In some countries in Africa there is a problem where paraffin is subsidized by the Government and is meant to be used for cooking or illuminating purposes. This means that per litre of paraffin is considerable cheaper than per litre of diesel. Problems occur where truck drivers in these countries are able to drain of diesel and sell it and top up with cheap paraffin. In fact it is quite lucrative for the driver who can also by extra paraffin to ensure his fuel consumption is accurate when he returns back to his depot.
AFFECTS OF PARAFFIN TO DIESEL INJECTION SYSTEMS
Diesel pumps or injectors are mostly self lubricated by the diesel they inject. High sulphur in that diesel acts almost like an abrasive substance to diesel injection parts. Diesel injection parts particularly those for pumping which create high pressure are precision parts and any ware causes less diesel to be pumped or injected. Paraffin had less lubricant then diesel and therefor causes a far greater damage to injection parts then diesel. This results in premature injection failure. Paraffin also has a different flash point to diesel and so the timing will also be slightly out. Paraffin does burn with as much smoke as diesel and can be deceptive when visually inspecting the smoke level, as an assumption can be made that no smoke means things are fine.
ADVICE FOR TRUCK OWNERS
Should your trucks operate across borders then check for signs of premature injection failure. In addition paraffin sold to drivers may be in contaminated containers adding extra dirt to fuel tanks. Diesel filters quickly become clogged and cause fuel starvation. Drivers can unscrew diesel filters and pierce a hole in the paper filament to allow diesel to flow freely. The resulting damage to injector pumps and injectors is expensive. Dirt in the fuel grinds away parts, clogs up ports and seizes parts.
Sample fuel in the tank to check for paraffin.
Drain the tank and clean often to avoid build up of dirt.
Check diesel filters and ensure no tampering.
Service pumps and injectors before major failure occurs.
PARTS
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CONTACT
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Graham Edmonstone