Fuel gelling issue and question..

[Ben S]

For the first time in 10 + years of diesel ownership I had my fuel gel recently leaving me stranded. Fortunately I was at a ski resort and flagged down a diesel tow truck driver who got me some antigel additive. After an hour and 20 minutes of trying to start the truck every 10 minutes it started and ran with no problems for the 8 hour trip home.

Here's what happened. Fill truck with half tank of fuel in Staunton VA then traveled to Snowshoe WV. Temps in Staunton were less than 20 degrees all week prior to me fueling. On way to Snowshoe that night saw temps as low as -7 degrees F. No problems. For 3 days I drove truck back and forth at Snowshoe with temps as low as 6 F during the daytime and 0 F at night.

Day to go home temps are -6 at night and 0 when we leave. I let truck idle for 15 minutes with no problems while we loaded truck. Go to leave and truck dies while idling through parking lot. Restart truck and get 20 ft down road then it barely runs and will go 5 mph. Pull into a parking lot where it dies. Then I do the above with the antigel and finally leave 1hr 20 minutes later. Truck would run for 15 to 20 seconds then cutoff until it finally ran after 1 hr 20 minutes. I was able to build heat in the coolant during this time to 180 degrees.

Why would the truck idle if the fuel was gelled up to start off with? I did not have a heater plug in at any point during the trip.

Is it typical to take this long for antigel to work?

Do you think I got a poorly blended batch of fuel in Staunton?

Did some reading on antigel additives and decided on Power Service Arctic antigel for future cold snaps. Anyone have anything better?

Do these trucks have an electric fuel tank heater?

Do all the new trucks have a block heater plug in? Yes I know I need to crawl under and look at it. Truck did not sound happy trying to start in -6 degrees but did pretty quickly.

Thanks,

Ben

 

[firefighter_2000]

Take a read through here: https://www.turbodieselregister.com...ost-2013-and-some-2014-NO-fuel-heater-engaged

You might need a trip to the dealer for enabling the fuel heater.

 

[mmkummerfeldt]

Had same issue with my 13. Dealer needs to turn on rear fuel heater. check this thread https://www.turbodieselregister.com...ost-2013-and-some-2014-NO-fuel-heater-engaged

 

[Ben S]

Wow, thanks guys!!

 

[slingshot383]

Sometimes the "winter blend" isn't as it should be. Keep a bottle of Power Service 911 in the truck at all times. (it's the red bottle)

 

[BIGNASTY]

Recently had a problem with fuel gelling, was told by another on this site that if my fuel had really gelled I would still be sitting on the side of the road, to that I say BS, but that's not the idea behind this post.

My problem started (at birth) when I topped of my fuel tanks in SD on my way home. Not long after I did this the truck lost power and I was barley able to get to an off ramp to work on the problem without getting ran over by crazy Fedex Ground drivers (another rant of mine) I pulled the fuel filters after knocking the ice and snow off of them, turned them upside down and very little fuel came out. I put them in a 3 gal bucket in the bed of the truck, spun on new filters made a makeshift wind screen around the filters, cycled the key 2 times and drove home without any other problems. When I got home I put the truck in the shop that had some heat going for some other work being done in it. Next day I went out and looked in the bucket with the filters and there was enough fuel to almost refill the filters that had been changed. I poured the fuel into glass jars and let them sit in the shop heat, no water was in the fuel???? I know that the fuel had anit gel in it, I put it in when I filled the tanks so no additive in the fuel was not part of the problem.

This bothered me big time, I had drove in lower temps and the truck had sit in lower temps and this had never been a problem before. I was thinking that the -5 temps and the truck moving made the fuel gel with the windchill factor, I presented this question to several people that have far more going on upstairs than me. They told me that it had to be the ice and snow build up to make the fuel gel, the wind from the truck moving makes the temp of the ice and snow lower but windchill does not affect the fuel. The truck has been in the -25* range for the last few days and not much above 0* for the high, NO FUEL GELLING? the truck was driven 300 miles during the cold temps, the only difference is that I made a shield to keep the snow and ice from collecting on the filters out of some galvanized metal and took off my makeshift wind screen that was put on to get home. I also looked at the fuel tank under the truck for ice and snow build up, although the shield I made had some on it, the unprotected tank had none, its made of some plastic crap that I figure the snow wont stick to?

