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Diesel Trucks

BobM - 7-29-2010 at 09:49 PM

I am looking at buying a new Diesel Truck as my 2006 is starting to show it's age. Too many Baja trails. I was looking at the new Dodges with the Cummins engine as I have a Ford with the 6.0 litre and have not been overly happy with it. My question is do you have any problem with the Diesel fuel in Baja, my dealer said not to use it but when we were in Baja last winter saw lot's on new diesels on the road.
Any info is greatly appreciated.

BajaBruno - 7-29-2010 at 10:28 PM

We have had several threads on this subject. Check the search function. From what I remember, the consensus was that Mexico is not using ULSD and newer diesels have had problems; but, check on me and make sure I am accurate. I'm sure some other diesel folks will chime in. It hasn't been a problem for my 2003 Chevy.

bajaguy - 7-30-2010 at 03:58 AM

See the post by Baja Cactus at the bottom of this thread....

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=46805&pag...

Oh, by the way....the 2011 Dodge 3500 diesel crew cab sure looks nice!!!

rocmoc - 7-30-2010 at 07:39 AM

Here is a major discussion from rv.net, http://www.trailerlife.com/cforum/index.cfm/fuseaction/threa...

I know for certain it is available along the border and down at least a couple hundred miles as it is from a USA pipeline from Texas. Cornered a Pemex driver that was filling the Diesel tank at a Pemex station and asked him where he got his fuel. He told me he drives to the USA/Mexico border and fills from the Texas pipeline. Pemex has a joint ownership plant, with I believe Shell, in Texas to produce the fuel.

rocmoc n AZ/Baja

[Edited on 7-30-2010 by rocmoc]

larryC - 7-30-2010 at 09:00 AM

I just filled up in San Vicente a couple of weeks ago and the diesel pump there was marked "low sulfur" in spanish. Don't know what actually came out of the nozzle, but atleast the pump was marked.
Larry

Baja&Back - 7-30-2010 at 09:25 AM

ULSD is NOT likely to be distributed thru Mexico, because they are not regulated by the US EPA and do not produce detuned diesels with Particulate Filters.

Our tours in Baja since 2007 have had 12 to 15 rigs with ULSD engines. No problems encountered with the fuel. I know one guy in Cabo with over 10,000 miles on a 2008 diesel Ford. Have had no negative reports from other travelers.

Big difference between Low Sulfur (200 ppm) and ULTRA Low Sulfur (15 ppm).

Hope this helps.

DavidE - 7-30-2010 at 12:08 PM

Oops!
There is a MAJOR PUSH to get Petroleos Mexicanos to start refining 15 PPM Ultra Bajo Azufre (UBA) diesel for the mainland. Fluor Corporation is at the moment constructing three new refining facilities in Mexico. The manufacturers are producing 15PPM vehicles whether Mexico likes it or not. There is a lot of hoopla and yelling going on in major cities because new transport buses cannot be used with the existing 350PPM low sulfur diesel. So the buses are not being purchased and older buses are falling apart like something out of a Hal Roach short.

Every drop of diesel sold in the state of Baja California is UBA 15 PPM diesel. Want to know why? It's because since the seventies as the state grew, Mexico deemed it wisest logistics wise to palm the state requirement off onto diesel fuel purchased in the USA. Trucking and barging fuel from the mainland was just too hard. The only exception to the rule above may be the tiny gasolinera in Villa Jesus Maria, but then again maybe they do not dispense diesel. Señor Cactus' gasolinera in El Rosario dispenses nothing but UBA and has been doing so for several years. The owner states that his is the "last" (or first) gasolinera in which you can purchase UBA in Mex 1.

The latest blah-blah about UBA on the mainland is that it will not be available in 2010 and perhaps not until 2012.

rocmoc - 7-30-2010 at 01:23 PM

BobM get the Dodge Diesel, love mine!

rocmoc n AZ/Baja

Marc - 7-30-2010 at 09:56 PM

I didn't buy a diesel because of reported problems with fuel in Baja.
My Tundra 5.7 is "White Lightning" and runs on low octane.

bajaguy - 7-30-2010 at 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Marc
I didn't buy a diesel because of reported problems with fuel in Baja.

