Fuel Doctor for Dirty Diesel - This is an Australian-made Fuel Additive. any good? who's got experience? (2 Viewers)

[veiloctane]

here it is VS the other brands

ok, so I've been dealing with some bad fuel. my fuel filter water light came on twice in a couple of days. I pulled the filter and drained what was in there into a container and it looked dirty to me.. not clear or transparent slight green/yellow diesel as I'm used to but it could also be the filter doing its job.

The Cruiser Runs great and smooth with no hesitation not too noisy no vibrations and lots of power. the only issue I have is sometimes it's smokey. and sometimes it changes from different fuel stations. sometimes smokes white grey, as if it had a leaky injector i suspect injectors to be sticky from the bad fuel.

when drained into a clear glass bottle you can see 2 layers I assume the bottom layer is mostly water.

if you follow my post here I have had some great success using Hot Shot's Diesel Extreme, and after an hour of driving my smoke issues virtually went away link here Diesel gurus, please help diagnose my 1HD-T - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/diesel-gurus-please-help-diagnose-my-1hd-t.537255/post-15221917

I'm tempted to drain my fuel tank and start with fresh diesel but if this Fuel Doctor stuff from Australia works as advertised then maybe I should give it a shot... I'm wondering if anyone here has tried this stuff.

I have a Jerry can so I may try running some fresh stuff and see if that makes any noticeable difference


injectors were rebuilt about 20K KM ago but if there affected by bad fuel then I'll gladly send them away for rebuild and refresh


SPECS:
1HD-T 300k KM
compression test 480psi leak-down test good
New turbo
the pump was resealed and rebuilt at 200K KM
the pump is timed within the spec using Toyota tool
ACSD delete.

 

[beatle_bayly]

When you drained the fuel into the bottle, what was the ratio of water to fuel after it settled? If it was more than a golfball sized water glob to a half litre of fuel I'd be draining the tank and starting from scratch rather than adding a product to make the water miscible with the fuel. Particularly given the severe cold you Canuks are about to endure (nothing like those temps here in Oz....).

I use CEM CRD additive CRD Fuel Enhancer - Fuel Cleaner Additive for Diesel Engines - https://costeffective.com.au/product/crd-fuel-enhancer-for-common-rail-engines/ but only to quieten the HDT-FTE fuel pump and give it some love at half a million KMs. Goes some way to replace lost lubricity from low sulfur fuels.

White smoke is generally steam from a cold start and/or water in the fuel. Black smoke is overfuelling.

 

[AussieHJCruza]

When you drained the fuel into the bottle, what was the ratio of water to fuel after it settled? If it was more than a golfball sized water glob to a half litre of fuel I'd be draining the tank and starting from scratch rather than adding a product to make the water miscible with the fuel. Particularly given the severe cold you Canuks are about to endure (nothing like those temps here in Oz....).

I use CEM CRD additive CRD Fuel Enhancer - Fuel Cleaner Additive for Diesel Engines - https://costeffective.com.au/product/crd-fuel-enhancer-for-common-rail-engines/ but only to quieten the HDT-FTE fuel pump and give it some love at half a million KMs. Goes some way to replace lost lubricity from low sulfur fuels.

White smoke is generally steam from a cold start and/or water in the fuel. Black smoke is overfuelling.

I use the CEM products too, might be placebo but I'm sure better fuel economy with the FTC decarboniser.

 

[beatle_bayly]

After watching that video, I may swap

 

[sodafeld1]

Maybe! It has good ratings in Oz, bit exy.

Glad I have indirect injection myself on my 2h, being more primitive, it is a little more tolerant of bad fuel..

I have a secondary fuel filter with a transparent bowl on the bottom.
In 5 years I have not seen any water in it.

I regularly fill jerry cans with diesel. Never seen fuel that dirty. It may depend where you live too, how old the bowser is etc.all the factors he said.

