3.0 duramax additives

[Pswa320]

Anyone using additives on their duramax?

[Black02Silverado]

Not a duramax but is a GM diesel.  I use AMSOIL's Diesel Injector Clean + Cetane Boost in my 2014 Cruze diesel.  It adds lubricity and the extra cetane is good for better flame front burn in the cylinder and cleaner burn.

Edited May 27, 2020 by Black02Silverado

[redwngr]

GM's  position on this, from the 3.0L supplement.

 

Basically, if you are buying quality fuel, it already has the proper additives. 

 

cut and paste from 3.0L supplement: 

TOP TIER Detergent Diesel is highly recommended for use with
your vehicle. If your area does not have TOP TIER Detergent Diesel,
GM recommends the use of ACDelco Diesel Fuel Conditioner.
This will help maintain optimal engine performance. GM does not
recommend other aftermarket diesel additives.
If low-quality diesel is used for refueling, GM recommends adding ACDelco Fuel System Treatment
Plus-Diesel to help clean engine deposits.

This is available only at your GM dealer. 

end cut and paste

 

fwiw, 

about 12 or so years running 6.6 dmaxes; LLY, LMM, LML and now L5P

I don't use additives.

I'm fussy about where I source fuel. 

 

GM 6.6L supplement has similar message as the 3.0L

 

 

 

 

Edited May 27, 2020 by redwngr

[Pswa320]

8 hours ago, redwngr said:

GM's  position on this, from the 3.0L supplement.

 

Basically, if you are buying quality fuel, it already has the proper additives. 

 

cut and paste from 3.0L supplement: 

TOP TIER Detergent Diesel is highly recommended for use with
your vehicle. If your area does not have TOP TIER Detergent Diesel,
GM recommends the use of ACDelco Diesel Fuel Conditioner.
This will help maintain optimal engine performance. GM does not
recommend other aftermarket diesel additives.
If low-quality diesel is used for refueling, GM recommends adding ACDelco Fuel System Treatment
Plus-Diesel to help clean engine deposits.

This is available only at your GM dealer. 

end cut and paste

 

fwiw, 

about 12 or so years running 6.6 dmaxes; LLY, LMM, LML and now L5P

I don't use additives.

 

I'm fussy about where I source fuel. 

 

GM 6.6L supplement has similar message as the 3.0L

 

 

 

 

I don’t think I’ve ever seen the top tier logo on any of the diesel pumps here in eastern pa. Maybe not as widely available.

[SeaDogAther]

1 hour ago, Pswa320 said:

I don’t think I’ve ever seen the top tier logo on any of the diesel pumps here in eastern pa. Maybe not as widely available.

I have the same concerns here in eastern VA, as well as where I routinely travel, eastern PA, upstate NY and central WV. Guess I'll carry additive with me...

[larryz71]

Following.

 

I don't have top tier diesel available near me. I bought some opti-lube summer+ but am nervous to put it in the tank without being more educated. Impulse buy....

[MaverickZ71]

According to toptiergas.com's diesel page, the licensed brands are:

 

Co-op (Canada)

Costco

Fast Stop/Express

Kirkland

 

So basically, the General is telling us once again to be sure to only use this specially licensed product, which may be hard or impossible to find in your area.  Just like DexCool and Dexos.  

Edited May 27, 2020 by MaverickZ71

[redwngr]

3 hours ago, Pswa320 said:

I don’t think I’ve ever seen the top tier logo on any of the diesel pumps here in eastern pa. Maybe not as widely available.

I haven't been paying attention to Top Tier' branding ( For the same reason you mention --  availability isn't widespread, the 'premium brands' don't seem to have jumped on the Top Tier Diesel thing.)

I never buy fuel from 'discounters'

 

As others pointed out, the fuel often comes from the same terminal.

The brands add there own additive package, which is one of the reasons 'premium' brands are sometimes slightly more expensive. 

 

I also source from larger volume locations. 

Just not large volume 'discounters'.

 

 

[Cpl_Punishment]

14 minutes ago, MaverickZ71 said:

According to toptiergas.com's diesel page, the licensed brands are:

 

Co-op (Canada)

Costco

Fast Stop/Express

Kirkland

 

So basically, the General is telling us once again to be sure to only use this specially licensed product, which may be hard or impossible to find in your area.  Just like DexCool and Dexos.  

