Bacteria, blessing or curse? They are so small that they can only be seen with the aid of a microscope, and yet they can put not only a person but also an entire boat out of action.
There are species that help us every day, whether by breaking down food or turning milk into cheese, but there are also species that can make us ill and damage everyday things.
Diesel fuel is just one example. Contaminated with water, it provides the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Single-celled microorganisms without a cell nucleus, which multiply by dividing, live in the separating layer between diesel and water.
The food is the fuel and its legacy is a brownish-black slime. If it is sucked in by the engine's feed pump, this can clog the fuel lines, the filters and, in the worst case, the entire injection system.
This usually leads to stuttering engine running and even total engine failure. An infestation is noticeable in the colour of the diesel. This becomes somewhat cloudy due to the water content. Another indication is a constantly contaminated fuel filter.
But that's not all, the slime can cause damage to the entire fuel system through corrosion. This is caused by the acidic residues of the bacteria, which attack metallic surfaces.
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