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4 Advice to Choose a diesel oil additive

Aug. 18, 2025

Oil Additives For Diesel Engines - Are They Worth It?

The finished engine oils you buy aren't just petroleum oil pulled out of the ground and slapped into a bottle. They are an engineered combination of refined oil base stocks and an advanced package of different additive components that have been formulated and blended into the oil to make the engine oil function better in important ways.

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That’s the biggest difference between the oils of today vs. yesteryear – today's oil has better additive packages that make them more effective and better suited to protecting today’s high-performance diesel engines. You see that reflected in the oil's API Service Category associated with them. The most current service category for diesel oils is CK-4 (which succeeded CJ-4 back in ). This kind of designation assures you that your diesel oil meets the most current and necessary specifications to show that it will adequately protect your diesel engine.

Engine Oils Already Come With Additives

The diesel engine oils you buy today will contain important additive components to help with:

Viscosity modifiers

These are added to help the oil maintain its viscosity properties in hot and cold weather. These viscosity modifier additives are what enabled the industry to come up with multiweight oils (think 10W30, for example) that have different viscosity ratings in hot weather and cold weather.

Corrosion and rust inhibitor

These are polar constituents that attract to the metal surfaces in the engine and form a protective film to guard against corrosion.

Detergents

These are essential for keeping metal surfaces free from deposits that form in the engine environment. Typically they will react with any sludge or varnish that has formed and make them soluble so that they can be drawn up into the oil film and away from the metal surface (where they could otherwise cause damage).

Dispersants

Along with detergents, these are essential, too, for keeping those metal surfaces free from the kind of contaminants (like soot) that can damage them. A dispersant will attract contaminant molecules and draw them up (disperse them) into suspension in the oil film.

What about diesel oil additive(tl,ko,cs)s? What value do they have?

Like fuel additives, there are good ones and bad ones to choose from. But given that diesel engine oils already contain the most important kinds of additives, do you even need an oil additive? Some of them can add significant value.

But it’s important to have a proper perspective on what you think it’s going to do. Since the oil already contains the most essential additive ingredients, the best diesel engine oil additives can provide value by supplementing what’s already in there. There’s value in this because these additives get used up over time. The dispersants, acid neutralizers, and detergents get used up as they perform their essential functions. So adding a diesel engine oil additive can provide value by extending the period through which these essential additives last.

A good oil additive can also enhance the oil’s extreme pressure characteristics (its EP properties) by adding some kind of constituent that improves the oil’s ability to provide and maintain lubrication under extreme pressure. However, don’t buy into the idea that oil is completely lacking in this regard. All oils have some level of EP additive already in them. ZDPP was the market choice for a long time but today's diesel emissions control system can be damaged by the ash that ZDPP made. The market developed alternatives (like ionic liquids) to try and replace ZDPP's benefits. They may not work quite as well but they're better than nothing. And so, in this respect, an oil additive can provide an extra benefit by supplementing this EP protection (depending on what it is, of course).

So what you don’t need is an oil additive that makes claims that engine oil just doesn’t contain a specific kind of essential component that, through its absence, is going to destroy your engine (unless you buy their additive, of course). That’s severe overmarketing. Reputable oil additives of high quality that do what they claim will not need to oversell themselves.

6 Best Diesel Fuel Additives To Boost Performance | Cadence

Diesel fuel additives offer several benefits, including reducing emissions, extending engine life, increasing reliability in colder temperatures, and boosting performance. With numerous options available, selecting the most effective diesel fuel additive to enhance your diesel engine’s performance can be a challenging task.

The guide below features six of the best diesel fuel additives available to boost performance and ensure the longevity of your diesel vehicle.

Which Diesel Fuel Additives Boost Performance?

Among the various types of diesel fuel additives, several share overlapping benefits. However, not all diesel fuel additives directly target performance enhancement.

While fuel stabilizers, lubricity improvers, biocides, and demulsifiers can help improve a diesel engine’s functionality, fuel additives such as cetane boosters, anti-gel agents, and fuel system cleaners boost performance.

Cetane Boosters

Boosting diesel fuel’s cetane number enables the fuel to ignite more quickly, making it easier to start a diesel vehicle in colder temperatures.

A cetane booster also enhances the fuel’s combustion quality, thereby improving the engine’s efficiency and reducing strain on key internal engine components that typically see high wear. Smoother combustion and greater efficiency result in increased performance across the board.

Fuel System Detergents

Similar to gasoline engines, diesel engines produce carbon as part of the combustion process.

Fuel system detergents combat carbon buildup in both types of engines, removing deposits from fuel injectors, pistons, intake valves, and cylinder heads to ensure optimal operating conditions. Enhancing combustion leads to fewer emissions as the fuel system’s efficiency improves.

Anti-Gel Additives

Diesel fuel that struggles to ignite limits a diesel engine’s performance in freezing conditions. However, anti-gel additives can help prevent these circumstances by modifying the wax crystals responsible for diesel gel.

An anti-gel additive effectively lowers the diesel fuel’s cold filter plugging point (CFPP) to delay the formation of wax crystals at colder temperatures.

6 Best Diesel Fuel Additives To Boost Performance

Fuel additives help clean out harmful deposits, reduce wear and tear, improve fuel efficiency, prevent fuel breakdown over time, and help engines last longer.