That seems suspicious to me. Co-op is the only one of those that actually refines fuel; all the others would have to buy their diesel from another company. So unless they're buying all their diesel from Co-op (who I believe only have one refinery that's shut down more than it's operating lately), how could the diesel be top tier from  the resellers but not from the original manufacturers? Could the manufacturers' additive packages not be approved for top tier fuel? That seems unlikely too, given how big a business diesel is. 

[redwngr]

2 minutes ago, Cpl_Punishment said:

That seems suspicious to me. Co-op is the only one of those that actually refines fuel; all the others would have to buy their diesel from another company. So unless they're buying all their diesel from Co-op (who I believe only have one refinery that's shut down more than it's operating lately), how could the diesel be top tier from  the resellers but not from the original manufacturers? Could the manufacturers' additive packages not be approved for top tier fuel? That seems unlikely too, given how big a business diesel is. 

I agree the list seems odd. 

 

My understanding is the additive packages get added at the fuel terminal, not at the refinery. 

Fuel in pipeline from refinery can end up at multiple fuel terminals. Fuel at terminals can be distributed to multiple 'brands'. 

Each 'brand' can then have it's specific additive package.  

 

 

[Pswa320]

Seems like I’m always either filling up at a Sunoco or WAWA in my area. Not sure if the wawa is Sunoco supplied fuel or not. I always see PennDot filling up there trucks with it.

[newdude]

Here is that full piece redwngr referenced:

 

Quote

 

#03-06-04-017N: Information on Diesel Fuel Additives - (Oct 14, 2019)

Diesel Fuel Additives Are Not Required or Recommended

TOP TIER Detergent Diesel is highly recommended for use with diesel vehicle. If your area does not have TOP TIER Detergent Diesel, GM recommends the use of ACDelco Diesel Fuel Conditioner. This will help you maintain optimal engine performance. GM does not recommend other aftermarket diesel additives. In the event you refuel using low-quality diesel, GM recommends adding ACDelco Fuel System Treatment Plus-Diesel can help clean engine deposits and is available at your GM dealership.

Common Diesel Fuel Concerns

Fuel Waxing/Icing

Fuel distributors blend #1 and #2 diesel fuels* for seasonal requirements in a particular region. No other blending of fuels is recommended. However, a customer may desire to use a winter fuel additive to prevent fuel waxing or icing during extreme cold snaps. If a winter fuel additive is to be used, it must not contain any metal based additives, alcohol or other water emulsifiers that may compromise the water removal effectiveness of the fuel filtering system.

*In Canada, Diesel fuel blend #1 is categorized as type A (Winter) and blend #2 is categorized as type B (Summer)

 

Bacteria and Fungi Growth

Bacteria and fungi growth can occur in diesel fuel when there is water present, especially during warmer weather. The best prevention against bacteria and fungi growth is to use clean fuel that is free of water. There are diesel fuel biocides available which are designed to kill bacterial growth in the fuel system. However, the dead bacteria can still cause blockages throughout the fuel system. If bacterial growth is found in the fuel system, the proper method of removal is to flush the fuel system using the appropriate Service Manual procedures, replace the fuel filter element and refilling the tank with clean diesel fuel. If a customer desires to use a biocide after flushing the fuel system, it must not contain any metal based additives, alcohol or other water emulsifiers.

 

Low Cetane Number

The cetane number is one indicator of a diesel fuel's ability to ignite. There are many indicators of overall fuel quality such as cleanliness, specific gravity, volatility, viscosity, detergency, corrosion inhibiting abilities, and lubricity. Increasing the cetane number alone is not a fix for poor quality fuel. Additionally, increasing the cetane number beyond the engine's requirements will not increase performance. However, the cetane number of diesel fuel is not always consistent and some customers may desire to use a cetane improver to ensure full performance of their engine. If such an additive is to be used, it must not contain any metal based additives, alcohol or other water emulsifiers.

 

Poor Lubricity

The 2.0L diesel and the 6.6L Duramax® Diesel engines are designed to operate on today's low sulfur fuel without the use of additives. A fuel additive designed to increase lubricity is not a fix for poor quality or contaminated fuel, but some customers may desire to use a lubricity additive to aid in the longevity of their fuel system components. If such an additive is to be used, it must not contain any metal based additives, alcohol or other water emulsifiers.

