Diesel Additives

DIESEL TECH’S

BY COLIN PETERSON

Diesel Additives

Products to keep your engine running strong

Fuel additives are helpful and often important to have in engines year-round in order to help them run stronger (and sometimes help your fuel burn cleaner). Over time, a fuel system will gum up, and an engine will build up carbon deposits (sludge) as it gets used more and more. This could possibly also plug the diesel particulate filter (DPF) in the exhaust on mid-2007 and newer diesels. All in all, it’ll have detrimental effects on engine performance.

Diesel fuel also can gel up during the winter, clogging fuel lines and filters and preventing an engine from starting. Thus, additives are especially important to have for diesel engines and it’s important to find one that’ll clean your engine parts as well as your fuel system for optimum performance. Here, we’ve rounded up some of the best additive products for Power Stroke, Duramax and Cummins engines to help you get started.

AMSOIL

AMSOIL Diesel Injector Clean + Cetane Boost was launched in the spring of 2019 and earned a Global Media Award at the Performance Industry Racing (PRI) Show in Indianapolis, Ind., later that year. It combines superior lubricity and detergency along with increased horsepower and cetane in one convenient product.

The AMSOIL award-winning product cleans dirty injectors, increases cetane up to 8 points, lubricates pumps and injectors to reduce wear and is safe for use in all diesel fuels. The result is restored horsepower and improved fuel economy in diesel applications.

(715) 399-6490 / www.amsoil.com)

Biobor

Biobor DC + Cetane Winter Blend is a multi-functional cold-weather diesel fuel conditioner that offers cost-effective, superior protection with increased performance. It provides cold weather protection by preventing fuel gelling and ice formation while cleaning the fuel system, lubricating injectors, preventing particulates and maximizing engine performance. It boosts cetane, improving cold starting and providing more efficient combustion and reducing emissions. It’s an ash-less thermal stability additive that prevents the diesel degradation associated with gum, deposit and sludge formation while decreasing filter and injector plugging. It also contains an HPCR detergent to clean dirty injectors and prevent deposits.

Fuel economy is increased, emissions are reduced, power loss is minimized and excessive equipment downtime avoided. It is proven to restore power by an average of 7.3 percent. It adds lubricity, protecting injectors and fuel pumps and providing a 13.8 percent reduction of wear scar. It offers winter protection and improved winter operability by preventing fuel gelling, icing, wax formation, cold filter plugging and settling.

(800-548-9166 // www.biobor.com)

Gumout

Gumout All-In-One Diesel Complete Fuel System Cleaner is a unique all-season, multi-function diesel fuel additive. Unlike other diesel additives that just clean injectors, this product cleans the entire diesel fuel system using Gumout’s potent Nitrogen-D power detergent and helps keep it clean. It cleans all components of the diesel fuel system including the injectors but also the entire fuel system! Nitro-D power detergent cleans vital engine parts and reduces vehicle emissions. The All-In-One product provides anti-gel protection while removing existing gel buildup. It improves fuel economy, boosts cetane and restores horsepower. The product works extremely well for all diesel engines, both for consumer and commercial use.

(855-888-1990 // www.gumout.com)

Hot Shot’s Secret

Everyday Diesel Treatment (EDT) is a complete six-in-one diesel additive that turns standard pump diesel into “premium” diesel. EDT is formulated with everything a diesel fuel system needs – cetane booster, lubricity improver, injector cleaner, water dispersant, rust and corrosion inhibitor and stabilizer. Designed to be used at every fill-up, EDT significantly upgrades the power and fuel economy of diesel engines by increasing the fuel’s cetane by up to seven points. This helps with cold starts and the reduction of DPF regeneration cycles.

EDT combats the negative effects of Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) by improving the fuel’s lubricity with LX4 Lubricity Extreme.

In recent testing, EDT lowered the wear scar of shore tank baseline diesel fuel from 612 to 453 microns, ensuring the fuel passed the U.S. specification of 520 microns for fuel lubricity (lower wear scar means more protection). This means fuel pumps, injectors and more are protected from scarring, pitting and excessive wear.

