ULSD

Pemex consistency is anything but. REGULAR diesel varies from 240-400 ppm azufre depending on the refinery

Again - I know nothing - only what I read - which I have referenced previously in this thread showing websites and quoting website using Copy & Paste - not my words.

My reading leads me to believe that no diesel refinery in the US produces anything but ULSD diesel fuel. US laws required and end to producing anything but ULSD by 2014 - many had stopped producing anything but ULSD long before then. It is/was really pointless to produce two fuels when they cannot store or transport them using the same equipment. So they just quit. I could be wrong as I have said before. But it is my understanding that any diesel sold to Mexico by the US will be ULSD. There is no "regular" diesel in the US.

I have yet to hear of any RVers to break down in Mexico because of their particulate filter being clogged.

I am not sure that immediate breakdowns are the issue. It is my understanding that semi tractors that put on hundreds of thousands of miles per year in the US do have to replace these filters after awhile while burning 15ppm. I think the concern might be that 500ppm or whatever could significantly shorten the life of one of these filters - which I have heard are not cheap to replace. So to me the concern would be how the increase in sulfur by as much as 20 to 30 times the amount they are designed for might contribute to the eventual demise of the device.

I have heard they had the technology for emission control prior to the availability of 15ppm but that the technology would not/could not/will not work with higher ppm fuel. I have said for years that if you are going to consult anyone about this (an everyone should) it should be one of the senior engineers involved in the design of these things. I am well aware that it does not ruin the engine - it is the device used to burn of the particulates caused by the sulfur content that could have problems with the high ppm.

The only breakdown thing I have heard has been related to pick-ups (as are most of all these reports we hear) when they go into "limp mode" and cannot exceed 5mph or so. I have not idea what might happen to a larger Cummins engine over time.

I would allow GM diesels through 2009.
I would allow Ford diesels through 2015
I would allow Dodge diesels of any year

NOTABLY - these are all pick-up engines - no big engines in the bunch.

I would very much like to know the total number of vehicles and engines included in all this statistical analysis and database etc. Is this all totally and specifically based on information provided to the author of this study by those who have traveled in Mexico in recent years and have known about and contacted and participated in this study? What are their numbers? How many participated? Is this study published somewhere? How does it compare with any similar studies done by the actual manufacturers of these engines and any feedback they may have received from owners who may have had problems and contacted the manufacturer directly without any knowledge of the above mentioned study? I think personally I would want to know what assures us of the credibility of the author. I have no idea. He may well be the world's foremost authority. But how do we know that? In no way do I intend to condemn this study or it's author. But is there any other such study published somewhere where readers of this forum can get all the information and data they need to make a truly informed decision about this potentially expensive trip they may be considering?

To be clear - I very much want everyone and anyone who is interested to visit Mexico and to explore the country in their RVs to learn more about what a truly interesting country it is. What I do not want to see is a bunch of uninformed people visiting Mexico and having a bad experience because they did not do their homework and had a bad experience - or an expensive experience - which they then post reports about to bad mouth Mexico and cause others not to visit because these people did not do the research. Find out what to expect and don't blame Mexico if you were not prepared for what you might expect.

In your case when you wake up tomorrow your rods and pistons will be lying on the ground with a huge hole in the pan!

Moisheh

WOW that was mean!

I can see you are not very knowledgeable on my Cummins Engine. The engine itself loves high sulfur fuel. Its the Particulate filter that has issues. When it regenerates it cleans out the carbon. If it were ever to clog the check engine light will come on, in the worse case scenario the RV will shut itself off not start until it has been remedied. No internal damage! Per Cummins.
I have spoken with Cummins techs, a local truck repair shop about the risks and remedies. My best friend and sometimes traveling companion to Mexico is a retired Diesel mechanic, which helps.
I have done as much homework as I could.I have yet to hear of any RVers to break down in Mexico because of their particulate filter being clogged.
Again no hiccups yet!

Pemex consistency is anything but. REGULAR diesel varies from 240-400 ppm azufre depending on the refinery, whether or not it had suffered a process "upset" and from whatever source the crude oil came from. Heavy sour Maya crude yields a significantly higher azufre count than (recently arranged) fracked crude imported from the USA.

I refrain from commenting which fuel is suitable for which vehicle because I am in the dark just like mos folks. But I do know refinery processing capability. Bob Kennedy and I raided the shut down Shell Oil Platformer unit of fifteen or so dictionary thick hard cover volumes of Bechtel and Fluor engineering data of refinery design. In our spare time (different shifts) we studied and commented on various refinery processes. There is a lot of information within the pages of 50+lbs of books. Hydrotreating, Catalytic cracking and feed treating, alkylation, and gasoline additives were of special interest.

Shell had a room in LOP control center with eight forty thousand dollar mini distillate testing machines. The sample process was automated to cover the 7 test points of boiling points. Everything from initial boiling point to end boiling point. Sampling occurred every shift, sometimes twice a shift. Results were taken upstairs to be evaluated and immediately reacted upon. This was 47 years ago. Luis and Guillermo were impressed because current Mexican refinery operations are devoid of such micromanagement.

