All, I saw this at a different website. Some of you might have seen it but for those that haven't I thought was interesting. No idea how accurate it is...
"Cetane is like Octane in gasoline. Truck stop fuels like Pilot and Flying J has the lowest minimum Cetane number(s) of all diesel fuels. This stuff is not adequate for the Duramax engines. A Cetane number of 40 is the minimum required by federal law for a product to still be called #2 Diesel.
I have seen it but, of course, I cannot find the specific GM reference; that a Cetane number of 45 is the “minimum” requirement for the Duramax engine. What GM also references for the Duramax is the EMA (Engine Manufactures Association) specification FQP-1A. FQP-1A calls for a minimum Cetane index of 45 and a minimum Cetane rating of 50. FQP-1A says, in part:
Cetane Number/Cetane Index
Cetane number is a relative measure of the interval between the beginning of injection and autoignition of the fuel. The higher the number, the shorter the delay interval.
Fuels with low Cetane Numbers will cause hard starting, rough operation, noise, and exhaust smoke. Current commercial fuel Cetane requirements may not adequately address these customer satisfaction issues. Generally, diesel engines will operate better on fuels with Cetane numbers above 50 compared to fuels with Cetane numbers of the national average of approximately 45.
Cetane number may be increased through the refining process or the blending of combustion ignition improving additives.
Cetane index is an approximation of fuel ignition quality through measurement of distillation range and specific gravity. It is not affected by the use of combustion improver additives; therefore it produces an indication of the base Cetane number of the fuel.
Recommended Guideline on Diesel Fuel
In other words, the closer you can get to a fuel with a Cetane number of 50, the better and the addition of Cetane boosting additive is legitimate.
Every fuel refiner has a published minimum (Cetane) specification for its product. You can usually find this pretty easily with a little bit of internet research. I believe the list below was originally produced by Volkswagen. I have personally validated the Cetane numbers for the brands available in my area.
In my part of the country I run either Conoco or Chevron only. I also use both AMSOIL Diesel Fuel Additive and a measured amount of AMSOIL Cetane Boost Additive to give me a 2-3 point increase in Cetane number. The amount of Cetane Additive needed to get a fuel with a Cetane number of 40 up to 50 is not cost effective; it is cheaper to buy good quality fuel in the first place.
Vendor Cetane Number
BP-Amoco 51
Chevron 49
Conoco-Philips 48
BP-Powerblend 47
PetroCanada 47
Shell 46
Sinclair 46
Sunoco Gold 45
Marathon 45
BP 42
Sunoco 40
Holiday 40
Hess 40
Husky 40
Love's 40
Pilot 40
Valero 40
Flying J 40"
"Cetane is like Octane in gasoline. Truck stop fuels like Pilot and Flying J has the lowest minimum Cetane number(s) of all diesel fuels. This stuff is not adequate for the Duramax engines. A Cetane number of 40 is the minimum required by federal law for a product to still be called #2 Diesel.
I have seen it but, of course, I cannot find the specific GM reference; that a Cetane number of 45 is the “minimum” requirement for the Duramax engine. What GM also references for the Duramax is the EMA (Engine Manufactures Association) specification FQP-1A. FQP-1A calls for a minimum Cetane index of 45 and a minimum Cetane rating of 50. FQP-1A says, in part:
Cetane Number/Cetane Index
Cetane number is a relative measure of the interval between the beginning of injection and autoignition of the fuel. The higher the number, the shorter the delay interval.
Fuels with low Cetane Numbers will cause hard starting, rough operation, noise, and exhaust smoke. Current commercial fuel Cetane requirements may not adequately address these customer satisfaction issues. Generally, diesel engines will operate better on fuels with Cetane numbers above 50 compared to fuels with Cetane numbers of the national average of approximately 45.
Cetane number may be increased through the refining process or the blending of combustion ignition improving additives.
Cetane index is an approximation of fuel ignition quality through measurement of distillation range and specific gravity. It is not affected by the use of combustion improver additives; therefore it produces an indication of the base Cetane number of the fuel.
Recommended Guideline on Diesel Fuel
In other words, the closer you can get to a fuel with a Cetane number of 50, the better and the addition of Cetane boosting additive is legitimate.
Every fuel refiner has a published minimum (Cetane) specification for its product. You can usually find this pretty easily with a little bit of internet research. I believe the list below was originally produced by Volkswagen. I have personally validated the Cetane numbers for the brands available in my area.
In my part of the country I run either Conoco or Chevron only. I also use both AMSOIL Diesel Fuel Additive and a measured amount of AMSOIL Cetane Boost Additive to give me a 2-3 point increase in Cetane number. The amount of Cetane Additive needed to get a fuel with a Cetane number of 40 up to 50 is not cost effective; it is cheaper to buy good quality fuel in the first place.
Vendor Cetane Number
BP-Amoco 51
Chevron 49
Conoco-Philips 48
BP-Powerblend 47
PetroCanada 47
Shell 46
Sinclair 46
Sunoco Gold 45
Marathon 45
BP 42
Sunoco 40
Holiday 40
Hess 40
Husky 40
Love's 40
Pilot 40
Valero 40
Flying J 40"
