Fuel additives

[TigaWave]

Whats the current thinking on fuel bug/bacteria treatment? which are the best products? or to put it another way has anyone cleared up a dose of bugs in the tank with an additive?

I've never had a problem with a boat but have a friend with a lorry and it seems the dreaded diesel bug.

Thanks

 

[DAKA]

For an immediate clear up Grotmar 71 has tested as the most effective.

 

[Bandit]

I used to use Biobor JF which you cant get in the UK anymore aparently and now I am using Grotamar 71 it came out tops of the recent PBO magazine test and i have read all the bumph on it.

I tend to use it as a preventative.

Personally with a boat I would not, not a Bug killer.

 

[Freebee]

additives are good but there is no substitute for good housekeeping , keeping the tank clean and free of water and regular checks on filter bowels to remove any traces of water there. Without the water the bugs could not live.

 

[pissativlypossed]

Doesn't matter how good your housekeeping might be, you can still get the bug. I followed all the prescribed practices and still got the bug, twice, both times on brand new boats.

I use Soltron, and for the last 3 years have had no problems, despite being sceptical initially.

 

[orizaba]

depending on the bugs eg slimy like amoebas or black ones i have been told that a dose of meths kills the first ones,just add an amount to diesel ,the slime is hard to get rid of tho,had the problem with a lot of lorriesduring the fuel shortages and put it down to dregs from tanks being sold.if you use one of the slime/bug killers remember they will clog up filters fast when dead so carry spares,another thing i did was fitted an easily changable filter by the tank as on some lorries the main filters were hard to get at,once they are there they are hard to shift.

 

[Bandit]

Interestingly Soltron came out near the bottom of effectiveness in the PBO test and I am not keen on holding water in suspension and burning it through very expensive and sensitive electroninic fuel pumps and injectors .

I have sumps in my tanks,which i drain every trip, racor prefilters which i also drain and fuel treatment but its easy to catch a dose in some sleepy franch marina so to speak.

You dont need it in cars and trucks because they burn a tank full of diesel in a matter of a week or two or a day, in a boat it can sit for 6 months.

The other problem is that modern high pressure fuel pumps return to the tanks much more fuel than they burn and this is used to cool the fuel pump and this cant help having warm watery diesel .