What is the Diesel Bug
The Diesel Bug is a collection of microbial bacteria, yeasts and moulds which live and thrive in a layer between the water and diesel. Water can get into your tanks through poorly fitted filling points, but most commonly by way of condensation building up on the inside of the tank. This water runs down to the bottom of the tank and the diesel settles on top, ideal conditions for the microbes, algae and fungi to start reproducing.
If your diesel has an unusual smell, your filters are blocked or there is a brown sludge in the tanks or filters you may have the diesel bug in your system.
As time passes, aged diesel can become contaminated with rust, colloid carbon and other solid particulates. Biodiesel is further threatened by water contamination. As diesel supply moves increasingly from a 7% bio-blend (B7) to 15% bio-blend (B15), the threat will only continue to grow.