Fuel Contamination Control
Clean Up Your Act
Fuel system contamination can cause serious problems in any diesel engine. But today’s high-performance, low-emissions models are especially vulnerable to contaminants.
Eight Ways to Control Fuel System Contamination
- Know the numbers: For maximum protection, select a filter that’s effective against an absolute rating of 4-micron and larger particles.
- Don’t be misled by ambiguous filter rating systems: Focus instead on product features, structural integrity and consistency of quality.
- Find out about the wear index: A filter’s wear index is based on a correlation between the amount of physical damage observed on the injectors and the number of 6-, 10- and 14-micron particles present in the fuel. Determine if a lower-wear-index product is available to extend injector life, improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.
- Invest in premium quality filtration products: Look for one with high-efficiency media, excellent pleat stability and spacing, a minimum amount of metallic components, exceptional sealing capabilities and overall structural integrity
- Buy fuel from a reliable supplier: Fuel quality and cleanliness vary from one supplier to the next, so make sure you’re buying from someone you trust.
- Manage fuel storage and transfer: To keep sediment, dirt and other contaminants out of your fuel supply, periodically drain and flush all storage containers, including tanker trucks and stationary tanks.
- Involve operators: Operators play a key role in reducing fuel system contamination. At the start of each shift, they should perform a quick visual inspection.
Train technicians: Contaminants often invade an engine while it’s being serviced. To minimize service-related contamination, technicians should be taught to use proper maintenance and repair processes.