But today's diesel engine owners are overlooking one important factor – the quality of today's diesel fuel has not advanced at the same rate as engine improvements.
Diesel fuel begins to deteriorate as soon as it is produced. Within 30 days of refining, all diesel fuel regardless of brand, goes through a natural process called re-polymerisation and oxidation. This process forms varnishes and insoluble gums in the fuel by causing the molecules of the fuel to lengthen and bond together. These components then drop to the bottom of the fuel tank and form asphaltene (aka diesel sludge).
The fuel begins to turn dark in colour, smell bad, and in most cases causes engines to smoke. The engines smoke because some of these clusters in the early stages are small enough in size to pass through the engine filtration and into the combustion chamber.
As these clusters increase in size, only part of the molecule gets burned. The rest goes out the exhaust as unburned fuel and smoke. With increases in cluster size they begin to reduce the flow of fuel by clogging filters. The filters only address the symptom and not the cause.
It is estimated that eight out of every ten diesel engine failures have been directly related to poor quality and contaminated fuel. The build-up of contaminates in the fuel systems and storage tanks can quickly clog filters, thus resulting in engine shut down, fuel pump wear, and diesel engine damage.
Using a diesel fuel solution like Bi-tron Fuel Treatment will stop re-polymerisation and oxidation, and hold the fuel at its manufactured condition.
