Algae prevention in diesel fuel tank

[artdeco]

Heard a horror story from a neighbor a while ago: A few years ago her motor coach broke down because of algae in the fuel, presumably from a fuel station that had old fuel.

Does anyone use an additive against algae? Our dealer said put Seafoam in every fill up. Product information does not mention algae. Thanks for any advice.

[jacwjames]

I use Biobor about every 3 times I fill up and if I am parking long term I will fill tank and use it. I also use Startron, which is an enzyme treatment.

[wolfe10]

Yes, if STORING (vs burning) diesel add BIOBAR JF to kill "algae".


And if storing absolutely fill the tank before storing to minimize condensation.

[barmcd]

I use Biobor JF every time I fuel. My tank was full of microbes when I bought it. I couldn’t go a thousand miles without a clogged filter. I filled the tank with the recommended amount of startron for diesel and started using biobor. No problems since.

[RamiDav]

Your neighbor's experience is a good reason to use busy stations.
Busy truck stops cost more but don't have the problem.
I stopped at a much cheaper truck stop and found out why they were
cheaper, very hard to get in and out. Guess what, I got the algies.
Changed the filters, made it home and rigged up a shade tree fuel
polisher. I had an elect fuel pump and a filter that I bought at Tractor
Supply. So with some tubing and wire, I pumped out of one side and
back in the other. I let it run for a couple of days.
Of course I use Biobor also

[artdeco]

Thanks all. I ordered Biobor and Startron from Amazon and will add to the tank before starting out on our trip home.

[Mr_D]

21 years of diesel RV's with no algae problems and I live in the Pacific North Wet.

[jimmy braden]

My ISC sat for prob 3-4 years and never had new fuel added - it ran fine when I got it in 2016.

That was prob prior to 2016> when more bio fuels were used. I have since made sure the fuel is only a max of 12 months old for anything about 50 percent capacity. I have recently added an algicide for minimal use during covid

[rpasetto]

I have been using Diesel Kleen for years with a "maintenance" dose of Biobor for past years. I recently heard of Startron's benefits so I tried it this last fill up. Has anyone used all 3? or is the Startron pretty much a replacement (hopefully superior one). After having to do a fuel filter change on-the-road a few years back I learned to stay away from the low-volume stations wherever possible.

[ArtJoyce]

I use power services kleen diesel a few times a year, but always before its put away in storage. It kills algae, removes water and conditions it for storage.

[wolfe10]

Yes, Biobar JF is a common algaecide for diesel fuel.


Well known in the marine industry as well.

[Bsmiddy]

We do not travel all the time...sometimes in place six months. We always keep the tanks full when staying in place for extended periods.

This is what we use

Star-Tron
Biobor and
a couple sets of extra filters just in case

[Sawduster]

I hear you about dirty fuel. Algae and a less than honest repair tech cost me $1000 this year. If I had only known about biocide diesel treatment I would have saved myself a good deal of grief and money.
My story: 400 ISL Cummings 40Ft Windsor Monaco 2006
1. No power on hills. Later I was kiddingly told it was a 1975 model.....19 up one hill then 75 down the other side. It quit running. Called for help.
2. Tech arrived within 2-hours and hooked up his laptop and immediately said it was a bad fuel rail pressure sensor ($300). He took off to buy sensor at local Volvo truck dealer (?). He got back 3-hours later and installed it in less than 10-minutes. He put the fork in it by playing with laptop for 2-hours “fine tuning” the RV’s computer-fuel flow, air etc. Programming RV computer he called it. Charts and graphs look great on a computer screen alongside an interstate when it’s getting dark. Yeah, what do I know? I was just glad I could get help in the middle of nowhere.
4. I forgot that he also changed one of the two fuel filters using my spare. Why not both?
5. Total time from arrival till he left 7-hours.
6. Continued on trip where problems reoccured.
7. Nursed sick puppy home again at 45mph max on most grades or hills. What a nerve wracking trip.
Researched symptoms after I got home and started to learn all about algae in diesel fuel. Marine diesels aren’t the only ones to have this problem.
Called diesel & RV shops and at $95-145 hour they’d be glad to “diagnose” my problem. They were not interested in cleaning out my tank or fuel system.
Here’s where I took the bull by the horns and did the following.
A. Bought Killem available at most auto parts stores. ($23 for 16-oz bottle, add 1-oz per 100 gallons diesel each fueling). I put 2-ounces of Killem in 35 gallons fuel left in tank to shock the algae and ran it for an hour to circulate.
B. Built McGiver pump/filter/hose arrangement and pumped fuel out into 5-gallon cans. Repeated process 3-times pumping out to cans then back into RV tank. Used 12v diesel transfer pump that filled cand in very little time. Don’t use 12v engine fuel pump as its aggravatingly slow. Total cost $120 for everything. $50 pump, $35 filter and mounting, $15 2nd filter, $20 garden hose and clamps. 5-ft of 3/8”copper tubing I already had with short piece of clear tubing.
C. Changed all filters on RV....dark brown gook found in them.
D. Test drove pulling Jeep up steep grade that truckers have trouble pulling speed limit. My speed dropped to 45 but no hesitation or stumbling so I call it a win. It’s only 400 hp but I’d like to have 650!
I wish I had the nerve to cut a hand-hole size clean outs on each side of baffle in 130 gallon tank for thorough cleaning. Suction tube picked up junk every time it touched bottom, I could see molasses like fluid with chunks of debris going through clear tubing I added to see what was going into filter.
Morrow of my story.Add Killem every time you get fuel.