What "reported" problems. Info on this post indicates ULSD Is available in Baja California, maybe soon in Baja Sur.

Marc - 7-30-2010 at 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaguy

Quote:

Originally posted by Marc
I didn't buy a diesel because of reported problems with fuel in Baja.

What "reported" problems. Info on this post indicates ULSD Is available in Baja California, maybe soon in Baja Sur.

I should have been clearer; back in '06 &'07 the "problem" was ULSD was not available. Or so I understood at the time.

Bob and Susan - 7-31-2010 at 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DavidE
Every drop of diesel sold in the state of Baja California is UBA 15 PPM diesel.

no it's not...

i had my diesel fuel cleaned and tested last year
for my diesel generator at a lab in san diego :saint:

the lab thought the fuel came from venezula

i've had 2 dodge diesel ULSD trucks recently
both ran fine with pemex diesel
i put over 200,000 miles on them driving them up and down baja

remember sulfur is a lubricant

the only reason the manuf can't tell you regular diesel will work is SMOG laws

manufacturers must meet average smog emmissions for their entire fleet...

if they made a truck that ran on anything...
the smog stats would be "off" and
they could be fined "per truck"

acadist - 7-31-2010 at 05:50 AM

remember sulfur is a lubricant

This is why I have always been told by my mechanic friends that the diesel in Baja is BETTER for your engine. When I had a F250 it ran fine down there, had to sell it when I moved to CO, 2WD in the snow is no bueno :lol:

Pescador - 7-31-2010 at 08:08 AM

The fuel sold in the Baja comes from two locations. Northern fuel down to El Rosario comes from the North,while Jesus Y Maria on south comes from La Paz and still comes over on barges as it always has. Bob and Susan has hit it right that the increase in Sulfur is not the issue that the Dealers would make you believe. When in the US you have no choice but to burn that stuff. My mileage is significantly higher (up to 20%) in Baja and the engine runs much smoother and when the old Dodge gives up the ghost I have no fear whatsoever about replacing it with a new Cummins. (Unless of cours they finally decide to sell the new Toyota Diesel)

Bajafun777 - 7-31-2010 at 11:05 PM

I have gone through so many injectors on my duramax chevy 2003 HD 2500 crew cab that it was crazy. Stopped using the diesel in Mexico, so now will take my Jeep down if it is further than 500 miles round trip. Just will not buy any more injectors and next diesel will be a Dodge, as my brother uses the diesel in Mexico adds an additive and presto no problems, NADA. Next truck will be a Dodge diesel unless I sell my 5th wheel then it will be a Nissan truck. Oh, the other thing is most mechanics in Mexico understand how to fix the cummings but eyes glass over on duramax,hmmmm to hard to find someone to work on them if you break down.

Bob and Susan - 8-1-2010 at 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajafun777
Oh, the other thing is most mechanics in Mexico understand how to fix the cummings...

i sorry normal mechanics in baja cannot work on the new trucks...yet :no:

they are full of electronics and computer stuff
the technology and education isn't here yet

if you have a problem it'll probably be computer associated you'll need to diagnose it at a dealer in the states

also...there no parts here yet for new trucks :light:

monoloco - 8-1-2010 at 06:44 AM

In La Paz there is Servicios Diesel Arana that works on all types of diesels. They have worked on my Powerstroke Ford no problem, there is also a Cummins service center.

rocmoc - 8-1-2010 at 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajafun777
I have gone through so many injectors on my duramax chevy 2003 HD 2500 crew cab that it was crazy. Stopped using the diesel in Mexico, so now will take my Jeep down if it is further than 500 miles round trip. Just will not buy any more injectors and next diesel will be a Dodge, as my brother uses the diesel in Mexico adds an additive and presto no problems, NADA. Next truck will be a Dodge diesel unless I sell my 5th wheel then it will be a Nissan truck. Oh, the other thing is most mechanics in Mexico understand how to fix the cummings but eyes glass over on duramax,hmmmm to hard to find someone to work on them if you break down.

