use and when.
Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.