Diesel fuel stabiliser.

Tradewinds said:
Can you mix M16 and Startron - if you already have the tank treated with either?
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Possibly the brands will try to tell you not advisable ... but I can tell you simply that they should be OK ...

When we treat fuels - we have no idea if any additive has been added before ... we use ours and no problems. The only occasion that I know of that can prove difficult is if GTL is involved - but you do not have GTL in any significant volumes ... in fact rarely used in blends at this time for EU / UK ..
 
I've used Marine 16 for several years now, have to use 10l cans to refuel as rarely in a marina nowadays. Always add the M16 to the can, thoroughly mixed then poured into the tank. Never had a problem for almost 20yrs.
 
Have used Marine 16 once, as a precaution. Every other year no additive. Fuel from marina, tanks topped up over winter.

Touch wood, never had an issue in over 30 years.
 
I work out the dose of Marine 16 required for my tank, put it into an empty 5L jerrycan, fill it with white diesel, then add this overly rich pre-mix to the tank.

If my tank was already full, I would put the M16 into the jerrycan before siphoning some fuel out of the tank into the jerrycan, a quick shake then back into the tank.
 
Unashamedly piggybacking on this thread, as it contains some good info. My yacht - an Oyster 408 - has a single 500 litre diesel tank and regrettably I don't do as much sailing as I would like. As a result the diesel in the tank is old - the last time I added diesel was in September 2023 and prior to that it would have been 2019. I now have a lot of tar-like gunge in the bottom of the tank, which I believe are deposits from the fuel rather than being diesel bug - there is no sign of water in the fuel and I regularly polish the fuel through a racor filter. I am going to get rid of the remaining diesel and physically clean the tank, but other than trying to keep less fuel in the tank (which is difficult in a big tank as you need a certain amount to ensure the fuel pickup remains in the fuel), and get out sailing more, would a diesel stabiliser (as opposed to a bug treatment) help, and if so which one? I am based in the Algarve, so no issues with cold weather affecting the diesel! Many thanks
 
Why7 would you get rid of the old diesel ? Ignore all that BS about shelf life of diesel ... that's marketing BS.

As long as your tanks have been reasonably secure - there is no reason why the fuel should not still work OK.

To anyone that asks me - I usually say ... add fresh new fuel ... dilute it down ... that applies to gasoline and diesel.

If you can syphon out the gunge in tank bottom - then yes - that's a very good action to do.
 
Refueler said:
Why7 would you get rid of the old diesel ? Ignore all that BS about shelf life of diesel ... that's marketing BS.

As long as your tanks have been reasonably secure - there is no reason why the fuel should not still work OK.

To anyone that asks me - I usually say ... add fresh new fuel ... dilute it down ... that applies to gasoline and diesel.

If you can syphon out the gunge in tank bottom - then yes - that's a very good action to do.
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I emptied the tank this summer (about 200litres of diesel), through my polisher, and treated it with Marine 16. I cleaned the tank physically (horrible job) and put the fuel back in. Six months later the black sticky gunge has returned and has encrusted both the inside and outside of the fuel pickup, restricting the fuel flow. I have seen diesel bug before, which was a gloopy, sloppy, consistency, very unlike the gunge I have now, which is like tar. This doesn't make it through to the engine filters, it just accumulates in the tank and blocks the fuel pickup, so I am a little at a loss as to what to do, other than cleaning the tank and using fresh fuel.
 
Sounds like Ashphaltenes problem .... but it is not usual for coating of surfaces - usually it will literally creates balls / blobs in bottom of tank.

Unusual .... without actually being on-site .. difficult to suggest what to do other than empty tank ... clean out tank ....

I would be looking to split the old fuel up into smaller containers and stand - to see what happens in each container ... one container bei8ng a control and without any additive / extra etc.
Others you could treat with whatever you have ... maybe a dose of 5% or more gasoline in one ... see what you get ...
 
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