 | Home > Puma (Tdci) > Contaminated fuel |
 
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| SteveG Member Since: 29 Nov 2011 Location: Norfolk Posts: 659  
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Black/brown sludge, normally indicates bacteria present. You'll need to thoroughly clean tank and pipes with a detergent before refilling. Best way to do this is to drop the tank, a pain but easier than trying to do it in situ.
Cheers Steve |
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21st Nov 2013 11:01am |
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| munch90 Member Since: 26 Oct 2013 Location: guildford Posts: 3558 
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The bacteria in diesel grows of feeds on the surface of water present in bottom of tank .. black brown sludge is water full of bacteria.. you can get a additive (enzyme treatment) to kill and prevent regrowth .. also some have a detergent to disperse small amounts of water from the tank ...
all depends how much water is in tank every tank gets a small amount of water in it due to the heat of the diesel returning to tank (fuel and tank cooling contracting and drawing in cold damp air same thing as why exhaust has always got small amount of water in it but exhaust drys out with good run small amounts of water in tank is more common now due on later cars running high pressure pumps returning a lot of warm fuel to tank and the adding of bio fuel to modern diesel has a great effect on diesel bacteria but the real bad bad bit is the bacteria is very very corrosive and that's another reason why modern cars have plastic tanks and fuel lines I have seen it eat through new 45 gallon drums in a matter of weeks |
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21st Nov 2013 11:18am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17327  
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Intersting, thanks.
What sort of detergent should I use? There was no indication (not to me, anyway) of water in the stuff that came out of the filter - I let it stand in a clean jar for quite a while to see if water precipitated from the fuel and there was no indication that it did, just a hazy mass of little cruddy specs like coffee grounds. I was planning to drop the tank, empty it, then slosh rinse it with clean diesel before refitting (and of course change the filter again). Do you think this will be suffient? If the pipe from the tank to the filter is drained, will pre-filling the filter with clean fuel (as you would when changing the filter) be enough to prevent air problems, or is it likely to need priming with a bulb? |
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21st Nov 2013 11:45am |
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| Naks Member Since: 27 Jan 2009 Location: Stellenbosch, ZA Posts: 2632  
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Remember, you will also have to clean out the fuel pickup as well, it is probably all gunked up. --
2010 Defender Puma 90 + BAS remap + Alive IC + Slickshift + Ashcroft ATB rear 2015 Range Rover Sport V8 Supercharged 
Defender Puma Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zZ1en9 Discovery 4 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zXrtKO Range Rover/Sport L320/L322/L494 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zc58JQ |
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21st Nov 2013 12:03pm |
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| SteveG Member Since: 29 Nov 2011 Location: Norfolk Posts: 659
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Sorry third hand knowledge for me, just know people at local farm that had this issue in their tanks. They had a specialist in to treat tanks and two affected vehicles. I'll ask for name of specialist and if they know type of chemicals used, but this is in Suffolk, so may not be useful for you. For the storage tanks they didn't drain and treated in situ, but vehicles they did drain and clean.
Might also be worth a google for number to call to a specialist and have them recommend a tried and tested solution. I suspect a call to one of the major bio diesel equipment suppliers would yield good results too. Cheers Steve |
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21st Nov 2013 12:28pm |
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| munch90 Member Since: 26 Oct 2013 Location: guildford Posts: 3558
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ok saying water is maybe extreme but moisture yes Best to clean out properley by removing tank all depends on how much is in there if you sqoush the coffee ground they feel like plastozine if you taking tank out then I would flush with clean diesel to remove large bits then fill with clean diesel after refit then get a fuel additive to kill and dissolve diesel bacteria remaining then change filter a few times. yes will get few air locks I use 12v small electric pump (facet style) to flush lines from clean diesel container remember diesel has a small amount of deterngent already added to remove small amounts of water ( make it dissolve in fuel) warning its going to be messy job you need a additive for diesel bacteria not just redex or something sorry about spelling in middle of job |
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21st Nov 2013 12:34pm |
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| Glynparry25 Member Since: 16 Feb 2009 Location: Miserable Midlands Posts: 3015  
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To be honest the trick will probably be to get a specialist to do it- just for the piece of mind. They should also guarantee the work so you don't fill the next tank up and still have problems resulting in more contaminated fuel. I think the specialist places charge about £100-200 and takes 1-2hrs for a complete system drain and clean and some clean fuel back in your tank. Either ring AA/ RAC or enquire in your local garage for the local ones.
