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Diesel additives - worth it?

41 posts & 28 voices | Started 4 months ago by Johnny Panic | Latest reply from OrangeChammy

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molgrips - Member

Unfortunately, fuel additives will provide no benefits

Not true in the case of diesel. Cetane improver improves the cetane number, which makes it burn more quickly and more completely. Only up to a point though - better quality fuel has a high cetane number already, so the additive won't do as much. It has more of an effect the worse the fuel is. Essential if you are thinning veg oil with petrol. Also note that diesel is worse in winter - the anti-freeze additives in it lower the cetane number, so you will get better effect in winter.

It may depend on the engine a bit too - the ECU may vary the injection timing with different fuel characteristics, but not too sure about that.

Posted 4 months ago #
coffeeking - Member

The vast majority of fuel additives are snake oil to the vast majority of users. Those who modify their engines may notice some improvement and additional ability from raised cetane/octane ratings but not many and will depend entirely on your car and it's PCM. There's no point in adding them and then using supermarket fuel, you might as well just buy the likes of vpower (d or p) as the additional cost per litre is about the same as a high quality fuel additive and contains chemicals with the same effects.

What's more there's more than the odd anecdote about people adding D additives, especially cheaper ones, and commonrail diesel HP pumps failing.

Posted 4 months ago #
swampi - Member

I have been using millers diesel eco max additive for the last 3 years in my wifes work horse 118d, she does a 100 odd mile commute of ring road/motorway to work every day and millers gives 3-4 mpg better, def makes a difference, but i am using supermarket fuel, I bulk buy my millers and usually costs around £90-95 for 10 500ml bottles so it costs less than a quid per full fill up but saves us £4 ish

Posted 4 months ago #
molgrips - Member

CK, any diesel engine benefits from higher cetane number - it's not like octane rating with petrol. Also, most of those additives are 2-ehn, you can smell it. Very distinctive smell.

you might as well just buy the likes of vpower (d or p) as the additional cost per litre is about the same as a high quality fuel additive

You are right about the fancy fuel having the same additives in it, but it's cheaper to buy it separately. In most cases, anyway. Costs about £5/tank to fill my car with nice diesel, and a £5 bottle of additive usually does several tanks. Of course a £5 bottle of neat 2-ehn from the bay lasts for ages.

Posted 4 months ago #
PeterPoddy - Member

Certainly seems to be the right approach if you have a Fiat. My dad's Panda has been running quite rough recently. I've found that driving it like an Italian; bouncing off the rev limiter with every gear change and going everywhere flat out, has left it running much more smoothly and has improved the fuel efficiency

Ahh, the Italian Tune Up!

I Had a Ducati Monster that had a small issue from new with the fuelling. I took it back (6 miles on the clock) and they fixed it, but it still felt a bit rough so I took it back again, and was told that "You might have been too careful running it in. The mechanic has been out and 'put the engine under load' and it's cleared up now"

And that set the scene for the rest of my ownership, it ALWAYS felt smoother and perkier after a good ol' thraipsing!

Posted 4 months ago #
OrangeChammy - Member

Use Millers on my 90k mile berlingo HDi - don't notice much gain in MPG or power, but it runs smooth and a wee musfire at low revs seems to have gone so assume it does clean injectors. A 12 quid bottle lasts 10 tanks so is not expensive. I used to use redex but I think millers is a better product.

Posted 4 months ago #

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