The fuel he put in his tank would not have reached his pump on the start up in the video, which is deceit. When someone deceives, you do not know where it starts or stops. I kind of loose trust of anyone who purposefully deceives. Both of them are aware of the deceit and put it to air.

Both presenters are in a 'relationship', both good successful sales people. There is a fair bit of psychology in sales. Create demand is a big one, an answer in a bottle (which you have to keep buying) is another.

Have read of a few mudders getting bad fuel in W.A. By the sounds of it, when you have bad fuel, it is very obvious, sputtering engine.

But my usual range is victoria and new south wales. I tend to use bp here, always seems ok.

There is always someone trying to sell something. But, it has good reviews here, so maybe it is good. But maybe they just think it is good without really knowing or observing and feel self important by endorsing that they think it is good.
You are often prompted to give your rating even before you have received whatever you have bought. And there is sure lots of folks with itchy fingers.

Sometimes I get a tiny amount of white smoke on cold morning starts for 20 seconds. 320k km on the clock.

Feel no need to buy it, too expensive. I use a little flashlube when I fill up. But I have no idea if it does anything whatsoever besides making me feel a little sanctimonious. Gotta get the halo around my head from something!. I probably would use 1/4 dose, so a 5l bottle lasts a very long time.

I can get 8.8l per 100km though driving like miss daisy, so pretty happy. 26mpg.

But I am a cynic and skeptic of many things. And common rail has much finer tolerances than indirect injection. I am amazed how much more smoke newer cars make than mine which is not much smoke. Fairly well maintained.

 

[veiloctane]

Maybe! It has good ratings in Oz, bit exy.

Glad I have indirect injection myself on my 2h, being more primitive, it is a little more tolerant of bad fuel..

I have a secondary fuel filter with a transparent bowl on the bottom.
In 5 years I have not seen any water in it.

I regularly fill jerry cans with diesel. Never seen fuel that dirty. It may depend where you live too, how old the bowser is etc.all the factors he said.

The fuel he put in his tank would not have reached his pump on the start up in the video, which is deceit. When someone deceives, you do not know where it starts or stops. I kind of loose trust of anyone who purposefully deceives. Both of them are aware of the deceit and put it to air.

Both presenters are in a 'relationship', both good successful sales people. There is a fair bit of psychology in sales. Create demand is a big one, an answer in a bottle (which you have to keep buying) is another.

Have read of a few mudders getting bad fuel in W.A. By the sounds of it, when you have bad fuel, it is very obvious, sputtering engine.

But my usual range is victoria and new south wales. I tend to use bp here, always seems ok.

There is always someone trying to sell something. But, it has good reviews here, so maybe it is good. But maybe they just think it is good without really knowing or observing and feel self important by endorsing that they think it is good.
You are often prompted to give your rating even before you have received whatever you have bought. And there is sure lots of folks with itchy fingers.

Sometimes I get a tiny amount of white smoke on cold morning starts for 20 seconds. 320k km on the clock.

Feel no need to buy it, too expensive. I use a little flashlube when I fill up. But I have no idea if it does anything whatsoever besides making me feel a little sanctimonious. Gotta get the halo around my head from something!. I probably would use 1/4 dose, so a 5l bottle lasts a very long time.

I can get 8.8l per 100km though driving like miss daisy, so pretty happy. 26mpg.

But I am a cynic and skeptic of many things. And common rail has much finer tolerances than indirect injection. I am amazed how much more smoke newer cars make than mine which is not much smoke. Fairly well maintained.

nice I hear flash lube is good too but never have seen it around Canada and in the USA

thanks for the input.

 

[veiloctane]

After watching that video, I may swap

it's like magic that the fuel turns clear again but where do the dirt and crap go it doesn't settle to the bottom like some of the other additives.

 

[sodafeld1]

I have never seen fuel from the bowser like that. In my limited travels. I would not buy that fuel, but if I had no choice, I guess a bottle of it would be handy. Rather carry jerry cans with clean fuel personally still.
The places he has been, and in very remote areas you may find this 'cultured' fuel, stored for years with dirty water. Eventually algae would bloom.

