[gruppeM3]

Let me begin by saying that I am a total noob when it comes to diesel fuel additives. I am in no way endorsing Stanadyne. Just sharing my recent experience.

So lately I have been debating whether to add a cetane booster to my fuel. I figured it wouldn't hurt to try it out. All the diesel truck guys can't be wrong After a few hours of research on different forums, I decided to go with the Stanadyne performance formula. The reason being that they actually manufacture diesel fuel components. So why wouldn't they want to protect their parts with only the best fuel additives?

My second choice was Amsoil. Mainly because "PuertoRican335D" has praised it so much and he is a contributing member here on the forum. It was tough to pass it up but I went with my gut feeling.

So I went on eBay and purchased two 64 ounce jugs of the Stanadyne formula. I think I got a good deal. I paid $60 for the two, shipped to my door. Here is the link in case you guys are interested.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120791801886...84.m1423.l2649

As soon as I received it I poured the recommended amount into my fuel tank. It has been a week and so far the results have been great. I usually average about 420-430 miles per full tank. My car is projecting to get around 520 miles on the tank. This is a pretty big improvement. Even if I get 500 miles that is still a nice gain.

As for the sound of the car, it has not gone down. At least not yet. I'm guessing that it will but it is probably going to take a bit of time. I can't say why my mileage has improved so much but I just wanted to share my experience.

Again, I am not telling you guys to buy this specific brand of diesel additive. Just wanted to share this with you guys. I think there are plenty of good diesel additives out there and after my brief experience I would definitely tell you guys to consider adding it to your fuel.

[Puerto Rican 335d]

Im glad u came thru although with another product I've put additives i.e boost and cleqaner to my cars and NEVER had issues, gracias M3 maybe people will satrt using these products to enhance their performance and relaibility on their cars!!

[F32Fleet]

The chemical makeup of that product is fairly common among the diesel additives available on the market today.

The only real difference is the treat rate and the amount of product.

You can pull together the MSDS of any additive to get an idea of its composition.

[Brad335d]

Fuel quality and cetane make a big difference in diesel.

I run 4oz Motorcraft (Ford) Performance Improver and Cetane Boost per tank.

Additionally I mix in 7-8% ASTM B100 Biodiesel.

If I want more responsiveness I up the Biodiesel.

In my personal experience there is better throttle response, and better power in the upper RPMs with this mixture over running straight diesel and even diesel/cetane boost alone.

As far as my fuel, I run BP 97% of the time.

[Puerto Rican 335d]

uum interesting Brad, we dont have biodiesel here in the Island but there is aguy who sells the kit.

[Brad335d]

I don't have a strain your own cooking oil kit, I get mine from a pump. There's a biofuel company here in Atlanta and they have pumps around the city. They look like self service aviation fuel pumps. You can select either B20 or B100. Our Love's truck stop is currently selling B19 as their regular diesel.

http://cleanenergybiofuels.com/

[Pierre Louis]

I don't use additives since the fuel companies already do and they tailor the formula to variable base stock. BMW specifically recommends against additive. My experience has been that the best additives made my car worse.

I have only seen anecdotal reports like the above that do not convince me of anything other than a market exists for human perceptions of reality that do not include statistical and scientific reasoning.

I wish that there were studies and data involving consumer use of these additives that gave evidence of whether there are any improvements in performance or longevity other than testimonials and poorly controlled laboratory measurements on very limited samples.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by Pierre Louis

I don't use additives since the fuel companies already do and they tailor the formula to variable base stock. BMW specifically recommends against additive. My experience has been that the best additives made my car worse.

I have only seen anecdotal reports like the above that do not convince me of anything other than a market exists for human perceptions of reality that do not include statistical and scientific reasoning.

I wish that there were studies and data involving consumer use of these additives that gave evidence of whether there are any improvements in performance or longevity other than testimonials and poorly controlled laboratory measurements on very limited samples.

Google Spicer report. They didn't test cetane but did for lubricity. When you read the report keep in mind that the base fuel was dry "unadditized" diesel and unacceptable for sale because it did not meet ATSM 975.


The studies you wish that were available are about as common as unicorns. You just won't find it because a consumer doesn't have the $10,000 to test 30 samples.

[Puerto Rican 335d]

PL it would be hard if not EXPENSIVE but based on my own persona I have used of course AMSOIL over half of my life on my cars and NEVER had issues due to their use of their products.

[Pierre Louis]

Originally Posted by Socom

Google Spicer report. They didn't test cetane but did for lubricity. When you read the report keep in mind that the base fuel was dry "unadditized" diesel and unacceptable for sale because it did not meet ATSM 975.


The studies you wish that were available are about as common as unicorns. You just won't find it because a consumer doesn't have the $10,000 to test 30 samples.

The Spicer report has nothing to do with real diesel available at the pump.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by Pierre Louis

The Spicer report has nothing to do with real diesel available at the pump.

Nope but that's the point. Fuel isn't the same from terminal to terminal and you know that. Different refineries and different base fuels. This is true on the national level without a doubt.

The test still stands and should meet your requirements. Now you could email Powerservice.

