cold weather and deisel

[ejtrucker]

I have a question regarding Anti-gel additives.
I recently experience my truck being down due to the fuel gelling
I had asked my fleet owner the day before it got in the minus below
temps about putting an additive in and he said absolutely not.
I am sure they spent over a $1000 in towing and 3 times in and out
of the repair before they put it in. I knew it was the problem. But what
do I know.
He still does not want me to add it; they say the fuel should
have it in it. I have talked to drivers that swear by putting it in.
I just want to know the pro versus the con to adding the anti-gel.

I know one way is to stay south of 40, but that would be a depressing
situation income wise. That is how I managed before but the freight in and
out of the south is grim.

 

[ATeam]

"But what do I know."

It would appear you know more than your fleet owner. Of course you should use a fuel additive to keep diesel from gelling in cold weather. If your fleet owner does not figure that out after paying the bills you mentioned, ... well, what can you say?

 

[x06col]

ej, I'v been in some extremely cold weather using only fuel from the pumps and their added antijell. Could be you didn't flush your tanks a couple times a year like should be done. Water freezing in the lines is way larger problem than a fuel. Possibly, your last run was from a southern state where they don't add antijell. At any rate, I hafta ask what the down time cost YOU, and if the weather was THAT extreme why didn't you simply spring for some additive for that trip? (Just before you found a new owner)

 

[Turtle]

Most vehicles come equipped with a fuel preheater which should allow trouble free operation to 14 degrees F with non-winterized fuel, and down to -4 with winterized fuel. Below that, and it gets dicey without added anti gel, and since after-market anti gels are also water dispersants, it can get icey, as well. If it gets that cold and your fleet owner doesn't want you adding anti gels, simply do a 50/50 mixture of #1 diesel or kerosene (adding the #1 or kero to the tank first, then the #2). Same thing.

 

[ejtrucker]

Yes, I kicked myself for not doing as you mentioned.
As quoted: Better to ask forgiveness than permission.

As far as the fuel, I had been through several fuel stops refilling and they were all northern territory.

Hey thanks for the info. I apprecaite it and welcome more advice. Though I have been around heavy equipment all my life, the cold and I are not friends, but I am learning to work with it.

 

[ATeam]

Dont' feel bad, ejtrucker. I grew up in Wisconsin and lived in Minnesota most of my adult life. I don't like the cold either.

 

[highway star]

Mr. X, just wondrin what the procedure is for a flush. Just run the tanks a bit low and drain some crapola off the bottom? I use additive year round to stay on top of moisture and I've never had a problem, but that sounds like something I'd consider adding to the up keep regimen.

 

[piper1]

ej, a lot of owners and fleets shun the additives because drivers buy or use too much of it. I've had guys try to turn in 50 bucks worth of receipts for the stuff from one trip! If you buy good fuel in the near area it is blended for those temps and then some.

Usually the case is what was mentioned, buying fuel down south or cheap and then heading up north. If the fuel place seems to be a lot cheaper than the ones around it, they are likely selling out of season fuel. Also, beware of bio-diesel. Small amounts of it (5%) blended with proper fuel will be ok. I've been doing some testing for a client and I can tell you what happened at 20% last week .

You might consider carrying a jug of Power Service 911 (red jug). It isn't an additive, its an emergency get going deal. I have used it many a time on service calls. Dump in the tanks, hook up the service truck to boost, sit in the warm cab for 20 minutes listening to the driver's tales and then TAH DAH! the gelled up truck will start. Also mentioned, if you can find Kerosene you can dump up to 10 % in without harm.

I've always told my drivers that if you are buying fuel 300 miles south of where you will be shut down for the night put in some conditioner.

Most trucks do have fuel heaters....and most don't work. Today's engines dump large amounts of heat into the return fuel so that keeps it warm when you are running, at idle....not so much. Smaller diesels that have pumps, lines, and injectors do not return much heat at all as they have very low return fuel rates. Older 5.9 and 8.3 Cummins are like this.

