[GMMillwright]

Just picked up my new '15 CTD. Should I stick to Shell brand diesel or save a couple bucks per tank on Kroger brand? Is there an equivalent diesel fuel rating to "Top Tier", like in gasoline? Is there any reason to use an additive of some sort? Thanks.

 

[spaycace]

I'm jealous ... you have an Eco AND a diesel! There are additives for diesel if you want to boost your Cetane numbers (that's equivalent to Octane in regular gasoline) but I personally don't know of a "top tier" rating on diesel fuel other than having a higher Cetane number. I DO know that I would certainly not want any water in it as water will not simply burn through on a diesel engine like it does on a gas burner (we've all seen those cars that take off from a stop or go around a corner and it looks like their tailpipe just came out of a carwash) So it might be worth spending the extra couple dollars at a "top tier" selling station.

Here's a link to Edmunds.com: http://answers.edmunds.com/ViewQuestion.aspx?questionId=98539

Here's a link to Bob is the oil guy: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3555872/Top_tier_diesel?

 

[GMMillwright]

Thanks for those links. The ECO will become my son's car this summer when he starts driving. "Millenial proof" because it's a stick, lol. Should keep his hands off the phone while he drives.

 

[Aussie]

I live in Australia and the Cetane here is at least 50 by law. The guys on here recommend using a busy service station to avoid getting stale fuel.

 

[Tomko]

Just picked up my new '15 CTD. Should I stick to Shell brand diesel or save a couple bucks per tank on Kroger brand? Is there an equivalent diesel fuel rating to "Top Tier", like in gasoline? Is there any reason to use an additive of some sort? Thanks.

It has been my observation that money saved by buying cheap fuel is not money saved at all.

Shell offers a premium diesel in and around the Seattle area, and throughout Canada.

 

[diesel]

Congrats on the new diesel! I have driven 160K miles on mine so far. No additives ever and sometimes buy fuel at one particular Kroger, but the one thing I always try to do is buy fuel from stations that sell a lot of fuel. Once I have a good experience from a station, i stick with the same station in the different areas I fill up. 95 % of the time I use Gulf or Shell. Sometimes Sheetz and once in while when I am in that particular area and need fuel, a Kroger. IMO, high volume is more important than brand.

 

[spacedout]

IMO, high volume is more important than brand.

I agree 1000%

 

[Kexlox]

Just picked up my new '15 CTD. Should I stick to Shell brand diesel or save a couple bucks per tank on Kroger brand? Is there an equivalent diesel fuel rating to "Top Tier", like in gasoline? Is there any reason to use an additive of some sort? Thanks.

I would say 80% of my fuel has been purchased at Kroger stations over the last 42K miles. I just changed my fuel filter yesterday, and if there was any water in it, I couldn't tell. I always check prices at gasbuddy.com before filling up. I've seen differences as large as $0.40 a gallon just by going two miles down the road.

 

[Chris Tobin]

As others have stated, it is very important to buy your fuel from a high volume station to reduce the chance of getting bad fuel. I also try to avoid getting fuel from a station while they are refilling the tanks or have just refilled the tanks as this tends to stir up sediment and mix any water into the fuel...

Most importantly READ the label on the pump BEFORE you start to pump, and make sure it says DIESEL FUEL!!! Misfueling can cause major damage to your high pressure fuel system. DO NOT rely on the color of the handle. While many stations use green handles for diesel fuel not all do, and some stations actually use green handles for gas and black handles for diesel like the BP stations in our area. I have been running the Walmart/Murphy brand fuel or BP in my diesel cars and trucks with no problem for years and years...

I have added Power Service gray bottle to my fuel but not every single tank and mostly in my Duramax truck not our VW TDIs. I have used Schaeffer's Soy Shield in the TDI for a few tanks and really did not see a difference in performance.

 

[Cruzator]

Just throw some french fry grease in there, so you don't have to worry about whether you are getting good fuel or not. YOU KNOW YOU AREN'T! I completely agree with the high volume stations.

 

[KpaxFAQ]

Fuel is fuel, save your money and get it cheap. High volume stations are a good idea. That's everywhere where I live so I don't think much about it but I suppose it might be more of an issue in really urban areas.

 

[Overspray]

Agreed. I use only Kroger (discount) or Speedway. Both don't charge extra for using a card. Both in my area have high turnover rate of diesel because up here in MI, especially on the outskirts of farm land, lots of big diesel trucks running around. 31k so far and no issues at all.

 

[MP81]

Yep, we generally fill up at Meijer or Kroger, depending on the price - occasionally Speedway.

A million diesel trucks out by us though, so I'd say there's pretty good demand.

 

[CruzeDan]

I go to the Wawa down the street from me. They let me pump it myself and leave me alone (being in New Jersey this is a big plus personally), plus the local ambulance transport company fuels their ambulances there so the fuel is used. I add PowerService DieselKleen to every tank as well.

 

[diesel]

I go to the Wawa down the street from me. They let me pump it myself and leave me alone (being in New Jersey this is a big plus personally), plus the local ambulance transport company fuels their ambulances there so the fuel is used. I add PowerService DieselKleen to every tank as well.

I never understood that rule in NJ. I had no idea about it and stopped in NJ to refuel once. They ran up to me yelling and freaking out that I would dare refuel my own car.

 

[MP81]

They ran up to me yelling and freaking out that I would dare refuel my own car.

I would tell them that "Only I refuel my car", and continue filling, ignoring them any further. I'm not paying someone else to put fuel in my vehicle.

With diesel, it's not even a safety issue - a lot harder to make it go boom compared to gas.

 

[KpaxFAQ]

I actually thought in NJ it only applied to gasoline so technically you can pump your own diesel. Might of read that on tdiclub before.

Who knows I'm far from certain

 

[PanJet]

I actually thought in NJ it only applied to gasoline so technically you can pump your own diesel. Might of read that on tdiclub before.

Who knows I'm far from certain

That's true for Oregon (the other state where you're not allowed to pump your own gas). The rule only applies to "Class 1" flammables. Diesel is Class 2 so therefore the rules do not apply to diesel, but the vast majority of stations/gas pumpers do not know that so they get all weird if you try to pump your own diesel. I gave up trying, but I watch them like a hawk and try to avoid pumps where there are diesel and gasoline hoses on the same pump kiosk.

Technically there is a $500 fine for violating the rule (for gasoline, not diesel since it doesn't apply), but I've never heard of it actually being enforced.

 

[Chris Tobin]

I pumped my own diesel in NJ on my last trip up there...

 

[theonlypheonix]

I have been running the Walmart/Murphy brand fuel or BP in my diesel cars and trucks with no problem for years and years...

LOL on that Murphy diesel esp if one lives in a state where it gets cold and states like Illinois where B20 is everywhere. This past winter when it was 5 F outside and their diesel was soooo poorly winterized that you could not pump from their pumps. The station attendant said "it OK... its just gelling... come back when it warms up outside??? From what I see the attraction to discount stations are their prices but you can NOT count on the quality when it comes to diesel. They are cheating some where, whether the diesel has been poorly handled and is old and stale with algae and water, low cetane, high BIO content, and/or not properly winterized. I buy only at high volume truck stops and when out of town buy only from established brands and NEVER Murphy again... you pay for what you get!! Always use an additive because when pumping diesel you never know for sure what you are getting, no labels on the diesel pumps in Illinois. I use Power Service white in the truck and Stanadyne in the Cruze, shop major truck stops and you should be good to go when you want to go whether cold (-37 F) or hot weather.