F 350 2WD Pickup V8-7.3L DSL (1988)
Fuel: Testing and Inspection
Cetane Tester
If there is no contamination of the fuel, the problem may be caused by using fuel that does not meet the minimum cetane requirement for diesel engines.
NOTE: The cetane rating system rates diesel fuel by its ease of ignition. The higher the cetane rating, the easier the fuel is to ignite (this is the opposite
of octane ratings used on gasoline that rate fuel on its resistance to pre-ignition). Cetane ratings go from 0 to 100 with 40 as the minimum
recommended cetane rating for diesel engines. Cetane rating affects how easily an engine will start and how smoothly it will run.
To check the cetane rating, a cetane tester is needed. To operate the tester, draw a sample of diesel fuel into the tube and note the position of the float
along the scale. This tools works on the same principle as a hydrometer. As stated earlier, the minimum recommended cetane rating for diesel engines is
40. Anything below this is considered inadequate, and the customer should be told to change fuel sources.