Diesel fuel additives that help improve engine performance incorporate detergents, cetane boosters, and anti-gelling agents. Below are six of the best diesel fuel additives to boost performance.

1. CAM2 Diesel Fuel Treatment

CAM2 Diesel Fuel Treatment is a smart and dependable choice for anyone looking to maintain optimal performance in their diesel engine.

Designed to work with all types of diesel fuel, this additive provides year-round protection and efficiency. It helps clean injectors and other critical engine components, improving combustion and fuel economy while reducing harmful emissions. The formula includes a cetane booster to enhance ignition quality, leading to smoother engine starts and better throttle response.

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In cold weather, CAM2 Diesel Fuel Treatment also acts as an anti-gel agent, preventing fuel from thickening and clogging filters. It also contains anti-corrosion and anti-wear additives to protect internal components, extending engine life and reducing maintenance costs.

2. Lucas Oil Diesel Deep Clean

A trusted brand in the industry, Lucas Oil manufactures a wide range of aftermarket products for diesel and gasoline engines.

As the name suggests, Lucas Oil Diesel Deep Clean performs a similar function to the previously mentioned diesel fuel additive with occasional use. However, note that this diesel fuel additive lacks cetane boosters or anti-gel agents.

3. Howes Diesel Treat Conditioner and Anti-Gel

Diesel owners can use Howes Diesel Treat Conditioner and Anti-Gel daily to boost their engine’s efficiency and performance.

Howes’ proprietary formula includes anti-gel additives and fuel system detergents to keep your diesel running smoothly in almost any weather conditions. Diesel Treat also incorporates lubricity improvers to reduce rough idling and smoking.

4. Amsoil Diesel All-In-One

The Amsoil Diesel All-In-One diesel fuel additive can be used with all types of diesel, including biodiesel fuel. Amsoil’s concentrated formula boosts performance through cetane boosters, fuel system cleaners, anti-gel additives, and lubricity improvers.

It also helps stabilize diesel fuel during storage and extends fuel filter longevity, allowing you to spend less on fuel system maintenance and repairs.

5. Sea Foam Motor Treatment

Diesel owners have long depended on Sea Foam’s Motor Treatment diesel fuel additive to scour away harmful deposits, improve lubricity, and stabilize diesel fuel.

As part of regular maintenance, add Sea Foam Motor Treatment to a fresh tank of diesel every 3,000 miles or three months, whichever occurs first. You can also add this diesel fuel additive to the oil crankcase for even better performance.

6. Peak “Blue” Agri-Clean Diesel Fuel Additive

Peak “Blue” Agri-Clean Diesel Fuel Additive optimizes fuel economy and enhances diesel performance through fuel system detergents and cetane boosters.

Diesel owners can use this diesel fuel additive from Peak year-round, but drivers in colder climates should note it doesn’t feature any anti-gel additives. However, Peak “Blue” Agri-Clean Diesel Fuel Additive is rated for use in biodiesel engines.

How To Select the Best Diesel Fuel Additive for Performance

Remember that cetane boosters, fuel system cleaners, and anti-gel additives help boost diesel engine performance.

When selecting diesel fuel additives that incorporate these features, consider your engine’s age and current state. Match up the manufacturer’s recommendations with the typical driving conditions your diesel engine sees.

It’s also important to distinguish between diesel fuel additives approved for daily use and those you only use once or twice a year. Regardless of which type you choose, it’s valuable to gather data on key performance metrics to determine your return on investment. Track your diesel’s fuel efficiency, any downtime necessary for repairs, and any additional required fuel system maintenance.

What To Expect When Using Diesel Fuel Additives

Untreated diesel fuel can cause several issues within your diesel engine’s fuel system, ranging from the buildup of sludge and varnish to water and bacterial contamination, which lead to reduced longevity and costly repairs.

However, it’s worth noting that diesel fuel additives are preventative, not necessarily prescriptive. In other words, if a diesel engine already has an issue, a fuel additive alone won’t necessarily resolve the problem.

That said, you may notice that you need to change your diesel fuel filters more frequently after incorporating a diesel fuel additive into your preventative maintenance routine. Those additives that boost power, especially fuel system detergents, flush deposits from the fuel system.

Keeping a few extra consumable components, such as fuel filters, on hand can help reduce any necessary downtime.

Any fuel additive also has a ceiling regarding effectiveness and the corresponding results. While fuel additives can enhance diesel engine performance, any improvements depend on engine design, compression ratios, and other underlying engine characteristics. Base fuel quality also plays a significant role in diesel engine performance.

Maintain Your Diesel Engine With High-Quality Fuel Additives

Diesel engines can be expensive to maintain and operate, but with the highest-quality products available, you can extend your diesel engine’s lifespan for thousands more miles.

Whether you oversee a fleet of diesel vehicles or want to care for your own personal diesel, the experts at Cadence can help connect you with the best products, including diesel fuel additives. Contact us at 336-629- to speak with a friendly and knowledgeable representative about your diesel needs.

Sources:

Diesel Deep Clean® | Lucas Oil Products, Inc.

Diesel Treat | Antigel Diesel Fuel Conditioner | Howes Products

AMSOIL Diesel All-in-One Performance Concentrate | AMSOIL

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