Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel

[DickyBeach]

I hope you’re enjoying your various trips, I’m certainly getting vicarious pleasure from reading all your blogs (and those of the bikers too).

I plan to do a RTW trip staring mid next year, driving a diesel-powered vehicle that requires Low Sulfur fuel (in accordance with the Euro4 Standard of <50 ppm particulate matter).

The manufacturer of the vehicle has advised that “…there is NO WAY to remove or adjust the system, the electronics will tell the engine to go straight into limp or shut off mode if there is any tampering OR use of non low diesel sulphur fuel.”

I’d be grateful to hear from anyone on the ground in South America, in Africa, and everywhere east of (and including) Turkey as to the availability of Low Sulfur diesel.

I found a couple of discussions in HUBB re the need to change filters etc more frequently than otherwise and that doesn’t trouble me – my concern is that Mitsubishi will have programmed the engine to shut down if LS fuel is not used.

Looking forward to encouraging replies,
Cheers,
DickyBeach, Sydney

[Chris Scott]

I believe you have hit on a key problem of overlanding with modern low-emission diesel engines (some ULSDs need <15ppm), though I suspect Mitsubishi may be exaggerating a bit to to cover themselves. In the long term running HSD certainly won't do the filtration gear any good but the latest ULSD engines are said to be more responsive to varying sulphur levels.

As for availability, the maps here will show it's a pretty small world for overlanding at < 50ppm. In Ecuador it can be >5000ppm!

See also this 2009 report

It may be simpler to buy an old Troopie, or ironically petrol engines can now be a simpler choice with regards to fuel quality as UNL is now said to be fairly widespread RTW.

Ch

[DickyBeach]

Thanks Chris,

Plan 'B' is to look for a suitable second-hand "campervan" that is not constrained to Low Sulfur fuel and Plan 'C' is to drive a petrol LandCruiser and tow an off-road caravan behind me - for obvious reasons I'd much prefer a single unit solution.

Bummer.