# Diesel Advice



## Insomniak

As I prepare for my road trip this Friday to pick up my new truck, I realized that I've never in my life purchased diesel fuel. I know that truck stops are plentiful along major highways, but is there anything I should be aware of? Any brands that are better than others, or will anything do the job? What about here in the big city, where we only have the usual Shell, Mobil, Chevron, etc? Counting down the days and feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve!


----------



## CamperAndy

The biggest thing to look for is turn over. You want to get your fuel where there is a lot of users filling up. Stay away from the small places as they can be more prone to water and sediment issues.

Other then that there is not much difference unless hey say they bio diesel. I would tend to stay away from it until you get comfortable with the truck.

Also stay away from farm fuel it is not taxed and will say it is dyed. Big fines for using it in on the road trucks.


----------



## KTMRacer

CamperAndy said:


> The biggest thing to look for is turn over. You want to get your fuel where there is a lot of users filling up. Stay away from the small places as they can be more prone to water and sediment issues.
> 
> Other then that there is not much difference unless hey say they bio diesel. I would tend to stay away from it until you get comfortable with the truck.
> 
> Also stay away from farm fuel it is not taxed and will say it is dyed. Big fines for using it in on the road trucks.


yup on all the above. Around town, I know which stations pump lots of diesel and those are the ones I use. On the road, I figure any major truck stop near a highway has good turnover. An when camping I do need to be able to get in and out since I'm 60' overall.

And, one last caution. In many places, diesel pump handles are green, sometimes yellow. BE CAREFUL GREEN does NOT always mean diesel!!! In some cases it can be gas, so don't just grab a green handle and start pumping!! AFAIK there really isn't any difference between brands.

Also in the winter, the fuel will be preblended to avoid waxing up at low temps so you shouldn't need to worry unless you drive in from a hot climate to a well below freezing climate w/o filling up your tank.

In the midwest near farm towns you will occasionally come across stations that have an island with #1, #2 and "offroad" diesel pumps. Only use the #2 on road pump. Do NOT run #1 in your truck, #1 is very close to Kerosene and has very little lubricity.


----------



## GSJ

Congrat's you will never look back after going to diesel. The best advice is to go to a station that looks like a lot of people use the diesel pump. That way you can be garenteed that the diesel will be fresh and clean. Use an additive every other tank or so in the warm weather, and every tank in the cold weather. And if it gets really cold where you are make sure the conditioner has some form of anti-jelling in it. Follow your routine maintanence and your diesel will serve you a long time. I have the renound 2005 6.0L, no probs. I have tuner(Bully Dog) and love it. Use it mostly in TOW mode.

Have fun with it.


----------



## Oregon_Camper

Filling up at truck stops was the BEST way for us on the way back from Michigan (with Outback of course). One thing to note, you have to pay inside first and the nozzles are BIGGER than normal. You can fill up your truck in about 1/2 the time then you will at a "normal" station. Just make sure your tank opening is large enough for this larger nozzle.

Enjoy the road trip...remember to keep us posted. I'm in London right now, so I'll be offline a bit, but looking forward to your update.


----------



## hoodscoop

Insomniak said:


> As I prepare for my road trip this Friday to pick up my new truck, I realized that I've never in my life purchased diesel fuel. I know that truck stops are plentiful along major highways, but is there anything I should be aware of? Any brands that are better than others, or will anything do the job? What about here in the big city, where we only have the usual Shell, Mobil, Chevron, etc? Counting down the days and feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve!


One more thing I will add, keep a pair of gloves very handy. The diesel handles are often wet with diesel because it does not evaporate like gasoline, or I think that's why.


----------



## sl93z

Ditto about the stations with lots of business. In the winter I add some anti-gel additive, but I doubt you would need any in CA.

If this is your first diesel I will warn you of one thing I wish I would have told my wife: wait until the dashboard glow-plug light turns off before you crank the engine over.


----------



## GlenninTexas

Something no one else mentioned, when you stop to fill up, be careful where to step, especially if you wear leather bottomed shoes. If you get diesel on the soles it will soak in and smell forever.

Carry a spare fuel filter and familiarize yourself with how to change it. If you experience bucking or lurching, a dirty fuel filter is the likely cause.

If you make a mistake and put gasoline in by mistake (it happens) don't start or drive the truck. You need to have the tank drained, or you'll ruin your very expensive engine.

