Diesel fungus

[Mustang]

Well, this was a new one to me today. I've been having fuel issues with one truck. Today I had my mechanic clean out the tanks and he told me I had a fungus in the fuel. He didn't have a lot of experience with this and didn't really know where to get treatment for it. I went to my parts guy who had never even heard of it. I picked up some fuel conditioner but it didn't say anything about fungus. Has anyone ever experienced this problem before? Can you recommend some sort of treatment? Thanks.

[Pelican]

It's most likely algae. I've heard of it but never experienced it. There are algaecides for fuel that will take care of it.

[atgreene]

Napa has an additive called BIOCON. Put in a bottle and it will clear it up. I've had it off and on, usually my filters in my skid tanks will catch it and it'll show up when I change them. Caused by warm weather and moisture. It loves hot humid weather. Best to add a can of the stuff now and then in summer months. Smaller tanks in the back of pick-ups are common to get it. A little rain water, lots of aggitation and lots of sun warming the fuel. 2-3 Biocons will kill it.

[Rocket]

One our employees was mentioning the algae/diesel issue recently. I think it has something to do with the warm weather and fuel that is not fresh. Don't the major oil companies put algicides in their tanks?

What I don't understand is that new sticker on all the diesel pumps around here. Where is someone supposed to go if they have a 2007 or later engine? It says something about the low sulfer content damaging those engines. Is high sulfer good then?

[cat320]

I saw that same sticker so by putting that there holds them not liable if something goes wrong with your truck. so where do you get the right stuff then??

[Pickering Snow]

Very common problem in equipment that sits for long peroids of time or Farmers and big companys that have onsite fuel tanks and dont move the product fast enough. BioCon will take care of it but you need to find the source did it come from a regular station if so let them know they have it growing in there tank .


If Its your own holding tanks and probley good advice for any of you guys out there that do TREAT your fuel storage tanks products like Power Service do nothing to kill Fungus. It can become a nasty problem to deal with once inside a injection pump and filter system . Just like VD or Syfucvlis you gotta give it the silver bullett treatment.

[Mark Oomkes]

I love your analogies Fred, thanks. Not sure if Mustang has that type of problem, but you never know. :eek:

Had the same problem many years ago when we had our first diesel mower. Ran like crap all summer long. Apparently the supplier for W Michigan had it in their tanks or pipeline and had a heck of a time getting rid of it.

Isn't there a bacteria that can cause problems in diesel also?

[ratlover]

Dump some stuff in there to kill the lil buggers, they sell comercial biocide stuff. Might want to run the tank down a ways and run another tank of it through to fully homocide them. Keep a few spare fuel filters on your truck so when thier carcases float down from your tank and plug up your filter you wont be SOL. Run a regular dose of fuel treatment to take care of any water from a crapy batch of fuel and to make sure you dont get any water build up from now on. IIRC its a algea that lives in the layer of water between the diesel and water.....or maybe its baceria....I know its not fungus. I'd also siphon out all the fuel and fill with fresh before you start nuking the tank with killer. Hopefully you dont have it anyplace critical:eek:

[Big Dog D]

Napa has an additive called BIOCON. Put in a bottle and it will clear it up. I've had it off and on, usually my filters in my skid tanks will catch it and it'll show up when I change them. Caused by warm weather and moisture. It loves hot humid weather. Best to add a can of the stuff now and then in summer months. Smaller tanks in the back of pick-ups are common to get it. A little rain water, lots of aggitation and lots of sun warming the fuel. 2-3 Biocons will kill it.


Will it work on my atheletes foot too??????????????:grinz

[Pickering Snow]

LOL It sure the hell is Fungus call it what you want Fungus , algea, Bactiera all are a living organism in fuel , the one part somebody had right was the abilty for it to grow is the fact that water in a poorly maintained tank seperates from fuel and allows for the growth.

Its no dam diff than my left toenail which has been over taken by those little guys in the lamisil commerical there growing under there.

I would bet the money in my wallet that the shell station on exit 27 in Erie PA has a Fungus farm in there tank i have bought fuel at a ton of places but that was the worst looking crap i ever seen in my fuel filters in all my time even doing service work the tip should have been when i could of pissed harder than the fuel was coming out that dreadful morning has i stood there in 8 inches of snow with thoughts of a local contactor's word ringing out dont worry guys your in good hands . Only luck saved my butt that morning has i could only run 35 mph on the un plowed I90 and the fact i only bought 10 bucks worth of the crap and managed to make it into Ohio were a Napa was open and i was able to get the primary and secondary filters for the truck .

[Mark Oomkes]

Its no dam diff than my left toenail which has been over taken by those little guys in the lamisil commerical there growing under there.

TMI, Fred.

[Rob]

The papers this AM are basically saying that is similar to the problem with the BP pipelines in Alaska. An organism whose excrement is corrosive to the pipes is living in the sludge along the pipe walls. Apparently, that could have been prevented if they had sent the pigs through the pipes more frequently (if they did at all!).

[digger242j]

It's been talked about on Heavy Equipment Forums too. (Maybe that's where Pelican heard of it.;) ) It came up in this thread about biodiesel, first mentioned in post #4:http://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?p=6704#post6704

Also inthis one, about a D-max that was acting up, although the problem turned out to be something else: http://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?p=6404#post6404

[Chuck Smith]

.... if they had sent the pigs through the pipes more frequently (if they did at all!).

When I was a kid we had a German Sheppard. My father brought home a 3" pig for him to play with. It is the only ball he didn't shred. It was funny when an unsuspecting person was around (especially in the house) and the dog brought the "ball" over and dropped it near them. LOL
I was cleaning out the shed at my Mother's, and found it. I kept it for old time's sake. For those that don't know, a pig is a steel (or iron not sure) ball coated with rubber that is blown through pipes to clean them out. It's a nasty job.

~Chuck