Why is China VI diesel fuel less durable?
2 Answers
There are two main reasons why China VI diesel fuel is less durable: 1. Poor evaporation performance: The fuel for gasoline engines is a combustible mixture, which requires gasoline to have excellent evaporation and gasification performance. The good power performance of the engine reflects the quality of gasoline, which is directly related to the engine's acceleration performance—the time taken for 0-100KG acceleration and the driving experience. The better the average evaporation performance of gasoline, the more gasoline participates in combustion during startup, resulting in more heat generation. This can shorten the engine's warm-up time after startup and significantly reduce fuel consumption during the initial driving phase. 2. Increased hydrogenation depth removes polar substances: The increase in hydrogenation depth also leads to the removal of polar substances and natural lubricants from the oil, resulting in phenomena such as oil astringency, poor power performance, and reduced durability.
I've been driving trucks for decades, and the China VI diesel really doesn't seem as durable as before. A full tank now covers noticeably less distance. The main reason is the new standard requiring sulfur content to drop to very low levels, below 10ppm, plus some additives to reduce pollution emissions. It's like giving the fuel a bath—cleaner for sure, but it burns with less heat. On long hauls, my fuel consumption can increase by one or two percentage points, and acceleration feels sluggish, probably because the engine isn't quite adapted to this low-sulfur formula. Still, there are plenty of benefits—lower emissions mean less air pollution, and you don't see as much black smoke on the road anymore. I'd recommend checking the fuel injection system and DPF during maintenance, avoiding cheap aftermarket modifications, sticking with OEM parts, and using eco-mode more often while driving—it helps.
