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Car Forum / Mercedes-Benz Cars / January 2007

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Low sulfur diesel fuel - real information

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Take A Guess - 05 Jan 2007 01:48 GMT
http://www.chevron.com/products/prodserv/fuels/diesel/ulsd.shtml#A3
heav - 05 Jan 2007 12:01 GMT
Yeah - I had read that before and also disussed this with the PR people
at the Ameican Petroleum Institue and they asked around with some
engineers and got back to me.  You notice there is no discussion of
flash point or specific explanation as to why the fuel should suddenly
start eating gaskets.

That is why I found it so interesting to learn from the tanker driver
who was delivering fuel that the trucking company that delivers the
fuel is receiving service bulletins about issues relating to cold
weather starting and gasket issues and ULSD.

Removing substances from a fuel that has not been causing deterioration
of gaskets and seals should not make that fuel a more potent solvent.

So when I learned that they are trying different additives and the
truck drivers were advised to monitor for "O" ring deterioration after
the recent substitution of a different additive things finally started
to make sense.

I should mention that the starting issues with my 300 TDT's engine were
intensified because the "O" rings in my primer pump and a small piece
of original fuel line deteriorated after switching to ULS, so small
amounts of air started to get into my fuel line.  But even after
repairs have been made I notice a difference between the two fuels
relating to starting.

While the difference is sublte, I would estimate that my engine starts
now at 0 C (32 F) with ULS with pretty much the same cranking and need
for additional heat such as warm air from a hair dryer or a blcok
heater as it does at -6 C (22 F) with LSD.

It is puzzling why these issues are not discussed in Europe, but
perhaps that is because it has been some time since you have been able
to obtain LSD in Europe for comparison.  I notice the difference most
when I fill up with ULS after a tankful of LSD.

Paul

> http://www.chevron.com/products/prodserv/fuels/diesel/ulsd.shtml#A3
jdoe - 05 Jan 2007 12:49 GMT
>That is why I found it so interesting to learn from the tanker driver

With all due respect, getting your info from a truck driver? if he had
any real expertise do you think he'd be driving a delivery truck?
Maybe if your info came from a scientific orientated person I'd attach
some credibility to it. certainly I realize that when something is
added or taken away from a formula there will be unintended
consequences, that said, I have no solid info to offer other than I've
had no issues with the new fuel, no gaskets being burned up and no
noticeable drop in MPG, I drive 2-3k miles a month.
Take A Guess - 05 Jan 2007 17:27 GMT
Ditto to that.

My turbodiesel starts and runs well, without any leaks - and it's an old
one. But now I know that if it leaks, why it does so.
greek_philosophizer - 05 Jan 2007 18:48 GMT
> Ditto to that.
>
> My turbodiesel starts and runs well, without any leaks - and it's an old
> one. But now I know that if it leaks, why it does so.

  and seems like diesels have been stinking a lot less lately.......

  not that I have gone out of my way to make a determination or
anything.....

.
Dori A Schmetterling - 07 Jan 2007 23:37 GMT
What?  Not sniffing tailpipes, then?

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
---

[...]

>   and seems like diesels have been stinking a lot less lately.......
>
>   not that I have gone out of my way to make a determination or
> anything.....
>
> .
greek_philosophizer - 12 Jan 2007 18:29 GMT
> What?  Not sniffing tailpipes, then?

Only if I ever test drive a 2007 Sprinter to see what they are like,
we have not gotten thme here yet....

.
Paul - 05 Jan 2007 20:54 GMT
jdoe,
A lot of times when you want to find out the truth, truck drivers,
mechanics, etc are your best source of information.  Agreed they may not
have a PHD in chemistry, but they see a lot of problems on the equipment
they deal with.  For instance if you want to know the most trouble free car
, ask a wrecker driver, not Consumer Repoff.  A wrecker driver is paid to
get the cars to the repair station.  Consumer Ripoff is paid to say that a
car is best when it may not be.  Take a Ford Taurus for instance.  Ask
Consumer Ripoff and then ask a mechanic.
Sooo, ask the one with experience and nothing to gain and you will get the
best answer.