(800-341-6516 // www.hotshotsecret.com)

Howes Products

Howes Diesel Treat and Howes Diesel Lifeline

Howes has your simple, unbeatable winter attack plan ready to keep your diesel running strong all season. Step one is to use Howes Diesel Treat to prevent gelling. Step two: If you forget and run into an emergency, use Howes Diesel Lifeline.

Diesel Treat, one of the highest-selling anti-gels on the market, is the only product guaranteed to prevent gelling in even the coldest weather. Petroleum-based and made with no alcohol or harmful solvents, it’s safe to use in all diesel applications and will not void any manufacturer’s warranty. It prevents deposits and adds lubricity, protecting your injectors, pumps, and upper cylinders. Diesel Treat also demulsifies water, safely removing it from the fuel to prevent icing and other damage.

Diesel Lifeline is the only alcohol-free emergency rescue product proven to safely re-liquefy gelled fuel and de-ice frozen fuel filters by changing the melting points of ice and wax. Requiring no mixing or costly fuel filter changes, Lifeline is easy to use and works fast. A product unlike any other, Lifeline is the smart, simple solution to emergencies caused by the toughest winter cold.

800-438-4693 // www.howesproducts.com)

LIQUI MOLY

To ensure powerful workhorses remain powerful, the German motor oil and additive specialist LIQUI MOLY has developed its own additive line especially for pickup trucks. The Truck Series Diesel Performance and Protectant addresses a widespread problem: the creeping loss of performance. Due to deposits on the inside of the motor, the combustion worsens because the fuel is no longer being so finely atomized. The result: less performance, higher fuel consumption and even more deposits. A vicious cycle. Because this is a creeping process, the driver often doesn’t even notice it.

The Truck Series Diesel Performance and Protectant is an effective cleaning additive, which frees the fuel system and the combustion chambers from deposits. This returns the original power and torque. The older the truck and the higher the mileage, the greater the effect of the additive. But that’s not all. The Truck Series Diesel Performance and Protectant is multi-talented, not only removing deposits, but also preventing the creation of new deposits and increasing the cetane number. The large 0.53-quart cans are designed for the tank capacity of pickup trucks. Simply add a can to the tank every 1,250 miles.

(www.liqui-moly.com)

Lucas Oil Products

Lucas Oil’s Anti-Gel Cold Weather Diesel Treatment is designed specifically to prevent cold filter plugging in diesel fuel. It’s designed with the highest-quality components to provide the best performance during the winter season. Lucas Oil’s exclusive anti-gel blend contains wax crystal modifiers to lower the pour point and cold filter plugging point of your fuel. All diesel fuel contains paraffin wax that tends to fall out of solution and form a lattice-like cluster of wax crystals that gel the fuel when temperatures drop. The wax crystal modifiers found in Lucas Oil’s Anti-Gel disrupt the formation and growth of these wax crystals, allowing your fuel to remain fluid and pass through the fuel filters. Additionally, it contains water dispersants that effectively break up any entrained water into tiny droplets, making them less likely to collect and freeze and subsequently plug lines or filters. This additive contains no alcohol, doesn’t harm your DPF and will not void OEM warranties.

(800-342-2512 // www.lucasoil.com)

Opti-Lube

Opti-Lube’s primary purpose is to increase the lubricity properties of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD). With more reports of failing fuel pumps and injectors, lubricity is more important than ever to maintain the longevity of your costly fuel system. Opti-Lube’s most popular product, XPD, made its mark years ago by ranking the highest in the only independent fuel lubricity study of its kind. Opti-Lube has continued to lead the pack in that column, focusing on quality instead of quantity.

However, improving lubricity is just the beginning. The company’s XPD All-In-One formula is a multi-function additive that also increases cetane levels, keeps injectors and fuel systems clean, contains an Anti-Gel for cold weather and helps separate water. Most users also report a mileage increase when using XPD, along with a smoother and quieter running engine.

