New to diesel fuel

[two_travelers]

We recently purchased a 2023 Winnebago View. New to the whole diesel fuel issue and have a few questions.

1) Do I need to put any fuel stabilizers in the tank when in storage or between trips?
2) A friend suggested using Bio Bro to keep fungus down. Do I need to use it?
3) I've heard that DEF has a shelf life. When putting in storage or between trips should I fill it up or leave it alone?

[KD4UPL]

klutchdust wrote:
I use opti- lube XPD additive to my fuel every fill up. My engine does not require DEF. It's an 06Duramax with 100K miles. The cost to replace the injectors on my engine is 3K. The additive, in my opinion holds that off a bit longer. :h

I never ran anything but diesel in my 2005 Duramax. I bought it new and sold it with 307,000 miles. It still had the original injectors in it.

[Grit_dog]

valhalla360 wrote:

wolfe10 wrote:
If storing diesel for over 2 months in summer or 3 months in winter, add a BIOCIDE such as Biobar JF.

Then fill the tank to minimize condensation.

Run engine and generator long enough to get them fully up to temp (like 25 highway miles) and park it.

If in very cold climates and you filled in the summer/fall, add an anti-gel. Walmart carries PS brand.

Condensation has been shown to be a myth. If you change the air space over 100% each day as the temp falls then rises and you squeeze every molecule of water over 100% humidity air...a 50gal tank might generate the equivalent of 3-4 peas volume of water. In reality, you won't be at 100% humidity and you won't squeeze every last molecule out.

Doubly so, with modern vehicular fuel systems which aren't open to the outside air.

Anti-gel only matters if you will be using it during the winter. If you are putting her away for the winter with no intention of using her until spring, the fuel will gel as it gets cold, then it will un-gel when it warms up.

^Listen to this guy. He’s right!

[Chum_lee]

two travelers wrote:
We recently purchased a 2023 Winnebago View. New to the whole diesel fuel issue and have a few questions.

1) Do I need to put any fuel stabilizers in the tank when in storage or between trips?
2) A friend suggested using Bio Bro to keep fungus down. Do I need to use it?
3) I've heard that DEF has a shelf life. When putting in storage or between trips should I fill it up or leave it alone?

What does your owners manual say?

Chum lee

[valhalla360]

wolfe10 wrote:
If storing diesel for over 2 months in summer or 3 months in winter, add a BIOCIDE such as Biobar JF.

Then fill the tank to minimize condensation.

Run engine and generator long enough to get them fully up to temp (like 25 highway miles) and park it.

If in very cold climates and you filled in the summer/fall, add an anti-gel. Walmart carries PS brand.

Condensation has been shown to be a myth. If you change the air space over 100% each day as the temp falls then rises and you squeeze every molecule of water over 100% humidity air...a 50gal tank might generate the equivalent of 3-4 peas volume of water. In reality, you won't be at 100% humidity and you won't squeeze every last molecule out.

Doubly so, with modern vehicular fuel systems which aren't open to the outside air.

Anti-gel only matters if you will be using it during the winter. If you are putting her away for the winter with no intention of using her until spring, the fuel will gel as it gets cold, then it will un-gel when it warms up.

[HawkTX]

Back when I had my WB View the Mercedes mechanic that changed my oil always said when you put it in storage fill the diesel tank and the DEF tank and pull it out for a 20 minute drive every two to three weeks and run the generator during that time as well. Enjoy your new motorhome!

[Grit_dog]

Biocide for short term storage is like belt, suspenders and safety pins.
In 35 years of driving, wrenching on, operating and being responsible for thousands of diesel powered engines, I can count on 0 fingers how many times a tank grew algae. Including the multitudes of infrequently operated or stored pieces of equipment.
But it won’t hurt, just totally unnecessary in the OPs scenario.

[wolfe10]

If storing diesel for over 2 months in summer or 3 months in winter, add a BIOCIDE such as Biobar JF.

Then fill the tank to minimize condensation.

Run engine and generator long enough to get them fully up to temp (like 25 highway miles) and park it.

If in very cold climates and you filled in the summer/fall, add an anti-gel. Walmart carries PS brand.

[Ray_A]

FYI if you have to travel in statesthat require stations to use BIO Diesel only and have to fill your tank with it. MB states that you have to change your oil more often as the BIO Diesel will dilute your oil and can cause you problems.

[bobndot]

I've heard that DEF has a shelf life. When putting in storage or between trips should I fill it up or leave it alone?

Drive it, use it . You’ll be better off spinning the tires . Especially during off season , there are many empty parks in Suffolk to park your rig to enjoy the view while you have lunch.

[valhalla360]

You don't need to add special lubricants to diesel. ULSD has been around for a long time and your 2023 motor is designed to accomodate it.

Crud growing comes from getting water in the tank and letting it sit. The stuff grows at the interface between the water and diesel. If you burn off the fuel regularly and get fuel from reliable high turn over stations, it's unlikely to be an issue. If it's going to sit for months, it won't be a bad idea to put some of the diesel biocide in the tank though this is much more an issue with boats where many tank systems are poorly sealed.