Pmckechnie

>>That is why I found it so interesting to learn from the tanker driver
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> had no issues with the new fuel, no gaskets being burned up and no
> noticeable drop in MPG, I drive 2-3k miles a month.
me - 05 Jan 2007 21:28 GMT
> jdoe,
> A lot of times when you want to find out the truth, truck drivers,
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
>> had no issues with the new fuel, no gaskets being burned up and no
>> noticeable drop in MPG, I drive 2-3k miles a month.

In theory, practice and theory are the same thing. In practice they
are not.
Geoff  Miller - 05 Jan 2007 21:54 GMT
> Consumer Ripoff is paid to say that a car is best when it may not be.

And your evidence of this is...?

They don't accept any advertising, so that gives their evaluations
quite a bit of credibility, right there.

Geoff

--
"To paraphrase (I believe) Sir John Gielgud, 'To meet a man
of his talents, one must ordinarily visit a crackhouse.'"
                -- Christopher Morton
jdoe - 06 Jan 2007 01:02 GMT
>jdoe,
>A lot of times when you want to find out the truth, truck drivers,
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>Sooo, ask the one with experience and nothing to gain and you will get the
>best answer.

but the guy delivering the fuel more than likely has no clue as to the
contents of the truck he is driving, now if you were talking to the
guy selling the fuel or a mechanic you might glean some useful info,
your analogy stinks
heav - 06 Jan 2007 12:47 GMT
I live in a very rural area of Eastern California.  I had better luck
with my starting issues after a fill up at a Chevon station.  My town
has only a Shell station that carries diesel.  I was in the next town,
35 miles north, when I was filling up my car and noticed the driver
making a delivery.

I started the conversation with him by asking if the fuel at the
various stations of different brands was any different or if it all
came out of the same tank at the distributor.  He said that there was
no difference, that all the delivery tankers for our area filled from
the same tank.  And then he went on to explain that that was also true
for gasoline, but since the gas station operators add additives to the
gasoline there are some differences in gasoline, and then he began to
list the different additives that were added by the dealers depending
on which brand the station was, like Tektron at Chevron, etc.

I could tell that this was an intelligent man.  So I asked him if he
had heard any complaints about starting issues with Ultra Low Sulfur
diesel.  He pointed to a loosly packed pile of 8-1/2 by 11" sheets of
paper that were hanging out of the map pocket on the open passenger
door of his tractor and said that he had a pile of service bulletins
about the starting problmes with the new fuel and that "we get a stack
of new bulletins every time they try a new additive.  They are still
trying to work the bigs out of this stuff.  We just got a new one the
other day telling us to watch out for deterioration of the "O" rings in
the injectors."

I have a Masters degree.  I assure you, some of the people who TEACH at
graduate schools are complete idiots, and there are some very
intelligent people out there in working class positions and anyone with
any sense understands that.

That driver was a good guy with a kind expression and a warm smile.  He
probably was violating company policy by sharing that information with
me, but increased freedom to be yourself is one of the advantages of a
job like that.

> >jdoe,
> >A lot of times when you want to find out the truth, truck drivers,
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> guy selling the fuel or a mechanic you might glean some useful info,
> your analogy stinks
heav - 06 Jan 2007 12:59 GMT
I agree with the person who mentioned the air is cleaner because of the
new fuel.  I have also noticed that the exhaust from my car is not as
hard on my lungs.  And those are good things and make a difference for
people who live in a city.  Here in the Owens valley it makes no
difference because this is as rural as outback Alaska.

I just wish the companies would be honest about ULSD's side effects so
we could try and ameliorate them from an informed stance.

Their lawyers probably advised them to stonewall.

