Community Forums

IamGadget · 04-01-2016, 09:10 AM

Hello
i am really having an eventful trip...i am on the NJ Tpke getting close to my destination and i have a yellow icon of fuel pump with the word water under it and my odometer reads H20FUEL.....i always have stabil in the tank with every fill. Please advise
2004 dutch star cummins 370 ISL...thank you

BFlinn181 · 04-01-2016, 09:24 AM

Water, probably on last fill up, was introduced into your tank. Water doesn't compress, so it can seriously damage some very expensive parts. You should open the drain on your water separator and catch what drains out. If it's just a little bit of water, you might be O.K, that's what it's intended to catch. It has a sensor in it that detects the water and warns you to drain it. If there's a lot of water, you might have to have the fuel tank drained, fuel filtered, and returned.

VP Chianese · 04-01-2016, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IamGadget

Hello
i am really having an eventful trip...i am on the NJ Tpke getting close to my destination and i have a yellow icon of fuel pump with the word water under it and my odometer reads H20FUEL.....i always have stabil in the tank with every fill. Please advise
2004 dutch star cummins 370 ISL...thank you

Stab has nothing to do with water in the fuel.

You have water in your fuel filter/separator. You picked up water someplace.

JLDHELMS · 04-01-2016, 09:41 AM

Almost certainly water in water separator filter (the one with the sensor wires attached to the filter) but you mention Stabil. Not a good idea for continuous, repeated use. Use of a fuel conditioner (not a stabilizer) is desirable in older diesel engines using modern low sulfur fuel. Many brands available. Check a local truck stop for starters. Jim

IamGadget · 04-01-2016, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLDHELMS

Almost certainly water in water separator filter (the one with the sensor wires attached to the filter) but you mention Stabil. Not a good idea for continuous, repeated use. Use of a fuel conditioner (not a stabilizer) is desirable in older diesel engines using modern low sulfur fuel. Many brands available. Check a local truck stop for starters. Jim

Thanks..any particular brand of conditioner?
i had been putting stabil in on every fill...should i only do this when i know i might be parked for several months? Thanks

mel s · 04-01-2016, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IamGadget

Hello
i am really having an eventful trip...i am on the NJ Tpke getting close to my destination and i have a yellow icon of fuel pump with the word water under it and my odometer reads H20FUEL.....i always have stabil in the tank with every fill. Please advise
2004 dutch star cummins 370 ISL...thank you

IamGadget
Is this the "Stabil" product you "always have in the tank"?
Diesel Formula STA-BIL® Fuel Stabilizer & Additive | Gold Eagle
Wondering
Mel
'96 Safari

IamGadget · 04-01-2016, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mel s

IamGadget
Is this the "Stabil" product you "always have in the tank"?
Diesel Formula STA-BIL® Fuel Stabilizer & Additive | Gold Eagle
Wondering
Mel
'96 Safari

Bottle says...fuel stabilizer for every fill up
removes water & prevents corrosion...Lubricates and cleans system...on the back it says gold eagle co.

I DRAINED a quart and light still on..wire plug was also hanging off. Reconected but still says h20FUEL

Capt. Bill · 04-01-2016, 11:30 AM

Drain the bottom of the fuel /water filter by opening the drain nut. Let all the water drain out into a can, Shut & restart the engine - is the warning light out? If yes, you're good to go, if not, look at the filter again to see if it's filled back up with water? If it is you really have a lot of water & will need to drain the fuel tank & change the fuel/water separator filter before driving very far.

BFlinn181 · 04-01-2016, 12:13 PM

Since you found the sensor wires disconnected, perhaps a previous owner had the same issue and rather than replace the sensor just disconnected it. Puzzling that the light came on with the wires un-lugged though. Diesel fuel doesn't degrade like gasoline does, it can stay years in heavy equipment and fires right up after sitting for a decade or more. (Wyoming ranch experience)

JLDHELMS · 04-02-2016, 07:30 AM

Some place along the way, the filter itself MUST be replaced and may be the source of your light. I am puzzled too about the warning light coming on when sensor is not plugged in. I would start with checking for the amount of water in your fuel separator filter. A pint or two would cause me to consider draining my tank (but then what do you do with all that fuel). Most likely you will find something more like a cup or less. Change filter once but be prepared to change again if you found as much as a cup. Keep changing until you run without light coming on. More than one or two filters would cause me to start driving towards a Cummins shop for real help.
In regard to Stabil, my info comes from two career long haul drivers, neither of which ever used a single bottle of Stabil in their semi's but both used fuel conditioner sold at large truck stops. Just had this conversation with both of them recently. They differed in the brand they preferred but both said they purchased from truck stops where they stopped for fuel.
Jim

Tigerfan1 · 04-02-2016, 11:19 AM

I had a similar problem only when it rained. Turned out to be the wire going to the connector for the fuel filter had the insulation missing showing a bare wire. Applied some of the liquid insulation you can buy in a spray can and no more problem light.

C.Martin · 04-02-2016, 11:20 AM

On our way home with our new coach...around 197 miles on the ODO...we got a check engine light. Used the Freightliner display to display the codes. It was a code for water in fuel. I inspected the water separator bowl...and saw nothing. Then drained fuel anyway to make sure...no difference. We let Freightliner troubleshoot it when we got to Lake City. They spent about 4 hrs...and found a connector loosing contact due to how tight the wire bundles had been zip tied to the chassis. They cut the ties...snapped the connector together all the way...and then re zip tied the bundles to the chassis. He said the offending connection was on top of the transmission. If you don't find any water...it might be a wiring issue.

hwayne · 04-04-2016, 11:08 PM

Having owned a motor coach company for over 20 years and running mostly Cummins engines I never used an additive and never felt the need to. We had engines with over 1,000,000 miles on them and still running strong. Just try to fuel up at a location that has a quick turnover of diesel fuel and watch when you arrive that there is not a tanker dumping while you are fueling as if the underground tank has water etc. in it it will stir it up and if the pump don't have a good filter you will get some bad stuff in your tank. I do know this from experience.

Mr_D · 04-04-2016, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLDHELMS

Almost certainly water in water separator filter (the one with the sensor wires attached to the filter) but you mention Stabil. Not a good idea for continuous, repeated use. Use of a fuel conditioner (not a stabilizer) is desirable in older diesel engines using modern low sulfur fuel. Many brands available. Check a local truck stop for starters. Jim

Cummins used to say NO to fuel additives, but now they have their own out and recommend it. Strange isn't it?
I bought some last year intending to put it in the tank when I topped off before storing. Forgot to add it so I just left the rig all winter with nothing in it. Guess I'll find out if that worked OK later on.