Do keep a spare water separating fuel filter and learn how to drain/change it out.

[klutchdust]

Todays diesel fuel has less sulphur. Sulphur added lubricity to the fuel systems and parts. I use opti- lube XPD additive to my fuel every fill up. My engine does not require DEF. It's an 06Duramax with 100K miles. The cost to replace the injectors on my engine is 3K. The additive, in my opinion holds that off a bit longer. A 60 dollar gallon lasts me a year. 3 oz per fill up.
Keep your fuel filter on a regular schedule. Diesel contains a bit of water. I purchase from stations that have a good turn over. Now the diesel is a renewable blend. i find my mileage has decreased since the switch over.

From the California resources board :R " Based on experience from other countries, equipment manufacturers and consumers have expressed concern regarding the lubricity of California diesel fuel as sulfur levels are further lowered. Unfortunately there is no currently accepted standard used for lubricity by the industry, therefore a lubricity standard has been included in the ARB’s proposal. "
So basically they don't know yet they say they included a standard. So what is the standard. :h

[ppine]

It depends on the weather and how long your vehicle sits. Fuel stabilizer is a good idea in the off season. Diesel can grow algae in it. Hot humid climates are bad for algae formation. diesel additives will take out moisture which accumulates in the tank from condensation.


DEF has a shelf life of 6 months to a year depending on who you talk to. Add DEF when are ready to use your rig.

[Grit_dog]

midnightsadie wrote:
I have a older MB diesel ,I don,t put anything in the fuel 2007 no problem. in ohio stored in oct garage kept. I do take it for a 20 mile drive on dry nice days when the salt has been washed off the roads. about three times a winter.change oil,filter, an fuel filter, keep tank full keeps condensation out.hate def won,t buy a diesel that uses it.

Yet the more advanced tier IV emissions systems that were introduced to on road vehicles just a few years after your 07 with DEF are more fuel efficient and more reliable from a DPf/EGR/soot control standpoint. (Unless your 07 is actually a late 06 production and is only Tier III in which case I agree and you have a gem. Hence why mid 2000s diesels generally bring a premium over late 2000s diesels).

I am with you though. My strong preference is to not have to deal with tier iv emissions on my personal vehicles. But I know that time is coming. Been driving diesels since they started out-pulling gassers in pickups. The old Detroit 6.2/6.5 and the cornbinder 6.9/7.3 IDI diesels were like the 70s/80s emissions and the first few years of EVs. The diesels were not advantageous compared to a good ole fashioned gasoline engine. Except the fuel mileage was commensurate with the lack of performance! Lol.

Picked up a 2016 a couple years ago, semi reluctantly, but couldn’t pass it up and it was already deleted. It’s really nice having a newer truck that runs just like an old 06/07 model with ZERO emissions issues or concerns.
That said, if I bought a new diesel truck tomorrow I’d give it a fair shake running factory emissions. But I’d be very tempted to snatch up a delete programmer while I still can, to put on the shelf, just in case.

[Grit_dog]

All good responses so far. I’ll try to add to that.
First nothing special you need to do with the fuel for storing the vehicle for Id say, a year or less. As said, diesel is much more forgiving than gasoline. If storing long term I’d consider adding a biocide as a preventative measure.
No other additives needed or even preferred (ulsd lubricity or lack thereof is a non issue in newer engines). Except if you’re running fuel in cold weather that has not been treated to prevent gelling.
But even this is not an issue unless running summer fuel in below freezing temps, or changing geographical location from somewhere that doesn’t treat for winter and driving into cold weather. (Example fueling up in Vegas in the winter and then driving N into Utah). But anywhere it gets cold, the fuel is already treated before it goes in the storage tank. In those cases, unless it gets much colder than the average lows for the area, also no concern. (I’ve only seen this happen once, large scale. Denver dropped to -30F one morning and all the local fuel was not treated for that extreme. Most local diesels gelled up for a couple days)

Storage, I always leave tanks as empty as possible. Gas or diesel. With gas, any minor condensation that may happen in the tank gets adsorbed with a good ole fashioned fillip of E10 gas. But suit yourself here. The jury is out on this one.
DEF. Do a little research but bottom line, it’s best to store vehicle LOW on DEF. So you can add fresh when you drive it. You can research shelf life and what affects that negatively (heat mostly). But if it’s cold out the def will freeze and not degrade further. It freezes at 12degF I think. Best bet is do what you can to keep any def in the tank less than a year old.
Or minimize the old stuff. Not too difficult under normal circumstances. Once you get a feel for how much it uses, you can plan to run it low before layup.
Another myth is what def is better for your vehicle. This is purely a myth. Unless it’s old or boxed def was opened, the quality of box def or pump def is both just fine.

Congratulations on the new rig. It’s not too bad “dealing” with diesel. Less concerns than gasoline imo. Just keep your eye on maintaining the quality/age of the def.