Regards, Glenn


----------



## KTMRacer

sl93z said:


> Ditto about the stations with lots of business. In the winter I add some anti-gel additive, but I doubt you would need any in CA.
> 
> If this is your first diesel I will warn you of one thing I wish I would have told my wife: wait until the dashboard glow-plug light turns off before you crank the engine over.


on the glow plug light. Yes, you should wait, however, don't fret much about it. I never got into the habit, and just hit the key. The only time I wait is if it is below 0F, and even then I have forgotten a few times. Fired right up. new glow plugs are way faster than the older generation glow plugs.


----------



## Lad79der

You need to get on a schedule to change you fuel filter... a lot of gas guys dont ever change their fuel filter... with a diesel, lousy fuel will KILL your truck. Run the best filter you can get... try and stay away from box store filters from FRAM... Try to run OEM as they are made for the truck... or do some online searching and see what aftermarket works best. I didnt see it, but what truck are you getting? Good luck with it. You wont ever want to pull with gas again!


----------



## MJRey

You can get most of the parts you need at genosgarage.com they have a good selection of what you'll need and great service. For the oil filter just go with the Fleetguard Stratapor filter and you'll be in good shape. For the fuel filter just get the Fleetguard or Mopar filter, the prices are close but usually the Fleetguard can be found for less and it's the same part. I usually get the oil changed at the dealer. Get on the mailing lists of some local Dodge dealers and they'll send out coupons for service every few months. Using the coupons for oil changes I can have them do it for the same as if I bought the filter and oil.

Other than buying different fuel you don't have to worry about too much else with the diesel. In town I use Gasbuddy.com to find the cheapest stations. From what I can tell the lowest price places seem to go through the most fuel. I've seen some stations with prices 30 cents higher than one just around the corner and I figure that fuels going to be sitting there for a while before someone buys it. On the road you will usually find the lowest price at the truck stops.

If you're going through Utah on your trip watch out for the Highway Patrol, I see more of them there than any other state I've driven through. The highway speed limits are fairly high (75 to 80 mph) but they always seem to have people pulled over.

Have a safe and fun trip.


----------



## Insomniak

Wow, you guys ROCK! I guess one way to get a lot of quick replies is to put "diesel" in the title of the post, lol! Very, very good information and much more than I expected.

GSJ mentioned a fuel additive - what would that be, and is it really necessary? I've never been one to add stuff to my gas tanks, other than the occasional injector cleaner. As far as cold temps go, if it gets down to 38 or 39 degrees here at home, that's what we consider cold. We do go winter camping, but I think the coldest weather we've been in was around 28 degrees. The truck will have a block heater, so I guess if we're ever in very cold temps for a prolonged period, I'm covered. I plan to find a Dodge dealer close by and will most likely just take the truck to them for oil changes and all that. And yes, I'll be driving through a good part of Utah on my way to Colorado, so I'll keep an eye out for the troopers!


----------



## clarkely

Insomniak said:


> Wow, you guys ROCK! I guess one way to get a lot of quick replies is to put "diesel" in the title of the post, lol! Very, very good information and much more than I expected.
> 
> GSJ mentioned a fuel additive - what would that be, and is it really necessary? I've never been one to add stuff to my gas tanks, other than the occasional injector cleaner. As far as cold temps go, if it gets down to 38 or 39 degrees here at home, that's what we consider cold. We do go winter camping, but I think the coldest weather we've been in was around 28 degrees. The truck will have a block heater, so I guess if we're ever in very cold temps for a prolonged period, I'm covered. I plan to find a Dodge dealer close by and will most likely just take the truck to them for oil changes and all that. And yes, I'll be driving through a good part of Utah on my way to Colorado, so I'll keep an eye out for the troopers!


All great advice.... as mentioned above - make sure you carry a spare fuel filter and know how to switch it out if necessary - good insurance


----------



## CamperAndy

Insomniak said:


> Wow, you guys ROCK! I guess one way to get a lot of quick replies is to put "diesel" in the title of the post, lol! Very, very good information and much more than I expected.
> 
> GSJ mentioned a fuel additive - what would that be, and is it really necessary? I've never been one to add stuff to my gas tanks, other than the occasional injector cleaner. As far as cold temps go, if it gets down to 38 or 39 degrees here at home, that's what we consider cold. We do go winter camping, but I think the coldest weather we've been in was around 28 degrees. The truck will have a block heater, so I guess if we're ever in very cold temps for a prolonged period, I'm covered. I plan to find a Dodge dealer close by and will most likely just take the truck to them for oil changes and all that. And yes, I'll be driving through a good part of Utah on my way to Colorado, so I'll keep an eye out for the troopers!