 

[60MPH]

I have a duramax and it does not have a heater for the fuel "only a cooler imagine that" I use additive in all my fuel no matter where I buy the fuel from. I only have had one problem and that was last thursday night i bought bio-diesel in IL. and I put power service in, well the next night after I bought the fuel I was going up 65 north of indy it was -2 outside and that was without the wind chill and I gassed on it to get around a slow vehicle and my filter clogged or waxed bad enough for the engine to go in to limp mode "won't go into overdrive or above 60mph" I was on the way to pk-up a 600+ mile load, had to call disp and tell them to find someone else, they were not happy. I limped into a autozone in lafayette and had them pull and reset the codes "they do it for free" and that fixed my problem but costed me a 675.00 load in the process. So now I am going to do my best and stay away from bio-diesel in the winter time and only run it in the summer time if I plan on changing my fuel filters soon after using it. I will say one thing about bio-diesel it will clean your fuel system out in a hurry so becareful using it.

 

[layoutshooter]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the pre-heaters will do nothing for when you are sitting. They will not keep the tanks or filters from gelling unless you are running. Right? I ALWAYS put additive in regardless of where I might happen to be. I start putting in winter blend additive around mid-Sept and use it until the end of May. That way I can run anywhere and not have to worry. I use Summer blend the rest of the time. I use Opti-Lube products. Layoutshooter

 

[piper1]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the pre-heaters will do nothing for when you are sitting. They will not keep the tanks or filters from gelling unless you are running. Right? Layoutshooter

Depends on the type of heater, some use coolant (engine has to run), some use 12V to basically heat a small amount of fuel to barely keep the filter open until the fuel heats up (only runs with key on), some use 120v and if your truck is plugged in will keep the filter warm and give the engine a nice gulp of warm fuel to get started.

There are more issues now with hot fuel, as mentioned above, Duramax's come with fuel coolers, big ones at that! As more engines go common rail fuel injection I think we'll see more!

 

[layoutshooter]

Thanks for the info Piper1. You helped me learn something that I did not understand too well. That is why I visit here often. Layoutshooter

 

[ejtrucker]

Thanks all you who replied.
Reaffirmation on some of what I did know and definitely some added information for my trucking know how inventory.
Be safe,
EJ

 

[rfields200]

I have a duramax and it does not have a heater for the fuel "only a cooler imagine that" I use additive in all my fuel no matter where I buy the fuel from. I only have had one problem and that was last thursday night i bought bio-diesel in IL. and I put power service in, well the next night after I bought the fuel I was going up 65 north of indy it was -2 outside and that was without the wind chill and I gassed on it to get around a slow vehicle and my filter clogged or waxed bad enough for the engine to go in to limp mode "won't go into overdrive or above 60mph" I was on the way to pk-up a 600+ mile load, had to call disp and tell them to find someone else, they were not happy. I limped into a autozone in lafayette and had them pull and reset the codes "they do it for free" and that fixed my problem but costed me a 675.00 load in the process. So now I am going to do my best and stay away from bio-diesel in the winter time and only run it in the summer time if I plan on changing my fuel filters soon after using it. I will say one thing about bio-diesel it will clean your fuel system out in a hurry so becareful using it.

if you use power service with bio-diesel you have to double the amount you add. it will tell you that on the back of the container. I learned that the hard way last year.

 

[purgoose10]

I use an additive year round, every tank. Lucas. The reason is not only jelling problems but fuel lubrication problems. Older engines need lubrication and new low sulfur fuel does not supply lubrication needed in older engines. Fuel now has 15ppm sulfur, that's almost like running an engine on Kerosene. The old 2 cycle Detroit ran on Kerosene not the rest.

 

[greg334]

Older meaning like 1994?

 

[BillChaffey]

I use Howes in both rigs, year round. Don't believe I would use any other product unless in a real jam.

 

[ChrisGa23]

I heard putting a little gasoline in your tank will keep it from gelling. Cant remember where I heard it but on the larger tanks they said to put a half gallon in each. Smaller tanks like in a truck just a cup.

Said it will make it smoke some but will keep it from gelling

I never owned a diesel so I have no clue.

 

[idtrans]

my goofy arse forgot to pug in my diesel last night so I have her plugged in now and after about 7 hours plugged in she may fire up . but thank god I have antigel in the fuel other wise I would be double messed up now.

 

[highway star]

I heard putting a little gasoline in your tank will keep it from gelling. Cant remember where I heard it but on the larger tanks they said to put a half gallon in each.

I've heard people talk about it, but it's one of those "old school thinking" deals that isn't really a good idea. What's the point? If you overdo it you're going to have problems, and with that kind of ratio recommendation...

I've used Power Service for years and never gelled. Ever.