> I live in a very rural area of Eastern California.  I had better luck
> with my starting issues after a fill up at a Chevon station.  My town
[quoted text clipped - 49 lines]
> > guy selling the fuel or a mechanic you might glean some useful info,
> > your analogy stinks
Paul McKechnie - 06 Jan 2007 13:34 GMT
jdoe,
some people must have a misconseption of the
knowledge of truck drivers.  Yes some may have a hard time remembering
their own name, but most know far more than most of us will ever know.  How
do I know, my son is a truck driver.  I promice you, he knows about the ULSD
and the problems it can create.  He does not deliver fuel, but does have all
the Hazmat indorsments on his CDL.  He talks to other drivers and hears
their experiences with different fuels.  By the way, he does all work on his
truck, and I mean ALL work. From general maintaince to complete overhaul.
He says, ULSD has problems and is just using additives until the formular is
worked out and at that time will take the necessary steps to make the truck
work.
Pmckechnie

>>jdoe,
>>A lot of times when you want to find out the truth, truck drivers,
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> guy selling the fuel or a mechanic you might glean some useful info,
> your analogy stinks
greek_philosophizer - 06 Jan 2007 15:55 GMT
> jdoe,
> some people must have a misconseption of the
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> worked out and at that time will take the necessary steps to make the truck
> work.

  This implies that the domestic diesel refiners have a motivation to
use a formulation
that is different from the tried and tested formulations used in
Europe.

.
greek_philosophizer - 06 Jan 2007 16:52 GMT
> > jdoe,
> > some people must have a misconseption of the
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> .

and may also explain the lack of haste surrounding the introduction
of the 2007 Sprinter.

http://www.archive.org/download/gd77-02-26.sbd.alphadog.9752.sbeok.shnf/gd77-02-
26.sbd.alphadog.9752.sbeok.shnf_vbr.m3u


.
Dori A Schmetterling - 07 Jan 2007 23:42 GMT
It's certainly a slow tune...

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
---

[...]

> and may also explain the lack of haste surrounding the introduction
> of the 2007 Sprinter.
>
> http://www.archive.org/download/gd77-02-26.sbd.alphadog.9752.sbeok.shnf/gd77-02-
26.sbd.alphadog.9752.sbeok.shnf_vbr.m3u

>
> .
greek_philosophizer - 12 Jan 2007 18:32 GMT
> It's certainly a slow tune...
>> http://www.archive.org/download/gd77-02-26.sbd.alphadog.9752.sbeok.shnf/gd77-02-
26.sbd.alphadog.9752.sbeok.shnf_vbr.m3u

It is what I was listening to when I made the Post, it is a 30 year old
fairly long concert so if you listen long enough there are some perky
parts. The musicianship is superior to the typical popular musical
group.....
greek_philosophizer - 13 Jan 2007 23:27 GMT
> > It's certainly a slow tune...
> >> http://www.archive.org/download/gd77-02-26.sbd.alphadog.9752.sbeok.shnf/gd77-02-
26.sbd.alphadog.9752.sbeok.shnf_vbr.m3u

[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> parts. The musicianship is superior to the typical popular musical
> group.....

Specifically the song about Sampsom and Delilah. is perky ....

The 2007 Mercedes/Dodge Sprinter is supposed to be perky too but we in
the USA
have so far been unworthy of determinig that in person....

.
Dori A Schmetterling - 07 Jan 2007 23:38 GMT
Mechanics yes (of course, even), but truck drivers?

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
---

> jdoe,
> A lot of times when you want to find out the truth, truck drivers,
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>> had no issues with the new fuel, no gaskets being burned up and no
>> noticeable drop in MPG, I drive 2-3k miles a month.
Tom Plunket - 07 Jan 2007 23:44 GMT
> >That is why I found it so interesting to learn from the tanker driver
>
> With all due respect, getting your info from a truck driver?

Yeah, I'm sure pencil-pushing desk jockeys know more about how well
trucks start than the people who actually, umm, start them for a living.

> if he had any real expertise do you think he'd be driving a delivery
> truck?

Problems with comprehension are not the OP's fault.

> Maybe if your info came from a scientific orientated person...

Heh, ironic, eh?  "scientfic orientated" coming from an AOLer, doesn't
get much better than that.

-tom!

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