Also: If you only ever use the same garage- report it. If lots of people have had the same problem from the same time, and it has been proven that the garage had contaminated fuel they will be liable for the cost to rectify the system/ re fill your tank. Also might also be an idea to check your fuel tank breather- might be letting small amounts of moisture/ contaminants getting in. Coming up to the colder months contaminated fuel filter/ lines could cause you all sorts of problems (as I found with Cypriot fuel that waxes at -5 degrees C...... not good when spending a long weekend snowboarding!!). Glyn   |
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21st Nov 2013 12:57pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17327
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I am trying to locate a local source of Wyyn's fuel biocide, which seems to be the sort of stuff I need.
I only ever tend to fill up in three places as a matter of routine, two are major Shell stations and one a major ESSO. As far as I can tell from the timings, it is more likely to be the ESSO than anywhere else if indeed that is the source of the problem. My breather seems OK, and is certainly no different to how it's been for the last four years. I did have a perished breather on the filler neck (as posted elsewhere on this forum) but it was quite a while ago and seems unlikely to be the cause. It is possible however that it allowed more moisture in the tank than normal. I don't know how long it takes for the microbes to multiply (although according to one website, a single cell of the diesel bug - Pseudomonas aeruginosa - can under ideal conditions grow to an 11kg biomass in 24 hrs!) Thank you to all who have provided advice sofar. |
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21st Nov 2013 1:48pm |
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| munch90 Member Since: 26 Oct 2013 Location: guildford Posts: 3558
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could well be the start of problem ... there was a make of car years ago used to same thing clip would rot then as rear wheel turned used to spray water on to pipe and where clip had rotted and broke water would get in tank slowly (these were petrol ) all we used to do was repair pipe suck out tank and fit filter inline under bonnet then add a additive (dertergent ) think it was called something like dry fuel when get owner to come back couple of times to drain filter
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21st Nov 2013 2:08pm |
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| Cakey Member Since: 19 Feb 2013 Location: Cheshire Posts: 468 
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Wynns still sell it , halfords stock it absorbs water
Just pour in , and it burns it off smells like a paraffin burner for a few miles |
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21st Nov 2013 2:21pm |
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| Advanced Factors Site Sponsor Member Since: 06 Jun 2013 Location: Southampton Posts: 178 
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We have stock
http://www.advancedfactors.co.uk/10601-fuel-biocide-4870-p.asp Paul Redding +44 (0)23 8052 2760 www.advancedfactors.co.uk Site Sponsor for Aftermarket Parts |
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21st Nov 2013 2:30pm |
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| Cakey Member Since: 19 Feb 2013 Location: Cheshire Posts: 468
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Hi Steve
Just a note the new night breakers are night and day  better than the old bulbs .
With the crystals plenty of light Thanks again Mike |
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21st Nov 2013 2:33pm |
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| Caterham Member Since: 06 Nov 2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 6295 
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coffee grounds......
thats what I had ..... a new filter from Steve, replaced fuel breather under warranty (not sure the coffee grounds weren't bits of rubber in hindsight?). to be fair the replaced hose meant tank out so this may have been cleaned in the process? as said before all good now. 
good luck, |
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21st Nov 2013 2:42pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17327
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Steve, that's good to know. If I can't get any locally I may have to blast over tomorrow to get some from you, you're not that far away (from Poole). Do you have Puma fuel filters in stock? Thanks. |
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21st Nov 2013 2:45pm |
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