XPD can be used year-round in almost all climates and in anything that runs on diesel fuel. Opti-Lube also manufactures several other formulas to dial in the needs of your diesel. The more popular blends include Summer Lube +Cetene, BOOST! Max Cetane, Winter Anti-Gel, and XL Xtreme Lubricity. (801-491-3717 // www.opti-lube.com)

Power Service Products

Diesel Kleen +Cetane Boost is a total injector cleaner and performance improver that cleans injectors, boosts cetane and lubricates injection components, preventing injector sticking. It removes both internal and external deposits on injectors. To make use of the benefits of today’s cleaner-burning fuels, upgraded technology is required, which Diesel Kleen offers. It restores lost power and fuel economy, boosts power so you won’t downshift as much, smoothes rough-running engines and improves cold starts. Though not a diesel winterizer or anti-gel, this product can be used year-round. Diesel Kleen is loaded with cetane, detergent and lubricity improver to provide peak diesel performance. Additionally, it contains Slickdiesel Lubricator to protect fuel pumps and injectors from increased wear caused by poor-quality ULSD fuel. Diesel Kleen +Cetane Boost is also the sole injector cleaner endorsed by Cummins.

(866-506-6572 // www.powerservice.com)

Red Line Synthetic Oil

The Red Line 85 Plus Diesel Fuel Catalyst is designed for use in all diesel engines, compensating for the latest low-sulfur fuels. When used, the product promotes better fuel combustion and fuel system lubrication and lubricates O-rings and seals to increase injector pump life, reducing ring friction. The additive provides faster ignition, improved efficiency, and reduced detonation and smoke. The product contains cetane booster for added power benefits, as well as powerful high-temperature detergents to clean fuel injectors. The 85 Plus Diesel Fuel Catalyst is available in a winterized formula, reducing pour point of typical fuel by 25 degrees Fahrenheit. One bottle per tank treats up to 100 gallons.

(800-624-7958 // www.redlineoil.com)

STA-BIL

For over 60 years, STA-BIL products have been made in the U.S. by Gold Eagle, a family-owned company. Their newest additive, STA-BIL Diesel All Season, was designed to keep your diesel fuel system ready to go 24/7, 365 days a year. For those who live in colder climates, it provides Anti-Gel protection down to negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit and reduces the cold filter plug point to negative 36 degrees Fahrenheit. On top of that, you also get a cetane boost for better MPGs and faster starts. This additive de-emulsifies water where many other additives try to pass water through the fuel system, making your fuel water separator’s job much harder. De-emulsifying allows the water to get pulled out of the fuel, allowing your fuel water separator to easily separate the water from the fuel as intended. Last, but certainly not least, you have superior cleaning and lubrication for your fuel pumps and injectors, increasing the longevity of all your fuel system components. (800-367-3245 // www.goldeagle.com)

Schaeffer Oil

CarbonTreat premium fuel additives prevent and control the formation of asphaltenes and other unstable compounds. CarbonTreat is highly effective at mitigating soot and plugging issues that can rob your engine of horsepower and performance. Utilizing advanced water dispersant and anti-wax settling agents, CarbonTreat delivers moisture protection like no other in subfreezing conditions. This dual-action technology eliminates potential icing and waxing issues.

CarbonTreat contains highly concentrated, multi-function additive systems to improve fuel economy, reduce exhaust emissions and increase horsepower. Further blended into CarbonTreat is Schaeffer’s proprietary lubricity additive, SynShield, which prevents fuel system wear and injector scoring for longer component life. CarbonTreat can be used in any diesel vehicle and in all types of diesel fuel. It exceeds cleanup and keep-clean performance as shown by the Peugeot DW10 Injector Depositing Test throughout the entire fuel system. It’s available in winter, summer and all-season blends. (800-325-9962 // schaefferoil.com)

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