Insight Video 02 | The Hidden Cost of Dirty Diesel
Discover how hidden fuel contamination affects performance, fuel economy and emissions, and how cleaner fuel flow keeps engines running efficiently.
Written on: 10th June 2022
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The cost of fuel contamination: how dirty diesel drives downtime and emissions
Fuel contamination silently raises fuel use, failures and CO₂. Watch the quick explainer, then dive into causes, costs and fixes.
Fuel waste:
Contamination can add up to 3–5% to diesel consumption through poor combustion and regen cycles.
Unplanned downtime:
Clogged filters and injector wear increase breakdown risk, slashing utilisation and productivity.
CO₂ impact:
Extra burn from contamination directly raises emissions — fixing fuel quality cuts CO₂ immediately.
What causes contamination?
Water ingress, suspended particulates and microbial growth collect at the bottom of tanks. Standard bottom-feed pick-ups draw the dirtiest fuel first — especially on sites using bowsers, cans or variable diesel quality. Stage V/VI injectors with fine tolerances are particularly sensitive.
The result: higher fuel burn, more DPF/after treatment interventions, premature injector wear and avoidable downtime.
Signs you have a contamination problem
The hidden costs
Quick checks to confirm
“Cleaner fuel cut our breakdowns and stabilised fuel burn across comparable duty cycles.”
Fleet Manager, Heavy Construction
Coach
Rapid installs with no warranty impact; fleets reported measurable fuel savings and lower CO₂ per vehicle.
HGV
Cleaner fuel reduces filter spend and injector issues, improving uptime on trunking and last-mile routes.
Mining
Harsh environments magnify contamination; cleaner top-of-tank draw improves reliability and fuel-per-hour.
Construction
Plant utilisation improves when fuel-related downtime is removed across excavators, ADTs and telehandlers.
92% cleaner fuel
Floating pick-up draws from the cleanest layer.
Up to 5% fuel saving
Lower burn and CO₂ from cleaner combustion.
<1 hour install
Fit-and-forget with no regular maintenance.
