Fuel Additives: 10 FAQs Answered
Fuel additives have been a go-to for fleet owners looking to boost engine performance, especially for vehicles dealing with heavy loads or tough driving conditions. Additives clean out harmful deposits, reduce wear and tear, improve fuel efficiency, prevent fuel breakdown, and help engines last longer. For fleets pushing their vehicles to the limit, the right additives can really make a difference.
In today’s article, we’ll cover 10 common questions about fuel additives and how they can improve fuel performance, protect engines, and reduce emissions. Whether it’s gasoline, diesel, or alternative fuels, additives help address specific engine issues, save on maintenance, and meet environmental standards.
- What are the different types of fuel additives?
Detergent Additives: Their primary purpose is to keep engine components like fuel injector valves clean. Over time, carbon deposits build up inside an engine, reducing performance and fuel efficiency. Detergent additives help prevent these deposits and ensure smoother engine operation.
Cetane and Octane Boosters: Cetane and octane boosters improve the combustion quality of diesel and gasoline, respectively. They allow fuel to burn more efficiently and reduce the risk of engine knocking, especially in high-performance engines.
Lubricity Additives: Improve the lubrication of moving parts, reducing wear and prolonging the engine’s life.
Cold Flow Improvers: Cold flow improvers are essential for diesel fuels, especially in colder climates. Diesel tends to gel at low temperatures, which can clog fuel lines and filters. Cold flow additives modify the wax crystals that form in diesel at low temperatures, improving the fuel’s flow characteristics and preventing engine starting problems in cold weather.
Fuel Stabilizers: Fuel stabilizers are used to maintain fuel quality during long-term storage. They prevent the breakdown of fuel, which can result in the formation of gums, varnishes, and other deposits. These additives are particularly important for fuels stored for seasonal use, such as in boats or backup generators.
Emissions Reducers: Emissions-reducing additives are formulated to minimize harmful exhaust gases, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter. They can be especially beneficial in diesel engines by improving combustion efficiency and reducing the amount of soot and other pollutants released into the atmosphere.
Biocides – Biocides kill bacteria and other microorganisms – such as bugs, algae, bacteria, yeast, molds, and fungi – that can grow in diesel fuel, clog filters, and damage fuel systems. If your area experiences high humidity or flooding, or if your tank has not been well-maintained in the past, it may be worth introducing biocides to kill microbes and flush harmful materials out of your tank.
2. Does fuel come pre-treated with additives?
If you’re buying gasoline, then your fuel already has a minimally required amount of additives. These required additives, often in the form of detergents, help maintain engine cleanliness by reducing deposits on fuel injectors and intake valves, ensuring that your vehicle performs efficiently and complies with emissions standards.
However, diesel markets do not have any regulation requiring additization. Unlike gasoline, diesel fuel is not uniformly pre-treated with additives by default, meaning diesel fuel quality and additive content can vary significantly between suppliers and regions. Diesel fuel may contain additives for performance enhancement, such as cetane boosters, lubricity improvers, or cold flow improvers, but this is at the discretion of the fuel supplier or refinery. As a result, diesel users—especially fleet owners—often need to add aftermarket additives to optimize performance, improve fuel economy, or ensure reliability in challenging conditions, such as extremely cold weather or when using ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), which naturally lacks lubricity.
3. Are additives required for newer diesel engines?
While additives are not required, they can significantly improve the performance of today’s high-pressure common rail diesel engines. They work by cleaning the engines and restoring them back to their original health, improving fuel efficiency, reducing engine wear, and preventing the buildup of harmful deposits. Additives can also help protect against corrosion, enhance lubrication, and improve cold weather performance, ensuring smoother operation and extending the engine’s overall lifespan. While not mandatory, many fleet owners and operators choose to use additives as part of a preventative maintenance strategy.
4. What is the purpose of cetane boosters?
Cetane boosters are designed to improve how well diesel fuel burns by raising its cetane number, which directly affects how smoothly your engine runs. If you’ve ever noticed rough starts or excessive engine noise, using a cetane booster can help solve those issues by ensuring the fuel ignites more quickly and burns efficiently. This leads to smoother operation, better fuel economy, and reduced emissions. It’s especially helpful for cold starts and can make a noticeable difference in how your diesel engine performs day-to-day.
