[sarge095]

I am a diesel man ... can't help it. I have a 99 Dodge 3500 dually with a 24 valve Cummins with which I will never part.

Love the durability of a diesel, better mileage, and yes, I'm weird, the sound and even the smell. I've always used Stanadyne in my Cummins and truly believe it helps in several areas.

So ... when I decided to buy my new F-150, there was no question but that I was going to buy the diesel engine. So far, it's been fantastic. Does the 3.0 need an additive? My inclination is to continue to use Stanadyne, as I have been so happy with it in my Cummins. One place I read said, "Do not use any additive in the Ford 3.0 V6, it can damage the engine." In other places I hear of owners adding additives regularly.

Any feedback on this question? Thanks in advance!

 

[jmperlik]

@sarge095 - guessing you probably came across my earlier Diesel Fuel additive recommendations thread on this topic.

When I was in talking with my Service Manager last week, he reiterated the recommendation to run a diesel fuel additive to help combat any water in a bad batch of fuel, and he said using Stanadyne would not void my PowerStroke Engine warranty. If you google a bit, Ford actually recommended using Stanadyne Performance Formula for the older Ford PS 7.3L engines at one point to combat a low power issue in cold weather due to fuel gelling. I take this as Ford approving Stanadyne Performance Formula as an acceptable after-market diesel fuel additive.

Based on the above thread, I think I am still in the minority, but I am running Stanadyne Performance Formula on every tankful as added protection. Overkill? Probably, but I view it as added insurance and piece-of-mind as a first time diesel vehicle owner.

 

[kdjasper]

Being that I am running mine in the deep winter (and Polar Vortex) freeze of Minnesota, I have been putting in Power Service white bottle with every tank this winter which contains anti gel, cetane booster, and lubricity --> https://powerservice.com/psp_product/diesel-fuel-supplement-cetane-boost/

My local Ford dealer sells Power Service in the parts department right alongside the Motorcraft OEM additives; however, I bought my supply at FleetFarm.

I am on my 2nd tankful of this Premium Diesel fuel now --> https://www.cenex.com/fuels/cenex-roadmaster-xl so if I keep using this fuel I may skip additives in the warmer months and resume using an anti gel additive October through March.

 

[wreedsvt]

Where did you read it can damage the engine? On a forum, someones opinion?

All those additives do it provide additional lubrication and centane boost. I hardly think that will hurt anything. At the end of the day the 3.0 is a diesel engine, just like the Cummins, 6.7 PS, etc. Its just smaller displacement. My opinion is you will be fine. I just Power Service every month or so when I think about it.

 

[jmperlik]

@wreedsvt - I think what @sarge095 is referring to is the Fuel Quality-Diesel sub-section in the Fueling/Refueling section of the 2018 Ford 150 Owners manual:

Diesel Fuel Additives

• It should not be necessary to add any aftermarket additives to your fuel if you use a high quality diesel fuel that conforms to ASTM industry specifications. Aftermarket additives can damage the fuel injector system or engine.
• Use Motorcraft® cetane booster or an equivalent cetane booster additive if you suspect fuel has low cetane. Use Motorcraft® anti-gel & performance improver or an equivalent additive if there is fuel gelling.
• Do not use alcohol-based additives to improve cetane quality, to prevent fuel gelling or any other use. The use of alcohol additives may result in damage to the fuel injectors and system. See Engine Specifications.
• Your warranty may not cover repairs needed to correct the effects of using an aftermarket product that does not meet Ford specifications in your fuel.

Based on Ford's own recommendation in OASIS for the older PS 7.3L engines, I feel safe that Stanadyne Performance Formula meets Ford specifications for aftermarket fuel additives.

 

[sarge095]

Thanks!

Thank you, guys, for the responses. It is greatly appreciated!

 

[sarge095]

Thank you, wreedsvt. That is exactly where I read it, and is the place that made me second guess using additives. After reading the responses here, I feel much more comfortable about using an additive on my 3.0.

 

[wreedsvt]

I just ordered this

https://www.amazon.com/Stanadyne-Pe...s=standyne&qid=1552451819&s=automotive&sr=1-1

 

[kdjasper]

Here is a minor drawback to the Stanadyne 16oz bottles --> https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2O13QK5GH9XR0/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_viewpnt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B000M46TEU#R2O13QK5GH9XR0

Of course, if one had the 48 gallon Titan replacement tank you would just dump in the entire 16oz bottle at the pump before the fill up (assuming filling up 45 gallons).

The Power Service white bottle I have been using has this dosing direction: "At temperatures above 0°F., add entire contents (16 ounces) to 40 gallons of diesel fuel. When temperatures drop below 0°F. or when using biodiesel blends, add entire contents (16 ounces) to 20 gallons of diesel fuel." My typical fill ups are ~23 gallons, and temps are finally looking to no longer drop below 0°F, so I can probably start backing off from 16oz to less.

I bought my additive in the gallon jug, and a few 16oz bottles for convenience when traveling away from home. If at home, I pour from the gallon jug into these clear bottles with oz markers on the side to get more precise dosing, and these have worked very well for me with no leakage and very easy to fill with the provided funnel --> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075F5RLT9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ... Stanadyne sells the gallon jugs as well, so a similar approach could be taken with Stanadyne. Looks like the clear bottles with oz markers and funnel are currently out of stock, these look similar but without the provided funnel --> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MU59HSE/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B01MU59HSE&pd_rd_w=nHSXo&pf_rd_p=80559f3c-f83b-49c1-8a72-40f936e9df7a&pd_rd_wg=17Sm1&pf_rd_r=JYZ7DZRZH07BA6YVKTYN&pd_rd_r=cf4058ca-457d-11e9-a0f6-eb01d7bf9839

 

[jmperlik]

From my original Diesel Fuel additive recommendations thread:

I ordered up four (4) 8 oz. bottles of Stanadyne Performance Formula to try out and then run year-round. Part #38564 is an eight (8) ounce bottle which handles 30 gallons => don't want to deal with funnels and large jugs while filling up and couple reviewers commented that 16 oz bottles leak (Part #38565 in brochure link above) if you don't use all of it. If your order more bottles price drops from $10/bottle (for 4) to $5/bottle (for 24) -- I think this is a cheap insurance policy per tank to protect you engine...

Here is what I ordered back in December 2018: Performance Formula One Shot 8oz, Case of 24 Bottles Treats 30 gallons diesel fuel per Bottle to get down to the $5/fill-up price. I am using this on every fill-up in the winter months and debating what frequency I will go during the summer months.

There appears to be a huge markup on this stuff if you compare the gallon vs 16 oz. bottle vs 8 oz. bottle price, so getting the gallon jug with 8 oz fill-your-own bottles as @kdjasper describes above is definitely the cheapest route (well getting the 55 gallon drum would be the absolute cheapest route!) At this point in life, I don't have the time to deal with minor annoyances like this, so I just ordered the case of twenty-four (24) 8 oz. bottles to make my fill-ups as simple as possible -- I figure this case will last me one (1) year if I use every fill-up.