Over 15,000 miles in Mexico with Pemex Diesel on the mainland and never a problem with my Dodge Cummings. Never have added an additive except injector cleaner about every 40,000 miles. Love my RAM Diesel!

rocmoc n AZ/Baja

DavidE - 8-1-2010 at 07:59 AM

Sorry to break the news to some folks but brand new diesels must have PARTICULATE FILTERS, and these filters are very prone to clogging up when using anything other than ULSD. They cost thousands of dollars to replace so I don't just shrug off warnings about not using low sulfur diesel in brand new diesel pickups. So before I buy I'd check and see if the vehicle has a particulate filter. A particulate filter is not a regenerator. It is different and vulnerable.

Pescador - 8-1-2010 at 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DavidE
Sorry to break the news to some folks but brand new diesels must have PARTICULATE FILTERS, and these filters are very prone to clogging up when using anything other than ULSD. They cost thousands of dollars to replace so I don't just shrug off warnings about not using low sulfur diesel in brand new diesel pickups. So before I buy I'd check and see if the vehicle has a particulate filter. A particulate filter is not a regenerator. It is different and vulnerable.

Ok, if this assumption is correct then how did Bob manage to drive two trucks over 200,000 miles each, with no problems on Mexican fuel? I have been watching the RV sites where a lot of mainlanders have reported the same results with the Dodge Cummins. So we could have a situation where the Ford and Chevy have some particulate problems but Dodge engines are less prone to that problem?
My interest has been purely personal since I am coming upon the eventual replacement of my 2001 and am hoping that I can replace it with something that will last as long as the first one did with the same lack of problems and it is sometimes a little difficult to filter out the rhetoric reported by the dealer and compare it with true life experiences.

BAJA.DESERT.RAT - 8-1-2010 at 11:35 AM

Hola, i don't own a diesel and am just passing info from the bajaponyexpress3@gmail.com website.

i hope it helps.

BIEN SALUD, DA RAT

Jul 19 2010, 10:54 AM Post #1

HOLA, THIS WAS JUST POSTED ON THE BAJAPONYEXPRESS3:

BIEN SALUD, JAMES H

a. Answer to question in BPE #858, July 15th. This is a resubmittal of my earlier comment to the BPE with an update
I have been doing some research lately on the diesel being supplied locally here in LB. After a couple trips to the Pemex I was finally given a telephone # for Pemex in La Paz where a very knowledgeable Pemex technician confirmed that Pemex is not yet supplying Ultra Low Sulfer Diesel (15 parts per million (ppm)) as required by diesel engines manufactured after 2006 in the USA. He confirmed that their Diesel is currently running between 420 - 460 ppm, which conforms to the 500 ppm that was the USA standard prior to 2007. He said "someday" Mexico would start supplying the Ultra Low Sulfer Diesel, but not yet.

I also talked to Cesar, the owner of the NAPA Auto repair shop in San Jose del Cabo, and he stated that Pemex was still not providing the Ultra Low Sulfer Diesel. He further stated that by burning the 500 ppm diesel in the newer engines is probably asking for problems sooner or later.

A further update to my earlier message........
I talked to a person who has a friend that drove a new diesel down to Mexico. The first time, he had no problems, the second time the engine quit. He had to have the vehicle hauled back to the USA where it cost him $12,000 US dollars to have the motor rebuilt.