5. Do fuel additives help improve fuel quality issues with B20 diesel blends?
Yes, fuel additives can definitely help with some of the common issues you might face when using B20 diesel blends. Since B20 is a mix of biodiesel and regular diesel, it can sometimes lead to problems like fuel instability, water buildup, or even microbial growth. Using the right additives can make a big difference by keeping the fuel stable, preventing water from accumulating, and stopping microbes from clogging the system. They can also help improve lubrication and reduce engine wear, making your engine run smoother and last longer, especially with biodiesel blends.
6. Can fuel additives prevent storage issues when fuel sits for a long time?
Fuel additives can be a real lifesaver when it comes to storing fuel for a long time. If diesel sits for too long, it can break down, causing issues like gum deposits, oxidation, or even microbial growth, especially if there’s any moisture. By adding storage-specific additives, you can keep your fuel stable, prevent it from degrading, and avoid nasty problems like clogged filters or engine damage. It’s a smart way to make sure your fuel stays fresh, and your engine is ready to go whenever you need it, even after sitting for a while.
7. Can I use performance additives in older equipment? What are the risks?
Performance additives, like detergents, cetane boosters, and lubricity enhancers, can absolutely be used in older equipment and can help restore your engine’s performance. They clean out the engine, improve combustion, and reduce wear, which can make a big difference in how smoothly things run. However, when you first start using these additives in older tanks and equipment, there are a few things to watch out for. The detergents will clean the tank walls and engine components, but in the process, they’ll also loosen any buildup of impurities that have been sitting there. This can temporarily clog filters or cause minor issues as those impurities get flushed out. After a few refuelings, though, the system will clear up, and your tank will be cleaner and run more efficiently. Just keep an eye on things during that initial transition.
8. How can fleets measure the ROI (Return on Investment) of using fuel additives?
This is the million-dollar question in the fuel additives space. Many lab tests have shown the efficacy of particular additives at removing engine build-up and restoring lost power. However, lab tests and field tests will also be a bit different. The best way is to measure it for your own fleet. Some common items to measure include filter change intervals on fuel tanks, equipment downtime, repair & maintenance costs, and fuel efficiency.
If you’re using a particular additive, or are considering a specific brand, talk to your additive manufacturer about what lab tests have been done to demonstrate the effectiveness of that additive.
9. Why would I use a fuel additive that improves fuel lubricity?
Fuel suppliers often blend diesel with a small amount of biodiesel – even 2% biodiesel can improve the lubricity enough to bring low-lubricity diesel up to ASTM D975 specifications. But further lubrication can prevent engine wear and tear, since lubricity measures how much protection the fuel provides against metal wearing on metal.
10. How do fuel additives influence the regeneration cycles of Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs) in fleet trucks?
Fuel additives can greatly impact the regeneration cycles of Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs) in fleet trucks. By improving combustion efficiency, the additives help reduce the amount of soot produced, which means the DPF requires fewer regeneration cycles. This leads to savings on fuel consumption and minimizes downtime, allowing trucks to stay operational for longer periods.
Fleets that implement the right fuel additives often notice smoother engine performance and fewer DPF-related issues, such as clogging or the need for costly repairs. Ultimately, using additives can extend the intervals between regen cycles, reduce wear on the DPF, and improve overall efficiency, making it a valuable tool for maintaining fleet reliability and reducing operational costs.
America’s Additives Supplier
Mansfield Service Partners began supplying additives, lubricants and fuels way back in 1932. We built our reputation for quality and top-notch service by meeting the needs and exceeding the expectations of our customers.
From our simple beginnings in Houston, Texas to our multi-state operations today — Mansfield Service Partners benefits from the loyalty of our customers because we always put them first.
Contact Mansfield Service Partners today. Reach us at (800) 683-1331 or email any inquiries to info@mansfield.energy
