Update regarding Diesel Fuel In Mexico
Owners of late model diesel powered powered vehicles coming in to Mexico need to be aware of the following:
1.
Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel (ULSD) is still not widely available in Mexico, and SOME late model diesels have serious issues with the higher sulfur levels in Mexican diesel (LSD). If you have a diesel powered vehicle that does NOT use Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF), your vehicle will NOT have sulfur in fuel related issues and you do not have to take any special precautions.
2.
Problems, if they occur, are caused by the temporary deposit of sulfur compounds in the emissions systems of SOME, but not all, vehicles that utilize Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF). That is, mostly 2011 and later diesel powered vehicles, but Dodge Cummins 2011 and 2012 model years do not use DEF and will not have any adverse reaction to higher sulfur levels in Mexican diesel fuel. (The specific emissions component affected by sulfur is the SCR (Selective Catalytic Reducer) which uses DEF to reduce oxides of Nitrogen (NOX) in the exhaust).
3.
Generally speaking, diesel pusher buses, and diesel powered Sprinters and Navions, do not have sulfur-in-fuel related issues while in Mexico. This is because the engines in those vehicles are always working fairly hard in order to move a heavy load along the highway. This tends to keep exhaust gas temperatures above 400 degs C, which in turn discourages the deposit of sulfur compounds in the emissions system.
4.
Ford diesel pickups 2011 and later model years, and Dodge diesel pickups 2013 and later model years, will experience mostly minor symptoms while using Mexican diesel fuel. The response is usually limited to the “Check Engine” light, or “limited number of starts” warnings, being on from time to time. These pickups are typically “self healing” because a regeneration cycle, which burns soot out of the emissions system, will occur before things deteriorate to a serious level. The regeneration burns the sulfur deposits out of the SCR at the same time, so emissions return to normal, and warnings disappear.
5.
The most seriously affected group of vehicles are Duramax model years 2011 through 2017. The 2011 and 2012 model year is mostly self-healing, but 2013 and later model years require management and intervention in order to prevent deterioration to limp mode (5mph).
I have trained almost a dozen owners across Mexico how to return affected Duramax pickups to normal operation, and those owners are always available to help Duramax owners in trouble. Simply contact me by email at whitetmp@aol.com to be connected with the nearest helpful owner. Owners of 2013 and later Duramax powered pickups who want to manage their own vehicle can also contact me for information on what is needed to achieve that goal.
6.
In terms of the availability of ULSD, I have personally drawn samples of the fuel from a number of Pemex stations in the Northern Baja and have had them tested at a lab in the USA. At the time of testing, the results confirmed that all Pemex stations down to, and including, Jesus Maria carry ULSD from the USA or Japan, distributed out of the Ensenada tank farm. All stations south of Jesus Maria carry Mexican diesel.
There are some areas on the Mainland which have ULSD, including Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Mexico City, but an interesting development is the opening of new gas stations by Gulf Mexico. Gulf says it plans to open more than 1,000 stations in Mexico by the end of 2017 and those stations will carry ULSD from the USA. Pemex is also under pressure to upgrade its refineries to produce ULSD in the near future. In other words, the sulfur-in-fuel problems in Mexico may soon be over.
1.
Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel (ULSD) is still not widely available in Mexico, and SOME late model diesels have serious issues with the higher sulfur levels in Mexican diesel (LSD). If you have a diesel powered vehicle that does NOT use Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF), your vehicle will NOT have sulfur in fuel related issues and you do not have to take any special precautions.
2.
Problems, if they occur, are caused by the temporary deposit of sulfur compounds in the emissions systems of SOME, but not all, vehicles that utilize Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF). That is, mostly 2011 and later diesel powered vehicles, but Dodge Cummins 2011 and 2012 model years do not use DEF and will not have any adverse reaction to higher sulfur levels in Mexican diesel fuel. (The specific emissions component affected by sulfur is the SCR (Selective Catalytic Reducer) which uses DEF to reduce oxides of Nitrogen (NOX) in the exhaust).
3.
Generally speaking, diesel pusher buses, and diesel powered Sprinters and Navions, do not have sulfur-in-fuel related issues while in Mexico. This is because the engines in those vehicles are always working fairly hard in order to move a heavy load along the highway. This tends to keep exhaust gas temperatures above 400 degs C, which in turn discourages the deposit of sulfur compounds in the emissions system.
4.
Ford diesel pickups 2011 and later model years, and Dodge diesel pickups 2013 and later model years, will experience mostly minor symptoms while using Mexican diesel fuel. The response is usually limited to the “Check Engine” light, or “limited number of starts” warnings, being on from time to time. These pickups are typically “self healing” because a regeneration cycle, which burns soot out of the emissions system, will occur before things deteriorate to a serious level. The regeneration burns the sulfur deposits out of the SCR at the same time, so emissions return to normal, and warnings disappear.
5.
The most seriously affected group of vehicles are Duramax model years 2011 through 2017. The 2011 and 2012 model year is mostly self-healing, but 2013 and later model years require management and intervention in order to prevent deterioration to limp mode (5mph).
I have trained almost a dozen owners across Mexico how to return affected Duramax pickups to normal operation, and those owners are always available to help Duramax owners in trouble. Simply contact me by email at whitetmp@aol.com to be connected with the nearest helpful owner. Owners of 2013 and later Duramax powered pickups who want to manage their own vehicle can also contact me for information on what is needed to achieve that goal.
6.
In terms of the availability of ULSD, I have personally drawn samples of the fuel from a number of Pemex stations in the Northern Baja and have had them tested at a lab in the USA. At the time of testing, the results confirmed that all Pemex stations down to, and including, Jesus Maria carry ULSD from the USA or Japan, distributed out of the Ensenada tank farm. All stations south of Jesus Maria carry Mexican diesel.
There are some areas on the Mainland which have ULSD, including Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Mexico City, but an interesting development is the opening of new gas stations by Gulf Mexico. Gulf says it plans to open more than 1,000 stations in Mexico by the end of 2017 and those stations will carry ULSD from the USA. Pemex is also under pressure to upgrade its refineries to produce ULSD in the near future. In other words, the sulfur-in-fuel problems in Mexico may soon be over.