They do nationwide testing of retail fuel every so often and they will send you the results. Of course you have to decide as to whether their test results are any more/less reliable than the tests done by Shell, Exxon Mobil, etc at the terminal on the fuel your pumping into your tank.

Let's try to keep the goal posts from moving..

[AzureHaze]

Originally Posted by Pierre Louis

I don't use additives since the fuel companies already do and they tailor the formula to variable base stock. BMW specifically recommends against additive.

+1. Don't think I'll ever need it.

[Pierre Louis]

Originally Posted by Socom

Nope but that's the point. Fuel isn't the same from terminal to terminal and you know that. Different refineries and different base fuels. This is true on the national level without a doubt.

The test still stands and should meet your requirements. Now you could email Powerservice.

They do nationwide testing of retail fuel every so often and they will send you the results. Of course you have to decide as to whether their test results are any more/less reliable than the tests done by Shell, Exxon Mobil, etc at the terminal on the fuel your pumping into your tank.

Let's try to keep the goal posts from moving..

Retail diesel already has customized additive put in. Spicer's test: no additive in the fuel used for the test, unlike the stuff available to consumers.

Power Service only tests single samples and doesn't publish their results nor do they answer e-mails that request collective data.

No use in arguing with you, since you obviously don't understand this.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by Pierre Louis

Retail diesel already has customized additive put in. Spicer's test: no additive in the fuel used for the test, unlike the stuff available to consumers.

Power Service only tests single samples and doesn't publish their results nor do they answer e-mails that request collective data.

No use in arguing with you, since you obviously don't understand this.

Powerservice will. You just have to ask for the results.


It's clear that that data you want nobody will provide. It's proprietary information and you know that.. You won't get it from the majors (Lubrizol, Chevron, Shell, Exxon, etc) either.

Come on PL. Why play the "appeals to ignorance" game?

[Timujin]

I ran a 1/2 performance & 1/2 lubricity cocktail in my TDI because of the known fuel pump issues. I haven't ran any in the 335d because the manual says not to whereas VW sells the stuff. I had no problems for 40K+ miles with Stanadyne. I bought it from Diesel Injection Service and those guys said if you have a problem bring the car to us!

[Pierre Louis]

Originally Posted by Timujin

I ran a 1/2 performance & 1/2 lubricity cocktail in my TDI because of the known fuel pump issues. I haven't ran any in the 335d because the manual says not to whereas VW sells the stuff. I had no problems for 40K+ miles with Stanadyne. I bought it from Diesel Injection Service and those guys said if you have a problem bring the car to us!

"I had no problems with..." is meaningless. You would need to show a large number of engines on and compare it to a large number off the stuff over time, collect information about improvements, side effects and longevity etc. Sorry, its just fluff. The known fuel pump issues are likely from gasoline contamination anyway. The TDI fuel pump design can't take anything less than full diesel it seems unlike other designs.

[Pierre Louis]

Originally Posted by Socom

Powerservice will. You just have to ask for the results.


It's clear that that data you want nobody will provide. It's proprietary information and you know that.. You won't get it from the majors (Lubrizol, Chevron, Shell, Exxon, etc) either.

Come on PL. Why play the "appeals to ignorance" game?

Apparently since the claims made by additive manufacturers lack evidence to the contrary, many believe they must be true. Here is a definition:

Argument from ignorance (Latin: argumentum ad ignorantiam), also known as appeal to ignorance (in which ignorance stands for "lack of evidence to the contrary"), is a fallacy in informal logic. It asserts that a proposition is true because it has not yet been proven false (or vice versa). This represents a type of false dichotomy in that it excludes a third option, which is that there is insufficient investigation and therefore insufficient information to prove the proposition satisfactorily to be either true or false. Nor does it allow the admission that the choices may in fact not be two (true or false), but may be as many as four, (1) true, (2) false, (3) unknown between true or false, and (4) being unknowable (among the first three).[1] In debates, appeals to ignorance are sometimes used to shift the burden of proof.

I already asked PS for the cumulative data that would show overall benefits and they wouldn't provide it.

[Pierre Louis]

Originally Posted by Socom

It's clear that that data you want nobody will provide. It's proprietary information and you know that.. You won't get it from the majors (Lubrizol, Chevron, Shell, Exxon, etc) either.

Its not clear to me why there is no data (I've looked many times, but maybe I'm missing it) from fleet operators that have nothing to do with the "majors" since they are the ones that would benefit most from a cost-benefit analysis. The simple use of additive, yes or no, doesn't sound too difficult to question when big $$$ are at stake in equipment. I really do want to know. Even though our BMW engines differ, it still would be useful information.

[Puerto Rican 335d]

Good one Brad

[mob17]

So what's the answer, use additives or not?

[Timujin]

Originally Posted by mob17

So what's the answer, use additives or not?

Ask the additive company if they will fix your car IF something happens AND BMW says your additive did it. I realize this could never come up too.

Because BMW coated the fuel pump for the US market I am not going to try them.

[Pierre Louis]

Originally Posted by mob17

So what's the answer, use additives or not?

There is no answer. Its a matter of faith. Do you trust BMW and the fuel suppliers (Chevron, Shell, etc.) or do you trust the additive makers and "guys on the Internet?"