Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

Hi all

I've got a 2005 3.2 DiD with 134000km on the clock that I bought second hand. Which fuel is the best to use? I've driven around a bit tonight and struggle to find 50ppm while 500ppm stnadard diesel are available all over. I've even seen 50 ppm being cheaper than than the 500ppm. What will happen if I just use 500ppm?
thanks in advance

Hi Jaco, no problem using 500ppm diesel but 50ppm is better and cleaner ( EU is down to 30ppm ). You will find 50ppm at all Sasol service stations and Shell, and with Bp at the coast. Try this link, http://naamsa.co.za/unleaded/databases/availability.php

Pajeromania

I normally use the 500 ppm diesel in the DiD. I doubt that the 50 ppm stuff is actually cleaner in the sense that it contains less dirt/contaminants/foreign particles.

The 50 ppm diesel contains less sulphur. This is good, because it means that less sulphur containing combustion products are generated. Besides being bad for the environment (contributing to acid rain, for example) a portion of these sulphur containing gases find their way past the rings and into the crank case where they are absorbed in the engine oil to form acids that degrade the oil.

The flipside is that the sulphur aids fuel lubricity (important because fuel is the lubricant for the injector pump and injectors). In the case of the lower sulphur fuel, lubricity additives have to be used to achieve equal lubricity as the higher sulphur fuel.

I reckon that good quality modern engine oils are well able to run with 500 ppm fuel for 7500 km between oil changes. In fact, I think the 500 ppm fuel has less sulphur than was the norm when the DiD was originally launched locally and the oil change intervals determined.

The bottom line is: Don't stress too much about the sulphur content of the fuel. Rather ensure that you fill up from sources of good fuel without water and that is not contaminated with paraffin.