There are several good additives but I only add them occasionally, maybe every 4 or 5 tanks. Similar to you adding injector cleaner to your gas vehicle. There are people that feel like they are chemist and mix up all kinds of things and add them to every tank. I am not saying they are wrong but it is a lot of work and may not have any real returns for you and the way you drive. What ever you do don't fall for the Dealer injector cleaning service during an oil change and fuel filter change, it is pure robbery.


----------



## Barry

Air filters are very important on a deisel also. I learned the hard way once. Let it go to long and truck would not run at all hardly. K & N filter that you can clean and recharge is my recommendation.


----------



## sunnybrook29

My Dodge dealer will sell me three Cummins oil changes for $120 [ 40 bucks each ] , I can not buy the oil for that !
The fuel filter is very simple to change , even a cave man can do it . I can buy a Dodge filter for $21 at the dealer , if they install it costs $ 65 .
My experience with a little gas in the diesel [ 3 times ] , not a problem , I once had 8 gallons in my thirty five gallon tank and I could not tell the difference [ of course I only ran it for 165 thousand more miles , who knows what happened when I traded !].
I love the Cummings , I have had 4 of them !
Also , am I the only one who has noticed that all diesel pump nozzles leak a little , always a mess , maybe the gas nozzle leak but the fuel evaps .


----------



## SLO250RS

Ditto on where you step,I did a road trip last June to bring my truck home from Texas and only used the high volume stations for fuel and had no issues.Talk to the service manager at the dealer and see if he recomends a fuel additive (cetane boost) for your truck if he does purchase the mopar brand for your first few tanks just to be on the safe side.Good Luck and have a safe trip.


----------



## TwoElkhounds

sunnybrook29 said:


> My Dodge dealer will sell me three Cummins oil changes for $120 [ 40 bucks each ] , I can not buy the oil for that !
> The fuel filter is very simple to change , even a cave man can do it . I can buy a Dodge filter for $21 at the dealer , if they install it costs $ 65 .
> My experience with a little gas in the diesel [ 3 times ] , not a problem , I once had 8 gallons in my thirty five gallon tank and I could not tell the difference [ of course I only ran it for 165 thousand more miles , who knows what happened when I traded !].
> I love the Cummings , I have had 4 of them !
> Also , am I the only one who has noticed that all diesel pump nozzles leak a little , always a mess , maybe the gas nozzle leak but the fuel evaps .


Speaking of oil changes...... When I did my first oil change on my Cummins, I had one hell of a time getting off the factory installed oil filter. They had put it on so tight there was no way may normal tools in my garage could get it off. I had drained the oil from the truck and spent a good hour trying to get the damn thing loose. I eventually had to go down to the auto parts store and purchase an oil filter adapter for my socket wrench. Even with this, I had to use a cheater bar. Just keep this in mind for your first oil change.

DAN


----------



## Braggus

> BE CAREFUL GREEN does NOT always mean diesel!!! In some cases it can be gas, so don't just grab a green handle and start pumping!!


I know this mistake first hand, pulled into a station and picked up the green handle, 16 gallons later realized it was unleaded....$100.00 and a 2 hour wait for someone to come out and remove fuel, then 2 sensors burn out 100 miles down the road leaving me along I95, lucky for me I bought an extended warranty and insurance company covered towing but it still was a few days without vehicle. Only savior was I wasn't towing the Outback.


----------



## H2oSprayer

If you end up stopping at a truck stop type place (ie; Flying J, T/A or Loves) be sure to pick out and stop at the diesel pump that is out by all of the unleaded pumps, not the ones in the back where all of the semis stop. The pumps that the semis use are set to a tax exempt price and you will end up having to move around the front of the station. As others have noted, you can usually look for the green handle for diesel, but not always. Make sure you READ the pump to know what you are putting in. Enjoy the truck, you will love the way that it pulls!!


----------



## Jimmie

H2oSprayer said:


> If you end up stopping at a truck stop type place (ie; Flying J, T/A or Loves) be sure to pick out and stop at the diesel pump that is out by all of the unleaded pumps, not the ones in the back where all of the semis stop. The pumps that the semis use are set to a tax exempt price and you will end up having to move around the front of the station.....


I always use the semi pumps in the back and have never been asked to move to the front. So much easier to get into and out of. Got into a tight station last summer to get my diesel fix and ended scratching my day old Cougar HC!







I'm still paranoid every time I get diesel that I've grabbed the wrong handle...always doing a double take just to make sure even though I always stop at the same pump at the same station when I fill up.

Oh, and congratulations on the sale Chris!


----------

