Low Sulfer Diesel - Montana Owners Club

bsmeaton · 10-18-2006, 02:38 PM

Just bought my first tank of 15ppm sulfer fuel here in CO 3 days ago. Truck is near empty and mileage is 15.4 mpg! I might be premature, but this truck has never gotten better than 12 mpg (only a few months old). Either the fuel performs better than I thought, or my engine just broke in!

Montana Sky · 10-18-2006, 03:22 PM

Brad,
My truck had the opposite reaction when I used the new fuel. I lost an average of 2 mpg. I am not as concerned about the fuel mileage as much as I am about the lubrication issues. Time will tell.....

daneboy · 10-18-2006, 04:05 PM

Brad,
My Ford dealer in CO has posted in the shop "use additives with the ULSD". Apparently there are some concernes about the lubing ability of the new fuel. That's great you are getting better fuel mileage.
Jerry

bsmeaton · 10-18-2006, 04:23 PM

I too am concerned about the lubrication, based on what I have heard in here. I'll have to check with my Dealer as well as to what they recommend.

Jerry, has the western slope introduced the USLD yet?

Trailer Trash 2 · 10-18-2006, 04:55 PM

This is what I received from a manufacture

The new Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel (ULSD) has only 15 parts per million sulfur content, 97% less sulfur than low sulfur diesel (LSD), which has 500 ppm. Sulfur, and the other pollutants-- like NOx and particulate matter-- in diesel exhaust has been shown to cause cancer, particularly in children. The new ULSD reduces those pollutants significantly; however, in doing so the refining conversion process to make the new ULSD reduces its BTU content slightly compared to LSD—estimated at about 1%. Once the introduction of ULSD is fully implemented, the environmental benefits include the reduction of 2.6 million tons of smog-causing NOx emissions and 110,000 tons per year less particulate matter which imbeds in our children’s developing lungs. These benefits take into account a slight loss in mileage associated with the new fuel.

Model year 2007 diesel engines must only use ULSD and are required to use high-efficiency catalytic exhaust emission control devices which will help reduce diesel emissions even further. In general the processing required to reduce sulfur to 15ppm also reduces the aromatics in diesel which results in an increased cetane number. A small number of vehicles may require preventative maintenance in the form of upgrading certain engine and fuel system seals that may not perform well in the transition to ULSD and could leak. A leak in your fuel system can be dangerous so please consult with your vehicle manufacturer for advice. I would recommend you also consult with your vehicle manufacturer for advice on after market additives which are available for all sorts of maladies. Best of luck.

Steve and Brenda · 10-19-2006, 02:09 AM

From what I read before going Diesel with my Duramax there should be no concern about losing the lubricity of 500 PPM sulfur. The refiners are using additives that take up the responsibility for the sulphur so if you are fortunate to have purchased a diesel engine prior to 1 January 2007 (some '07 Duramax Diesels have the current third generation LBZ engine instead of the new fourth generation LMM engine) you'll get the torque you desire without all that extra expensive power robbing technology.

skypilot · 10-19-2006, 03:42 AM

Don: In your second paragraph -- is it a typo where you state that the decrease in 'aromatics in diesel which results in an increased cetane number'; I thought I read where it was the other way around, the decrease in aromatics decreases the cetane rating?? However, now that I'm looking for it, I can't find any reference at all

sreigle · 10-19-2006, 03:53 AM

Brad, that's terrible mileage unless you're a leadfoot, jackrabbit starts, etc. You should be doing much better than that. It will get better with mileage. Mine peaked around 33,000 miles. But mine also started out much better than you're seeing. I know gasoline in your area is lower octane, with unleaded being 85 if I recall. Is there a difference in diesel that may account for the lesser mileage?

bsmeaton · 10-19-2006, 05:34 AM

Steve,

Could be altitude, then again it could be attitude, or the fact I've only got 5,000 miles on it. I don't know if we have any additional additives in our diesel for winter or altitude. I know they still put something in the gasoline during the winter here.

Brad

Trailer Trash 2 · 10-19-2006, 05:37 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by skypilot

Don: In your second paragraph -- is it a typo where you state that the decrease in 'aromatics in diesel which results in an increased cetane number'; I thought I read where it was the other way around, the decrease in aromatics decreases the cetane rating?? However, now that I'm looking for it, I can't find any reference at all

Skypilot: That is a "quote" from a low sulsur fuel manufacture in Texas I shared for it's reading content. as for the second paragraph? I didnt type it, I just copied and paste the letter sent to me from this company, maybe he didn't have spell check on his computer. I do know the new stuff has a different smell maybe thats what he is saying. "'aromatics in diesel which results in an increased cetane number'".

Update:: here is the milage I got with the new LSDF, Hwy driving at 68 mph. (15 mpg).

bsmeaton · 10-19-2006, 05:42 AM

Don,

You are sure right about the smell! I catch a drift of it in garage after I back out and whew, doesn't smell like diesel at all.

Brad

CampingCrazyShirley · 10-20-2006, 06:21 AM

Brad-You may be getting the "Winter Blend" now. We don't have that yet as it's not that cold, but I know once they go to that particular blend, the fuel mileage decreases by several mpg...we don't have a new F350, we have the 7.3 and w/o rig in tow, we get about 19 mpg and towing 8 mpg. Also, I think once your truck gets "broken in" you'll see a big difference, but that will take some miles yet. Good luck!

bsmeaton · 10-20-2006, 06:27 AM

Thanks Craig,

I was pretty excited to see 15mpg out of this new one, but it sounds like that is bad (which is good I guess as I'll be expecting better as time goes on). It has been getting 12mpg and 10mpg towing since I drove it off the lot.

You're 19-8 is about what I got on my 7.3L as well.

Brad

mallardjusted · 10-20-2006, 06:34 AM

Brad,

The differences may be in what type of driving you're doing. Now that I have 15000 miles on our 2005 F350, and we recently completed a 3500 mile trip with our 5W, here is what I am getting:

Without the 5W: mostly around town-type driving - 14 to 15 mpg
mostly on the freeway driving - 18 to 20 mpg

Towing the 5W: (near max weights, over many
mountain passes - 9.7 mpg

bsmeaton · 10-20-2006, 06:47 AM

Sounds like I'm close then Matt, as mine is in town at 15.

I'd love to see 20 on the highway and now I'm anxious to try it. (then I could really rub it in to the DW - I always did better than her gasser Expedition until bought this new one)

Brad

rickety · 10-20-2006, 07:38 AM

richfaa drives busses, maybe he'll wade in on this. I am not too well versed on ulsd fuel, but so far I don't like the sounds of it.. If you have to buy additives and add everytime time to keep lube facilities high, then you are just adding to the cost of a gallon of fuel, in my opinion.
Pretty sneaky the way the governemnt is getting to us.

bsmeaton · 10-20-2006, 08:28 AM

Seems ironic - the feds take stuff out of the fuel and we put it back in to keep the engines running. Not sure what it does to emmissions, but it might be a giant step nowhere until all of our old trucks phase out. Kind of like the switch to unleaded and everybody was putting lead and octane boosters back in the tank.

rickety · 10-20-2006, 12:09 PM

HEAR HEAR!!!!!!!!

ols1932 · 10-20-2006, 01:20 PM

Those who get 17-20 mpg empty must have 3.5 or 3.73 rear ends. My 4.10 doesn't allow that. I get 14-15 empty.

Orv

OntMont · 10-20-2006, 02:47 PM

I just checked the prices on the Flying J website. Only two stations have ULSD available, one in OH is 2 cents more, the other in UT is the same as regular diesel.

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