 

Fuel Stability

Fuel Stability and degradation may be a concern for diesel fuels, especially for diesel fuel containing biodiesel. Use of aftermarket stability additives to improve quality of a degraded fuel is not a fix and use of such aftermarket stability additives by customers is discouraged due to concerns of proper mixing and fuel compatibility. However some customers may desire to use a stability additive to increase the shelf life of their fuel. If such an additive is to be used, it must not contain any metal based additives, alcohol or other water emulsifiers.

 

Fuel Source Issue

If a vehicle is properly maintained but has fuel contamination issues, consider obtaining fuel from a different source. Purchasing fuel from a high volume fuel retailer increases the chance that the fuel is fresh and of good quality.

Parts information

GM ACDelco Diesel Fuel Conditioner

GM Diesel Fuel Conditioner®, P/N 88861698 (in Canada, P/N 88861699) is alcohol free and metal free additive. It is multifunctional additive and provides benefits of cleaning engine deposits, improved lubricity, improved cold temperature fuel flow, reduced fuel filter plugging, corrosion protection, enhanced fuel stability and cetane boost.

GM ACDelco Fuel System Treatment Plus

If the customer experiences concerns related to fuel injector deposits, then it is allowed to use FUEL SYSTEM TREATMENT PLUS® – DIESEL, P/N 88865597 (in Canada, P/N 88865600) based on recommendation from the dealership technician. This is a highly concentrated product and should be used as per defined guidelines.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 27, 2020 by newdude

[Black02Silverado]

The best option for diesel fuel is to find a station that has a high turn around and large volume seller.  That way the fuel is always fresh.  Here in eastern NC I have never seen a Top Tier Diesel pump.  The Costco here doesn't sell diesel just gasoline.

 

Same goes true for DEF, get it at a local truck stop at the pump, it is always fresh and stored in underground tanks so it isn't subject to high temps in the summer time.  Plus no containers to have to deal with.

[TRKLGND]

5 hours ago, larryz71 said:

Following.

 

I don't have top tier diesel available near me. I bought some opti-lube summer+ but am nervous to put it in the tank without being more educated. Impulse buy....

Used Opti Lube in my 2016 2500HD.  Never had a single issue.

[MaverickZ71]

5 hours ago, Cpl_Punishment said:

That seems suspicious to me. Co-op is the only one of those that actually refines fuel; all the others would have to buy their diesel from another company. So unless they're buying all their diesel from Co-op (who I believe only have one refinery that's shut down more than it's operating lately), how could the diesel be top tier from  the resellers but not from the original manufacturers? Could the manufacturers' additive packages not be approved for top tier fuel? That seems unlikely too, given how big a business diesel is. 

It's all about buying a 'license' to be able to advertise your brand as being Top Tier or Dexos or Dexcool 'certified'. 

 

You'd think it would be as simple as submitting a sample to an independent lab to get tested to prove the quality of your product.  And it should be.  But there's a whole lot more to it than that. 

 

It's just another power and $ grab by certain vehicle manufacturers.  Essentially they're saying "You pay us whatever we think it's worth for you to be able to buy a license from our syndicate to get 'certified' and in return we'll imply to the purchasers of our vehicles, both in the owner manuals, maintenance schedules, and various advertising, that they must use your product or their warranties will be voided." 

 

Other 'non-licensed' brands may be just as good or better, they just chose not to play the old extortion game.  For example, Ford used to recommend BP fuel exclusively, but not anymore.  And at that time, our Ford ran better on Phillips66 gas than it did on BP.  Go figure.  There was talk on here and over on BITOG on how Valvoline (and others) refused to get Dexos-'certified' when GM first came out with the standard, even though their oil met the 'specs', but most of them have since drunk the GM corporate Kool-Aid and gotten themselves 'licensed'.  

 

Back to the OP:  So don't necessarily worry about "Top Tier" fuel.  Buy at a station you trust (not necessarily the cheapest fuel in town) that does a volume business.  If running some additive (some on here running Lucas and AMSoil additives) sometimes makes you feel better, especially after a suspect tank of fuel, go for it.  Enjoy your truck!  

Edited May 27, 2020 by MaverickZ71