Diesel quality in Algeria
 

Hi,

I will be travelling to Illizi, through Tassili N'Ajjer to Djanet and then onto the Haggar national park in February with my Ineos Grenadier. Just wondering about the availability of diesel and its quality. Is it all high sulphur diesel everywhere or is there some ULSD there now? Have people used additives to counter the effects of high sulphur diesel with modern engines? Any downsides?

Also, adding quite a number of jerry cans to the Gren as its standard tank is about 600k range.

Thanks,
John
[new here!]

Good question. I was looking into this myself wrt modern ULSD vehicles.
Algeria was the last place in the world to go unleaded and according to this it's diesel is <2000ppm. (ULSD is <10ppm, afaik).
Is it just a matter of the DPF clogging up and needing regular replacement, if possible, or engine management issues? I'm not sure if additives can remove particles, can they?
I would have throught the manufacturer will have the answer but I'm sure there is no ULSD down south. As it is I do recall the south got the rougher end of the fuel stick, but that was years ago. I will know a bit more in January.

As for range, 1000km is minimum - more for piste exploring.
Few places are more than 400km apart in a direct line (road/piste).

Diesel quality and availability
 

This is very complicated subject. I have new Mercedes euro6 engin. After travel to Algeria, Irak (using diesel there) and Europe, made 35 000km. After that I got info:exhaust gas treatment end failure. I made with this problem about 7 000km but finally it was replaced with new parts (2 parts on guarantie). Ussualy mechanics says that problem is not with diesel quality but with ad blue quality or lack thereof.
Next month I start 60 days trip to Algeria and some other african countries. I have 2 solutions. First is take 100 liters of fresh, good ad blue from Europe. Second is device called Ad blue emulator. You can install it and engine "forgott" ad blue sensor. I have it but not instaled. I try to check my first idea and look how it will work. I'm not worry about hypothetical problems as I have new sensors.
As I said before, this is complicated, some solutions are illegal.
The best is driving old cars with no ad blue, but we also like new ones (and we have problems).

Thanks Chris, am not sure to be honest regarding the DPF but INEOS are recommending additives and replacing the fuel filter more regularly. Quote 'owners need to ensure that they purchase diesel that meets the minimum requirement etc'. The Grenadier uses the BMW B58 diesel which is nearly 25 years old and is in tons of 520D and X5s.

Thanks for the intel on the range, I am getting 68.5L of additional capacity added with tanks but may need to add more

>j

Very useful information - thank you.

Hi there!

I will try to get some info on diesel quality when I'm there next month and report back. I did some research on high sulphur diesel for another trip, and these were my conclusions:

-AFAIK, there is no way to counter the effects of high sulphur content with filters, additives, etc.
-Change you engine oil much more frequently, as sulphuric acid will break down it's lubricating properties
-Find out how the engine management will react. Everything related to emission regulation will have a tough time because of the additional soot (EGR, DPF, CAT) and might cause problems. Some cars will shut down, others will limp home, some will just give a warning. I would bring a device (ScanGauge or similar) to clear codes and maybe monitor DPF load etc. (don't know if that is possible on the Ineos).
-Additives can help boost the cetane number and lubricating properties, so the engine will run smoother. I have used Liqui Moly Super Diesel for this before, which seemed to help a bit. The (new-ish) EGR valve on my car still gave up the ghost after a few months in Central Asia though...

Cheers, Arne

Thank you Arne, looking forward to seeing the report. I found this write up online which is interesting: https://tuckstruck.net/truck-and-kit...sion-controls/

Attachment 28884

Today, you can even use Google Streetview (or its competitors) to explore most of the world's capitals.

There, you will see modern cars, many of them diesel-powered.

You will also find gas stations, are probably even able to verify even the fuel quality (on fuel station itself, or country declaration (manufacturer)).

You can use today an modern diesel even for an worldtrip, as long you are able to bypass those smaler roadside gasstations... An Aux Fueltank or canisters, and you will be fine for most purpose..

But yes - playing extended offroad in the dunes - abroad. will be still an issue.. High fuel usage, no capital around...

This Fuel Quality World Maps show 2022... Not so many countrys needs an attention to the fuel quality, but many of them in Africa:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.co...rip-diesel.jpg

I did wrote about that topic: https://vanlife.4x4tripping.com/2021...worldtrip.html

Personally, I did a trans-Africa west route in a 2011 spec Land Cruiser with a DPF and Euro 4 at 2012. In many forums, they told me I would never make it to South Africa at that time...

But yes, the issues of repairability and spare parts still exist – which speak in favor of older, locally common materials. However, in the event of a crash, I would still prefer to be in a modern vehicle – as always, there are pros and cons to choosing a vehicle.

Surfy

Unlead Gasoline in argelia
 

how about gasoline ?
its easy to find acceptable quality gasoline in the south. my lass point before entering the Parc Culturel Du Tassili N'Ajjer will be djanet .


Thanks

No probs in my experience or from what I hear recently.
Unleaded everywhere now.
Picture: Djanet 2018

Small update from my experience in the Algeria: diesel supply is a bit irregular in the far South (Djanet/Tamanrasset/etc.), but the quality seemed consistent throughout the country. No clear answers on sulphur content/quality in general, but surely it's not ULSD... No problems at all with our car (EURO 4). Most, if not all, diesel vehicles in the South are older than that.

Curious to hear how the Grenadier handles it :-)

I saw one in In Salah earlier this month but forgot to ask.
Diesel sure smells different out there – like here in the old days.

That is a great find Chris - thanks for the info!

Update on diesel quality
 

Hi,

Just back from Algeria and can confirm that the diesel will cause problems for Euro 6 diesels. I was using additives but still got a lot of NOX and no engine restart errors on my Grenadier. I was able to delete the errors using a friends OBD computer but it is something that future travellers will need to be aware of. The diesel is super cheap; €0.17 a litre and is pretty consistent in quality from the north to Djanet. Could be that I need to use different additives (I was using BD products).

An amazing country with some astonishing scenery.

Regards,
John

Thanks for the update, John.
Now we know E6 can survive with OBD 'neutralisation'.
Assume it's just the emissions playing up and the engine itself (old design as you say) can handle ropey Algerian diesel.

Point us to more pix, if you have them.