Mexican refined Magna gasoline contains a significantly higher ppm of sulfur than any brand of US refined gasoline. This is why I chose to use only Premium which is USA refined. Use of premium eliminates the need for periodic dosing with Chevron Techron. If you want to see a motor vehicle stall and run like a piece of ----, look at my toad after six months use of Mexican refined Magna. When traveling in Baja California the state, I use Magna because it is USA refined. Some cars could care less. I wish my toad could use cheaper Mexican Magna.

(Guesswork) One of the ways Pemex could jump a lot of hurdles is to "require" non Pemex (new) gasolineras in DF to carry UBA Diesel. Using "Pigs" in pipelines to separate fuel, USA refined UBA diesel could be piped from Veracruz to Mexico and Mexico edo. This in itself is going to be a big job for Pemex and by controlling pipeline flows from adjacent refinaciones a reasonable assurance is assumed that the city and state will get only UBA. (End of guesswork)

Something has to be done. Pemex is trying to direct a changeover so that the city and state offers only UBA diesel and UBA gasoline. They have their work cut out for them. I wish them all the good fortune in the world. Breathing Stage II DF smog alert air would make a believer out of anyone.

Update September, 2016 from Ted:

Based on all of the available data, none of the Ford, GM, or Dodge diesel pickups up to, and including, the 2010 model year, have any significant issues with the higher sulfur levels in Mexican fuel. I do not have in my files a single reported case of a problem for any pre-2011 Ford or Dodge diesels.

GM Duramax diesels 2007.5, 2008, and 2009 exhibit no issues other than smoky blue exhaust during regeneration cycles as the sulfur compounds burn out of the emissions system. GM Duramax diesels 2010 sometimes turn on the Check Engine Light for a while between regenerations but are "self-healing".

Ford diesels 2011 (when DEF was introduced) through 2015 appear to have zero problems. I have ONE 2016 Ford case on file but I suspect this was due to a component failure, not Mexican diesel fuel.

I do not have a single case on file of any Dodge diesel, of any year, having issues any worse than the Check Engine light on from time to time. Dodge diesels do suffer from generous consumption of DEF while on Mexican diesel.

I do not recommend any GM Duramax owner 2011 through 2016 going in to Mexico unless they first work with me to learn how to manage the serious reactions their trucks will have to Mexican diesel.

So, based on my database records, and the reports of owners on line over the years since 2008;


I would allow GM diesels through 2009.
I would allow Ford diesels through 2015
I would allow Dodge diesels of any year


I would not allow GM diesels 2011 and later unless they could show that they had worked with me to learn how to manage their trucks.

Ed White is the expert but it is my understanding that the post 2010 engines with SCR have problems with non ULSD. Iguana: In your case when you wake up tomorrow your rods and pistons will be lying on the ground with a huge hole in the pan!

Moisheh

without a hiccup

From my understanding - and I do not claim to know anything - it won't be a hiccup. The device on the newer vehicles is designed to work with 15ppm and not 500ppm. The device "regenerates" by using high heat to "disintegrate" particles it traps. These things do not last forever. The more it works the sooner is can come to end of life. They are said to be expensive to replace. I don't know much at all about it but I think I would ask someone such as senior Cummins engineers to try to learn more.

Lots of pick-up trucks have been getting away with using the wrong fuel for years. They do not have Cummins big motorhome engines. We have seen whole caravans from Canada with newer motorhomes and Cummins engines. They do not seem to worry or have any immediate problems either.

Again - I knowing nothing - we had a car that had a piece of emissions equipment that was not working properly. This somehow could be sensed by the computer newer engines must have to function. The computer adjusted for the wrong thing (I have no better way to write it) and the whole engine started to run really weird. Parts had to be replaced. More than a hiccup.

If Mexico is importing diesel from the US , what I have read it must be ULSD. I drove my ULSD only RV down last year without a hiccup maybe I got ULSD ?? Doing it again this year.

THREE

Yes, Mexico imports regular diesel from the USA

By "regular diesel" do you mean LSD or ULSD? It is my understanding based on all I have been able to find and all I have read that since sometime in 2014 no refinery in the USA produces LSD - only ULSD is produced in the USA. But I am just doing research and searching so I have no personal knowledge. What I have read is that part of the law for the US since the changeover began in 2007 says there will be no more ULSD produce in the USA. Is there any information that says otherwise that can be found on any accessible website? All diesel in the USA - whether it be for cars or trucks or boats or locomotives or power plants must now be ULSD. No pipelines or storage tanks or trucks or tankers or whatever can be used for both fuels so transportation and storage is now only for ULSD in the US.

Not being all that knowledgeable about the process (I expect others may not be either) I do not know all this technical coking and cracking and the rest of it. Is there a way to put it all into terms a laymen can understand?