Bob and Susan - 8-1-2010 at 12:15 PM

the dodge had a PARTICULATE FILTER but it cleared automaticly...

i had a software problem the first week when i was
burning ULSF in california
but the dealer "flashed" the computer and all was repaired

again sulfur is not bad for your engine but
it is bad for our lungs
the ULSF is for SMOG compliance

i really wonder if the truck dealers in la paz
can really solve a diesel computer problem

and this guy who paid 12k to rebuild????
the dealer backs for 100k miles
how old was the thing and how many miles
he must have run out of oil or something that was his fault

monoloco - 8-1-2010 at 02:52 PM

The great thing about the diesel engine used to be their simplicity but for the last 15 years every year they have gotten more and more complex. The latest crop are the most complex and consequently are very expensive to service and repair. I have a diesel truck but if I was going to buy a truck for Baja I don't think I would consider any of the new ones, they are all just too finicky when it comes to fuel type and quality. If you had a fuel related or electronic issue with any of the new diesel engines it would most likely mean a costly transport to the border for warranty service. I don't know too much about Chevy or Dodge diesels but I know that Ford has been quick to void their warrantees over fuel related issues. On the Powerstroke forum I have read posts from several people who have needed new fuel systems in the 6.4 liter motors, to the tune of $10k due to water in the fuel that Ford refused to warranty. I just can't see spending 60k on a vehicle that finicky, all the new emission requirements have just turned them into complex nightmares IMHO.

[Edited on 8-1-2010 by monoloco]

[Edited on 8-1-2010 by monoloco]

Baja12valve - 8-2-2010 at 08:36 AM

The ULSD fuel has the same lubricity as the old high sulfur fuel, it is the law. If you want a Baja specific truck, look at the 94-98.5 12 valve Dodge Diesel. A very simple engine with a bulletproof P7100 injection pump. Probably the most reliable diesel made. Todays diesels are far too electronic and complex, although they run a lot quieter and smoother. You can get these trucks pretty cheap and with a little work can be turned into a real nice Baja vehicle. Nice thing about a truck like that is you don't have to get all strung out about scratches and dents. I like all of mine and I always win at 4 way stop sign wars. As well, for free, you can double the horsepower.

LancairDriver - 8-2-2010 at 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pescador

Quote:

The particulate filter is a big problem in all of the later model diesels. They can and will cause problems even burning low sulfer diesel without ever going to Baja. My 2008 Dodge diesel just cost me over $2,500 to replace the filter. The mechanics at the dealer said don't get rid of your older diesel, used older diesels are in big demand now because of emission control problems with the newer models. Google diesel particulate filters and you will find several kits for defeating the system- all illegal and come with a disclaimer to be used exclusively for off road :lol:

I owned a 1999 Dodge Diesel and ran 200K plus miles with zero problems. The engine lite on my newer model never stays off more than a day after leaving the shop.

fishingmako - 8-3-2010 at 10:52 PM

This talk on Diesels has gone on for a long time, many different threads and you hear so many different issues.

I have a 2004 Ford 350 Diesel 6.0 Liter and have put almost nothing but Mexican Diesel in it and never ever a problem.
So if your paranoid don't put in Mexican diesel simple solution, leave it home or drive something else.

monoloco - 8-4-2010 at 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishingmako
This talk on Diesels has gone on for a long time, many different threads and you hear so many different issues.

I have a 2004 Ford 350 Diesel 6.0 Liter and have put almost nothing but Mexican Diesel in it and never ever a problem.
So if your paranoid don't put in Mexican diesel simple solution, leave it home or drive something else.

You are lucky, a lot of folks with those motors have had serious head gasket and injector issues, however the problems are not fuel related. They have the nickname of six leakers.

rocmoc - 8-4-2010 at 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by monoloco

Quote:

You are lucky, a lot of folks with those motors have had serious head gasket and injector issues, however the problems are not fuel related. They have the nickname of six leakers.

And don't forget the Turbo problem. I have been in 3 campgrounds in the States and one on Mainland Mexico where people were waiting for the Turbo to be repaired on their Ford. The one in Mexico had to wait for over a week for parts to ship from USA and another week for repairs. Ford did cover all the repairs.

rocmoc n AZ/Baja