Its the same with petrol actually. I think you just need to change fuel filter more regularly, than you would do in a developed country, where its almost a "no worry" part. After all its only a 1.000 peso or so investment, and next after changing oil the most important thing, you can do to preserve the engine. Don´t think there is any difference between the major oil companys, if I am honest. They probably all get their diesel and petrol from the same refinery.

 

Most of the time sludge in diesel fuel is a result of bacteria growing in the fuel. It grows slowly in long stored fuel and causes long snot-like strings that clog fuel lines and filters.
If you change fuel filters once in awhile and use a fuel treatment in stored diesel, problems with diesel bug will be minimized.

 

Replacing the fuel filter does not clean out the tank. I don't know if it's available there but there is a product named Power Service that is mostly kerosene, but with other additives, that the bacteria cant thrive in. A half liter of kerosene a month would probably keep your fuel free of bacteria. You may have also noticed that gasoline/petrol does not get the black sludge either I would be even more sparing with it than kerosene adding about 8 ounces to a full tank of diesel in a car or suv. The slime seems to grow slowest in the absence of water. I'm glad this came up. It reminds me that I need to carry a sample jar because what you get at the filling station could be pure black straight out of the filling station tank because they are not immune to the sludge either.:(

 

The fuel filter on many diesels has a drain on the bottom of it. It is good to drain the fuel filter every few months.

Larry

 

If I knew I was going to own a diesel vehicle I would have brought some interject cleaner from AU, it is very good, I had regular customers that swore by it, it cleaned the injectors and killed the bacteria, not sure of the chemicals used in it.
The gasoline version was defiantly a very good cleaner this was used in the workshop on car injector cleaner, cleaned from the tank through the fuel rails and injectors, also had a water indicator in the cleaner, if too much water in the tank you could drain it off, if small amount it would be combined with the fuel and burnt off, I think they used ethylene from sugar cane as the emulsifier, it was a very good way of cleaning gasoline injectors saving many hours of labour removing injectors to still have the problem come back 2 or 3 weeks later because the tank and fuel rails were dirty also and contaminated the newly cleaned injectors.

 

WE used to get something similar in aircraft fuel tank occasionally it is called Cladispurum reasonate { probably misspelt that } Its why you are supposed to check Aircraft fuel tanks daily for water ingress .
It can cause a gas turbine to flame out if it is there in enough quaintly.
I remember that a whole Squadron Of our RAF Jaguars were contaminated in Sardinia by a Italian air force fuel bowser & every aircraft has to be drained, Tanks throughly cleaned & all extensively ground run before returned to service...

 

yea bit hard to pull over if you stall in a Aircraft. :o

 

I had the good fortune to have to go there 3 times whilst on Xv Sqn Buccaneers 78,79,80. detached there from Laarbruch & Of course loosing vast amount of LOA as they kindly dropped our Germany rate to the crap Deci rate.
In 80 the USAF moved in things got a bit more comfortable then.
in 78 we managed to turn a local fisherman & his boat to matchwood Courtesy of a 1,000 pounder, think he should have taken notice of those red flags !.
Ah Deci we will not see days like that again , Thank Christ !!!...