Algae In Fuel

[Jon Wehrenberg]

After 20 years of ownership I saw my first evidence of algae in my fuel yesterday. While doing routine maintenance I changed my fuel filters and saw evidence of something in the sediment bowl in my Racor filter, and after removing the filter element saw it had pieces of algae trapped in it.

I removed and cleaned the sediment bowl and replaced both filters. Since I had no issues with the engine prior to the filter change I suspect I will not have any now. But I am sugesting to everyone that the conditions which led up to finding algae might parallel others.

I changed my oil and fuel filters just prior to a trip to FL in late Feb or early Mar. The bus sat from that trip until our use of it in late June for a trip to NY, a return, and then the trip to ME and back. I had just over 5000 miles on the fuel filters. Since I inspect my fuel filters the previous ones showed no evidence of foreign matter in them. The ones just removed after a little more than 5000 miles of driving had significant amounts of algae. The algae likely formed while the bus was sitting for 3 1/2 months in high temps and higher humidity.

The combination of environmental conditions and the long time between uses was all it took to contaminate the fuel.

Those of you who have driven little, or who have not changed fuel filters regularly should at the very least pull or check your primary filters. A plugged filter will either shut you down or greatly limit the engine's performance. Starving a diesel engine of fuel can make it very difficult to reprime the engine.

[Orren Zook]

Jon,

Are you planning to use a fuel additive to combat any further algae growth in your bus fuel system? If so which one are you going to use?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

No, I'm going to use it more often.

Not kidding about that.

[Woody]

The only way corporate jets stay in the air is with anti algae additive added at every refuel .

We may not have as far to fall when we loose our engine but we can learn from their practices.

Another point - a good old Detroit Diesel mechanic told me to never let the engine sit and to drive it for at least 40 miles every month. This will help the fuel in the tank as well as the engine.

[truk4u]

Jon,

Ditto! I had the same thing a few months ago in the Racor, looked like small black flakes of burned paper that you could only see while the engine was running. Once you shut down, they settled to the very bottom of the glass reservoir and didn't show themselves even by a periodic draining of fuel.

Like you, pulled the filter and it was solid black with icky algae. Took everything apart and cleaned and installed a new filter. My bus runs somewhere every month, I can't imagine what the Racor filter looks like on a bus that has set. I'm just going to change more often as a PM.

Pull your filter out boys, you may get a big surprise!

[GDeen]

Is there any downside to running a fuel additive? Anyone use it and have an idea on cost? Thus far my bus hasn't sat more than 4 or 5 weeks without some driving, but that day will come for sure.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I believe there are algacides available to prevent algae. The real solution is to run a lot of fuel through the coach. This last month we ran 4000 miles so the old fuel was flushed out since I tended to run it down to the low fuel light trying to get to cheap fuel.

[jack14r]

If there is algae left in the tank and you fill the tank with fuel won't the algae grow in the tank?I thought that if one gets algae that an additive was required to kill it.

[Orren Zook]

Probably the best algaecide on the market is made by E-Zoil of Buffalo NY, its called BIO-BLAST and will kill bacteria, algae and fungus in diesel fuel. One pint can treat between 1000 gallons (initial shock treatment) and 2000 gallons.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

If I continue to have an algae attack I will know. I can see into the sediment bowl on the Racor where it showed up this last time. If it continues I will poison it, probably using what Orren has suggested.