Fuel Treatment: A Cautionary Tale

[guest]

Many of you will cringe reading this and wonder that a person could do something so obviously wrong and others may consider my experience as something that could have happened to them. I hope someone can learn from my error.

I was 15 miles away from my delivery when I ran out of fuel. I reasoned that there was still a little bit in the bottom of each tank and if I could raise the fuel level a little bit I could probably get to a station. The only thing I had in the truck that was diesel-like was cetane booster fuel treatment, so I poured a gallon in the passenger side tank. The truck started fine and I went straight to a station 5 miles away and fueled up. Two days later my truck wouldn't start without ether. After much trial and error at a very nice independent shop in Minnesota the bad news became clear: one dead huey pump and six dead injectors. Apparently, many of the o-rings in the injectors and pump had been cracked by the jet fuel I put in the tank.

Dumb, yep. Expensive, yep.

Lessons: first, don't run out of fuel. Second, don't ever ever ever put undiluted fuel treatment in your tank or in a fuel filter.

The cost of this lesson has scarred my mind and my wallet. Hopefully someone can learn something from this misfortune without having to go through it themselves. In talking about this situation with other drivers I am shocked at the number who say they put fuel treatment in their spin on fuel filters. This is bad bad bad. One drop of undiluted cetane booster can kill an o-ring.

My truck runs quite a bit better now than before I tried to kill it, but I am sitting a lot lower in the seat with my now-empty wallet in my back pocket.

You live and you learn.

 

[LDB]

That's a situation anyone could find themselves in if not careful. I guess another lesson for the rest of us is to call for roadside help to deliver fuel if forced into that situation. I usually buy fuel around the 5/8 mark because that is enough to get the free shower/drink etc. but I've seen the low fuel light a few times too. As bad as it was at least it didn't require a replacement engine or do some other damage worse than you experienced. The most important part of all is it didn't harm you personally in any way.

Leo Bricker
OOIDA 677319
truck 4958
73's K5LDB
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[geo]

when i was in navy on ike supply dept station in williamsburg va
we almost ran a diesil forklift out of fuel and didn't have any fuel and ran it on a can of ehtel for over two miles, and was sitting on back of forklift and once and while give it a shot and keep on running
until we got fuel up, it was one of those old forklifts if it would burn you could use it , could of times we even use paint thinner to
told a couple of friends that were mech you didn't blow it up

 

[RichM]

The primary lesson is obvious. Don't run out of fuel,better to be a little late then to get stranded. In addition to stopping you can clog up your filters sucking up sediment from the empty tanks. My personal fuel stop is when I am down to a 1/4 tank.

 

[davekc]

Thanks for sharing your post as you may have given many a heads up as to what can happen when faced with your situation.

Davekc

 

[tiredofsittn]

sounds like you got my type of luck, BAD.

 

[Broompilot]

Another mistake one can use, well I will just put five gallons of OFF ROAD diesel fuel in you know just to get me by.

Have a DOT fuel inspection and (you know this is when you would get the straw) and talk about a fuel injector bill.

Sorry Mike, but for others out there do not run below 1/4 tank it will cost you, ticket or an accident your blocked vehicle caused or the embarrassment of blocking 20 other trucks from exit/entrance.

My father must have the all time record for running out of gas, I could tell tens of stories but just one. He was behind me in Grand Rapids MI on 28th street very busy 5 lane 50mph or 45. I saw him slow knew he was out but was not willing to turn around and(you could'nt) rush hour PM. I let him walk (and you all may think I am cruel) but I was always the one to have to go to his rescue knowing he did not have a cell phone and this time could not call me he deserved a good long walk and got it. PS the police do issue tickets for this carelessness also.

I posted a few weeks ago regarding a repair due to these additives I had, do not over mix these, they are good for what they say but to strong they coat the fibers in your filters clogging them. $75 dollars Mr. Allen thank you, fix pull fuel filter empty refill with straight clean diesel and go filler back up to dillute the additive.

 

[tiredofsittn]

when i had my gas burner i carried the stuff called rescue. it gives off no fumes and you could store it anywhere forever. a friend ran out of gas once and the stuff really worked.