Temperature and Diesel Fuel Additives

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Byrdman

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At what point do those of you who power their tow vehicles with diesel start using a winter additive to keep the fuel from "gelling" and performing properly.

Thanks
Byrdman
FreeByrd & C-Byrd
 
in my youth i have seen stove oil turn to slush but your talking - 40
(Hayriver N.W.T.) trailered in with summer oil in the tanks

were i'm at now its lots of rain and than the occasional "artic outflow" in the winter which left me with a frozen gas line .. than a dead battery before i clued in (broke the gas line just loaded with ice at the filter)

when the artic outflows hit i add (menthy hydrate) additives to the tank for fear of frozen fuel line (water in the tank) i suspect diesels could end up with the same problem .... this past couple of winters their hasn't been much for cold winters ... climate change ??? wc
 
Most fuel suppliers will change to a winter diesel when it starts getting cold. ...at about 5 to -10 degrees, wax crystals start forming (depending on the blend) and screwing things up. If you're truckin around in the Bite arse cold zone (say 10 and below), some additive would be good. I worked one, and only one, winter in WY where the temp was stuck at about -30ish and some of the big rigs where having troubles with fuel systems, around the P.N.W it doesn't really get cold enough for that ugly wax buildup to be much of an issue. IF you don't drive the diesel tow rig much, you might add an anti biocide to keep critters from growing in your tank (if your fuel sits for much over six months)

my $0.02
 
I usually only put additive in mine when it's going to get extreme cold (less than 10 degrees F). If you have the engine block heater, just plug the truck in at night, and I've never had a problem of it not starting. One year the truck was parked at the public marina in Grand Marais, MI (on Lake Superior) between Christmas and New Years (wasn't boating, was snowmobiling instead) for 5 days straight without getting started and temperatures around 0 and windchills of about -40, not plugged in and she still started. I do believe I had added some fuel additive in the tanks, but that was it.
 
I live in Montana and use additive and #1 fuel from november to april.
If I had to pick a temp it would be +10 F. I have no evidence on this but
its cheep insurance. I have had my fuel lines jelled once and its not good.
I don't think there is any downside to using it except for the extra cost.
:smiled john schuler :smiled
 
I've run diesels for many years in Alaska and don't normally use fuel additives since the fuel suppliers switch to a fuel known as diesel fuel arctic (DFA). My understanding that is basically the same thing going in every turbine/jet aircraft at the airport, but at a substantially greater price.

I copied this from a State of Alaska Dept of Environmental Conservation document:

"Alaska refiners rely on the jet fuel market to produce one grade of distillate diesel fuel to serve all mobile, nonroad, and stationary source fuel needs in rural Alaska. The motor fuel market in Alaska is only about 5% of the total diesel fuel market."
 
In twenty-four odd years of living and operating in arctic and sub-arctic Alaska, I have spent very little on fuel additives. That includes virtually never for the gas car engines and equipment as well as for diesels. Switched to what we used to call number one diesel in the winter. We habitually keep the tanks full. Number two will deffinately gel when it gets cold enough.
 
When I was in High School my dad had a diesel rabbit that we used to take skiing every weekend at Crystal. Since we weren't able to find #1 diesel at the time we would put about 3/4 of a gallon regular gas to the 9+ gallons of diesel and never had a problem starting the car even when the temps dropped to the near 0 mark. We never added any additives to the fuel.

On my F250 it doesn't like starting on the Bio Diesel I have been running when it gets below 40. But that is due to needing to replace the glow plugs. If I plug her in at night she's just fine though! Gotta love those block heaters!
 
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