Some of it makes sense. It reminds me a little of the biodiesel production process.
You have to de-water it and biocide is added to prevent algae. It is an interesting process and most relevant to the 'doctors' product. Veg oil is renown for it's lubricity and it's tendency to grow algae, much of the fat in veg oil can be used to make soap.

We don't want fuel as an emulsion. Some emulsions are made by adding a protein , like mayonnaise being oil, vinegar and egg as the protein which is the key for the vinegar to hold to the oil. Otherwise the vinegar, being acid, cuts oil thin. Margarine is another example, hydrolised vegetable oil.

Surfactants come in many forms, it is slippery, reduces surface tension between things. Lignin from wet paper is used as a surfactant in specialty cements and concrete as a water reducer, the less water used in cement, the stronger it is.

Chemistry is interesting, shame it is not taught in a relevant hands on manner in education institutes. Everyone just gets bamboozled, with formulas, eyes glaze over.

Penrite in Oz sells a biocide fuel additive, that's exy too.
Could get some for the interest sake. But still, I wouldn't go buying fuel like that. Duncan had an adventure with dirty fuel not all that long ago.

 

[Dougal]

You'd be silly to use contaminated fuel in anything other than a burner/heater. Filters are used to separate out water and contaminants. Fuel treatments are basically snake oil.

 

[beatle_bayly]

it's like magic that the fuel turns clear again but where do the dirt and crap go it doesn't settle to the bottom like some of the other additives.

That's the one thing missing from the demonstration. They only had a liquid/liquid emulsion in the bottle, though the product cleared it up almost instantly.

Any solids, like rust, are a separate issue which require physical filtration (and your vehicle tank may be the source of any rust). To be fair, they did explain that solids will fall to the bottom of the ground tank, then there is also a standpipe in your vehicle tank, then there is the vehicle fuel filter. So nothing is a perfect solution but I can certainly see the benefit of at least carrying this stuff around, particularly if travelling remotely. Not saying there is greater risk of bad fuel in remote locations, but certainly less options of fixing the problem quickly (tank drain/refill).

In cold climates there is also the added risk of water freezing in a tank or filter.

 

[beatle_bayly]

I have never seen fuel from the bowser like that. In my limited travels. I would not buy that fuel, but if I had no choice, I guess a bottle of it would be handy. Rather carry jerry cans with clean fuel personally still.

Could get some for the interest sake. But still, I wouldn't go buying fuel like that. Duncan had an adventure with dirty fuel not all that long ago.

The trouble is none of us know what the fuel out of the bowser actually looks like. No doubt we've all purchased dodgy fuel, just not had any noticeable effect.

We don't have the luxury of on-the-spot testing of fuel delivered into our tanks, and even in a jerry can, it's impossible to see a bit of water settled in the bottom. Very rare these days to find a vehicle fuel tank with a plug in the lowest point to add a tap to do a water check even if we wanted to. I guess we should carry a large mouth clear container to check the fuel from the bowser prior to filling up......

Even with a perfect fuel supply, you'll still have water in your tank from condensation.

 

[Dougal]

Even with a perfect fuel supply, you'll still have water in your tank from condensation.

No you don't. I've never seen anything but diesel in my vehicle tanks. The filtration systems in japanese vehicles are designed to separate out water and even have floats in the bottom attached to warning lights for that purpose.

My old work car I even pulled the inspection hatches at the 17 year, 200,000km mark. Fuel tanks looked brand new inside.

 

[sodafeld1]

The trouble is none of us know what the fuel out of the bowser actually looks like. No doubt we've all purchased dodgy fuel, just not had any noticeable effect.

We don't have the luxury of on-the-spot testing of fuel delivered into our tanks, and even in a jerry can, it's impossible to see a bit of water settled in the bottom. Very rare these days to find a vehicle fuel tank with a plug in the lowest point to add a tap to do a water check even if we wanted to. I guess we should carry a large mouth clear container to check the fuel from the bowser prior to filling up......

