Yes. Water in diesel fuel will destroy modern high-pressure common-rail injectors, often quickly. Heavy-duty engines like the Cummins ISX/X15, Detroit DD15, Volvo D13, PACCAR MX-13, and Mack MP8 all run injection pressures of 30,000 PSI or higher. At those pressures, water passing through an injector tip causes flash-vaporization, micro-erosion, and tip cavitation. Once the injector tip degrades, fuel atomization fails and the cylinder runs lean, hot, or both. A single contaminated fuel event can require replacing all six injectors. The cascade math on a heavy-duty Class 8 engine: roughly $11,000 to install six replacement injectors, before any downstream damage to the high-pressure pump or ECM diagnostic time. The fuel-water separator is the first line of defense. Running without one, or running one past its service interval, exposes the injectors directly to whatever water the fuel carries. Steinberg stocks OEM-grade fuel/water separators with same-day shipping from our Hodgkins, Illinois warehouse and NET-30 for qualified fleet accounts.
Browse the Fuel Water Separators collection →