Is it possible to avoid bad diesel fuel in your car or generator tank? Yes, it is! Prevention is better than cure, so you need to do whatever it takes to avoid bad diesel fuel in your tank.
Seven signs you are having contaminated fuel in your car tank
There are at least seven signs that you may be having contaminated diesel fuel in your tank. If you notice any of the fault signs listed below, you need to take action as soon as you can to prevent further damage to your engine.
- Hard starting problems
- Imperfect fuel economy
- Imperfect engine performance
- Engine hesitation and near shutting down
- Engine pinging
- Higher emissions
- Check-engine notification
For further details, read how contaminated diesel fuel is affecting your machines
How to avoid having Bad Diesel Fuel your car or generator tank.
Prevention is better than cure, so you need to do whatever it takes to prevent contaminated diesel fuel in your tank.
In summary, you can stop having bad fuel in your car tank by making use of fuel treatment, repairing the ruptured storage tank, and proper sealing of fuel tank after fill-up. Also, do keep your tank in covered areas to prevent direct raindrops as well as carrying out periodic tank cleanup.
Let me explain in clear terms.
Buying of Fuel treatment: Do buy fuel treatment products designed for diesel engines. Moreover, this will not only help in preventing the growth of algae and bacteria during fuel storage but also prevent gum build-up
Also, a high-quality fuel treatment product can stop the growth of algae. Also, it will help in cleaning your fuel system as you drive.
Repairing of Ruptured Storage Tank: Always carry out a routine check on your tank to detect leakage and carry out necessary repairs as and when due. We can conclude that you cannot leave your fuel tank in a bad state and expect no contamination.
Maintaining Proper Seal After Seal-up: Do you know that some contamination incidents are results of human errors and carelessness? You are not supposed to create a problem for yourself so, you must always seal your tanks properly after top-up or fill up.
Covering the tank areas: This applies to generator users only. Unless you are running a tank farm or large storage areas, roofing your tank area is not a bad idea. Covering your overground tank will prevent rain from dropping directly on your tank and invariably prevents water contamination of your diesel fuel.
Also, it will guard against early tank deterioration that may likely generate sediments in the storage tank.
Periodic tank cleaning: As a matter of fact, routine tank cleaning is an essential aspect of diesel contamination prevention. Since it’s almost impossible to prevent contamination outrightly, periodic tank cleaning will help in mitigating prolonged keeping of sediments in your storage tanks.
Water trap and fuel filter: Another preventative measure is to install an aftermarket water trap as well as an original fuel filter. The essence of the water trap is to trap contaminants and keep your engine safe.
Effects of Having Bad Fuel in your tank
The dangers of contaminants on your engine are many, but I will list them out here. I have written a comprehensive article on some probable effects of contaminated diesel fuel; so you can check it out.
In my previous article, some of the contamination effects I discussed were hard starting, engine pinging, and decreased fuel economy. Additional probable effects include imperfect engine performance and power output, as well as environmental pollution.
Be careful not to fall victim to fuel contaminants because they don’t tend to present any danger sign until there is partial damage to your car.
However, you can still correct any contaminant related problem if you act on time. The three most common steps are for you to drain the diesel pump, replace the fuel filter, and fill your fuel tank with clean fuel.