Even with a perfect fuel supply, you'll still have water in your tank from condensation.

true , but diesel in the jerry does not look like the fuel they have. I like the clear water trap in secondary fuel filters. My hj75 has a drain on the fuel tank, you don't have a drain?!

 

[beatle_bayly]

You'd be silly to use contaminated fuel in anything other than a burner/heater. Filters are used to separate out water and contaminants. Fuel treatments are basically snake oil.

The trouble is water can only be 'filtered' out using a coalescing filter like those on aviation fuel tankers. Roadside bowsers are not so-equipped. So there is no real way to know if your fuel is in fact contaminated.

Given what this stuff was designed for, I can certainly see the benefits.
1. Prevent separated water in a metal tank and you significantly reduce the formation of corrosion and therefore solid deposits.
2. Removing separated water also reduces/eliminates formation of 'diesel bug' micro organisms and their byproducts (more solids).
3. Ensuring any moisture formation in the tank is harmlessly mixed with the stored fuel, at minute ratios, sees it regularly exit the tank with the fuel, and prevents the water level constantly building until it becomes a problem.

 

[sodafeld1]

I always try to keep my tank full, as air has water. But I did notice my filler tube has a tiny bit of rust from years of the bowser nozzle scuffing the paint. A stainless one would be better.

I also really try not to go below halfway full on my tank if I have the choice. Used diesel tanks are generally in good condition. I admit too that sometimes I just soak rusting parts in buckets of old diesel to stop it rusting further in the meantime..

 

[beatle_bayly]

true , but diesel in the jerry does not look like the fuel they have. I like the clear water trap in secondary fuel filters. My hj75 has a drain on the fuel tank, you don't have a drain?!

My 60 had a drain, don't think the 80s had a drain, and I don't know if my 100 has a drain in the bottom.

 

[sodafeld1]

No brainer to have a drain

 

[sodafeld1]

No you don't. I've never seen anything but diesel in my vehicle tanks. The filtration systems in japanese vehicles are designed to separate out water and even have floats in the bottom attached to warning lights for that purpose.

My old work car I even pulled the inspection hatches at the 17 year, 200,000km mark. Fuel tanks looked brand new inside.

Really respect you Dougal, you know heaps more than I . But water is everywhere, it is in air. I imagine your tanks are in good nick due to being kept full most of the time. Not picking a fight.
Diesel is an oil, so in it's pure state is an excellent rust barrier.

I know in clay for example, that even once bone atmospheric dry, it still has chemical water attached to the clay particles. Even if it feels dry and appears to have no water. Chemically attached water is only removed by gentle heating till around 260c or the water expands too quickly and the clay explodes due to the water turning to gas.

I expect there is a little water in fuel at the best of times, even if you can't see it. If fuel is allowed to settle water shall sink to the bottom, even in minuscule amounts. Rust requires the extra oxygen from air to liberate iron oxide, which is the natural state. The cycles of moisture, then oxygen etc. is what causes rust. Salts are another story.

It is interesting that more modern fuel tanks don't have a drain. Would even suggest an agenda is going on!
Sorry, I'll get off now. Looking for diversions.

 

[beatle_bayly]

No brainer to have a drain

Unfortunately, I doubt any have drain bungs these days. It's an added cost and potential leak point. And it's a real problem when people have to drain a tank due to fuel contamination. Instead of simply dropping the spare wheel and pulling a bung, it's a full tank-out job costing a lot of $$$ in labour. I guess these days a lot of tanks are plastic as well.

 

[sodafeld1]

Been thinking of fuel doctor. The key ingredient is biocide, kills algae. The surfactant is to distribute the biocide optimally.
Algae is the vegetable protein which allows the water to attach to the fuel. Just as egg is used as the protein to attach vinegar to oil.

Leave any non evapourative fuel long enough to hold atmospheric water, algae shall grow. But then, I don't think kerosene would allow algae to grow, which is another consideration.