Diesel Quality and ULSD Availability in Mexico — A Field Report
Overlanders traveling to Mexico with modern Diesel engines have one additional concern on top of their mind: the availability and quality of Diesel.
Last updated: February 2024
As of 2024, Mexico has still not fully transitioned to Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) as this step has been postponed several times.
It is important to mention that you will not encounter the term USLD at gas stations in Mexico. Most gas stations/pumps give no information whatsoever about the sulfur content. The only information given is the cetane rating which is 45 throughout Mexico. Also, the websites of major gas stations don’t provide this information either.
In Mexico, Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) is known as Ultra Bajo Azufre Diésel, UBA Diésel or Diésel de Ultra Bajo Azufre (DUBA).
Asking attendants about the sulfur content or ULSD will rarely bring anything useful to the conversation.
It is worth noting that Mexico uses liters, not gallons!
So it is a bit hard to plan in advance. In most cases, you will need to go to the pump to see if there is any information listed there.
Baja California
Baja California is the gateway to Mexico for many overlanders and the first encounter with Mexican gas stations.
Just a bit of geography: Baja California is composed of two states: Baja California (sometimes called Baja Norte) and Baja California Sur.
Baja Norte has many more US or international gas stations such as Chevron, BP, and ARCO. However, none of the gas stations I’ve visited advertise their diesel as ULSD (worth mentioning I did not stop at many gas stations close to the border — so feel free to comment below if you know more).
The information that is circulating around in the overlanding community is that international gas stations located in Baja Norte import their diesel from the US, so it is ULSD. I could not find any official reference to back this claim.
However, all these international gas stations are in the northern part of Baja Norte. As soon as you go further south of Ensenada or San Felipe, the only gas stations you will find are Pemex.
In the middle of the Baja Peninsula, you will be glad to find a gas station that has Diesel. For example, in Bahia de Los Angeles there are two Pemex gas stations and they did not have any Diesel for days.
Pemex
Without any alternatives, we often got fuel from Pemex (or resellers such as VPFuels) and did not have any issues. I also did not encounter anyone complaining about bad diesel.
None of the many Pemex gas stations visited gave any information about the sulfur content. I did not encounter even a single Pemex that had ULSD.
Repsol
In Baja California Sur the most reliable source of ULSD has been Repsol. There are Repsol gas stations, from as far north as Bahía Asunción all the way south to Cabo San Lucas.
The name of the product is “Repsol Diesel e+ con Neotech”. However, I could not find information about the sulfur content. According to the information that I’ve gathered, all ULSD in Mexico must comply with the norm NOM-016-CRE, which limits the sulfur content to 15 mg/kg (which is somewhat similar to 15 ppm). [1]
You can view a list of all Repsol gas stations through their website:
Mexico Mainland
Outside of highways and particularly in cities, not all gas stations have Diesel. You are more likely to find Diesel in remote areas than in the center of Guadalajara!
Mobil
The most reliable source of ULSD in Mainland Mexico has been Mobil.
All the Mobil gas stations visited clearly advertise on their pylon sign if they have UBA Diesel (ULSD).
This is also confirmed at the pump. Notice the U in a circle.
Mobil also advertises that they have ULSD, without explicitly specifying the maximum sulfur content.
Some people claim that Mobil is an importing ULSD from the USA, but I couldn't find any official information backing up this claim.
Pemex
Some but not all Pemex gas stations also have ULSD. However, this is not always advertised on the pylon sign (price sign). So you need to drive in and look at the pump. If it has a U in a circle, this is ULSD.
It is very likely that many more Pemex gas stations have USLD, but did not update their pylon sign or pumps to reflect this.
Valero
Another gas station chain where we found ULSD has been Valero. According to their website [2], all their diesel is ultra-low sulfur.
The Valero website offers a list of all their service stations: https://www.valero.com.mx/estaciones-de-servicio/
Repsol
Repsol is also present on Mexico's mainland, not only in Baja. We found Repsol gas stations throughout Mexico and along with Mobil have been one the most reliable.
By talking to gas station attendants it seems that Repsol is being supplied by Pemex.
And all the rest
Other gas stations that may carry ULSD are BP, AMERIGAS, TARGO, ARCO.
Warning: Using Google Maps to search for gas stations in Mexico
Google Maps is highly unreliable in terms of finding a particular gas station brand. Sometimes the gas station is closed, does not exist, or is a completely different brand.
Some gas stations are listed under their registered business name and not the brand under which they are selling the fuel.
So, if possible, it is best to use the official website of the brand to get the address.
Scams at gas stations in Mexico
In Mexico, it seems that all gas stations are full-service. This means that there is always an attendant at the gas pump who will fill up your vehicle and handle payment.
Tourists are often the target of scams when filling up with gas. There are a few things you should keep in mind:
- Check on the iOverlander app if scams have been reported at the gas station you plan to use. Google reviews can also be an additional source of information.
- Ensure that the gas pump is zeroed before any gas is pumped. Most attendants will point this out in the beginning.
- Know your tank size in liters and do a bit of math to see if the quantity added is realistic.
- Keep an eye on the pump and the attendant while filling up. Don’t get distracted by other things. You can do the rest after you are done filling up. There is rarely a queue behind you!
- Most gas stations will accept cards. If you don’t have cash, it is best if you ask in advance.
- If you pay by card, don’t let the attendant run away with your card somewhere. Most of the time they have a POS and they will insert the card and you have to enter your PIN (most POS support contactless payment, but this option is often misunderstood).
- Constantly check your card transactions for suspicious activities.
- If you pay in cash, you also need to pay attention when paying larger bills. I common scam is to hand out one or more MX $500 bills, the attendant goes for chance and then returns saying you have a MX $500 and an MX $50 or two MX $50.
- Give a small tip (propina) to the attendant for their help. Usually, MX $10–20 is a good amount depending on the services offered (like cleaning your windscreen or checking your tire pressure).
- Call their bluff if something is wrong or suspicious. Make it clear that you will not go away and that you will call the police.
AdBlue/DEF (Diesel exhaust fluid) in Mexico
Every now and then you will also need AdBlue/DEF. The most reliable source has been AutoZone which is spread throughout Mexico. So finding DEF in Mexico should not be an issue.
At Autozone you can find the US brand Blue DEF, which is ISO 22241–1 certified.
Tip: You can use the Autozone website to check if a product is in stock before driving there.
Going further south?
Check out the following field reports for these countries:
Conclusion
I hope this tutorial helped you get an idea of the Diesel situation in Mexico. Leave a comment in the section below if you have any questions or would like to share your own experience. I would love to hear from you!
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References
[2] https://www.valero.com.mx/diesel-ultra-bajo-azufre-duba/
