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06/20/22

Warm Weather and Its Attack on Diesel Fuel

Diesel Defender, Diesel Fuel, ULSD, Lubricity

By Rich Guida

While diesel engines are generally more tolerant of high temperatures than gasoline engines, the summer heat can still hit them hard. Treating your diesel fuel will go a long way to help combat the issues that warmer temperatures can create. As the weather gets more and more toasty, more and more situations that can wreak havoc in your engine start to creep up.

As we all know, water in your tank or fuel system is always a problem. Water can make its way into your fuel a little easier as the seasons change. One such way occurs as the daytime temperatures begin to heat up while the nighttime temperatures continue to cool down. That daily change can cause condensation to form inside the tank and left untreated, could ultimately lead to algae and bacteria. Another cause of condensation in the warmer months comes from pouring cold fuel into a hot tank. While avoiding these and other causes may be difficult at times, staying ahead of the issue doesn’t have to be. A product like Howes Diesel Defender is designed to safely address water presence problems by demulsifying or displacing the water out of the fuel. Leaving only pure fuel to burn, this both eliminates the environment that causes microbial growth and prevents wear on your system. According to major diesel engine manufacturers, demulsification is the preferred method for removing water molecules.  

Hand changing diesel fuel filter

Checking your air filter when the weather heats up is vital to the performance of your diesel in dusty summertime conditions. 

Another problem your engine faces is dirt and dust. Dry, hot weather is a breeding ground for dust, which is an engine killer. The first step to combating dust comes from regularly checking your air filter. These checks can substantially increase its performance in dusty summertime conditions. However, you never want to try to clean your air filter by ‘knocking the dust off,’ as that can create bigger holes in the filter that let in more dirt and subtract from its effectiveness. Replacing the air filter when it gets dirty is a lot less costly than a new turbocharger or engine! The second step to combating the dust comes from checking your fuel tank seals regularly. A damaged seal is unable to keep the dirt out.

Still, dust and dirt have tricky little ways of sneaking into your system no matter how vigilant you may be. Furthermore, today’s High Pressure Common Rail Systems are prone to Internal Diesel Injector Deposits (IDIDs) along with other harmful carbon deposits. Luckily, Diesel Defender is armed with proprietary IDX4 Detergent that eliminates IDIDs and other foreign particles. Destroying all stubborn deposits, the product also prevents them from returning, helping to keep your diesel fuel system clean and performing optimally.

Howes Diesel Defender bottle and

Howes Diesel Defender adds critical lubricity back into ULSD fuel. 

Regardless of the weather, an inherent issue that comes along with today’s Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) fuel is a lack of lubricity. Sulfur was the natural lubricant in diesel before it was removed in high amounts to meet emission standards. Without those higher levels of sulfur, ULSD lacks the vital lubricity your engine so badly needs. Diesel Defender is specifically designed to tackle this issue, adding maximum amounts of critical lubricity back into the fuel system to combat the premature wear of injectors, pumps, and upper cylinders.

Along with all these built-in benefits, Defender goes even further, providing a guaranteed 5% or higher increase in fuel economy. With fuel prices skyrocketing, there has never been a better time to embrace those types of savings. You can count on Diesel Defender to be your ultimate solution for summertime and year-round power, performance, and protection. For more information, visit us at howesproducts.com.

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