An interesting site that I found is linked below, its from a company making something so one would have to take their point of view into account but it answered some questions that I had and other sites said the same thing to my questions.

Just thought I would toss in my $.02 worth


Myth: Wind Chill Affects Fuel Gelling.
Fact: The “wind chill factor” is a weatherman’s device to indicate the coldness felt on the exposed human flesh by a combination of temperature and wind velocity. Obviously, it has no relevance to any inanimate object such as oil being stored in an outside tank or fuel in a truck tank. Yet dealers constantly refer to the wind chill when predicting potential oil flow problems. To be sure, an outside tank situated on the windy side of the house will tend to be colder and will affect the stored product, but this is due to the fact that the wind and shade are both producing a lower and more prolonged absolute temperature. This same reasoning applies to fuel in a tank mounted on a diesel truck, since the absolute temperature in the tank would tend to be colder simply because of its location and exposure, but again not due to any wind chill factor.

http://www.csscientific.com/files/myths.pdf


BIG

 

[LocoPilot750]

From what I've read on the other forum, even blended fuel will start to cloud below +8, but is still liquid, not actually gelled solid until way below zero. In '13 they changed to a 3 micron "Nanonet" filter. The finer filter strains the wax crystals out of the clouded fuel and plugs up the rear filter it's heater is not working. They also say ALL '13's, and 14's built before mid-December of '13 were built with the rear fuel heater turned off. The dealer can hook his computer up and enable the heater in just a few minutes. It doesn't run all the time, just when the temps call for it.

 

[EDankievitch]

I had the same issue a few years back only my fuel was a BioDiesel blend. The BioDiesel was made from rendered fat. Above 40 degrees it was awesome had more power than Soy based product however below 40 it would lock up solid. I had 250 gal of the stuff that could not even pump. Had to wait until spring thaw. Nothing would un= gell it. not even gas. Live and learn. The supplier I use now will only use soy based Bio in the winter. It's been around 0 a few times this winter and no issues even with the under bed fuel heater not working. Moral to the story always top off where the truckers fill at the location you'll be staying. Does no good to top off at the coast where it never goes below 20 when you'll be at that ski resort where it's -15. Even if the fuel is half the price than at the resort. Money you save will never cover the tow cost.

 

[JJPage]

Keep a bottle of Power Service 911 in the truck at all times. (it's the red bottle)

This is solid advice.

I actually used this product to un-gell 550 gallons of Furnace oil in my home's heating system. IIRC, around 10 quarts, a rocket type propane heater blowing on the end of the tank, and me with a 1/2" drill and paint mixer through the top access hole in the tank...fond memories :-laf

 

[Ben S]

Went to the dealer this morning. It did not go well and I did not leave with confidence. Guess I am going to buy a voltmeter.

 

[sag2]

View attachment TSB 14-005-13.pdf

Went to the dealer this morning. It did not go well and I did not leave with confidence. Guess I am going to buy a voltmeter.

What was so tough that it didn't go well? The dealer pulls up TSB 14-005-13, looks at the vehicle configuration, either it's good or not, if not, runs the reconfiguration, verifies it is now correct, your on your way.

 

[Ben S]

Long story. Painful 2 hours.

I had to prove there was a Star report because they couldn't find it because they couldn't spell the word Gel. Hint it ain't spelled like Jello. Then I felt like I was being called a liar and I'm very suspicious I was lied to.

I am probably going to look for another servicing dealership and mechanic based on this experience.

 

[jus2shy]

Well, I'm sort of a guinea pig for my dealership. I'm one of the early 2013 3500's they've ever sold, so I've actually had to educate the parts department that there is a rear chassis filter. That the coolant is different (Pure OAT vs. HOAT). And recently the specific TSB to enable the rear fuel heater. However, the dealership will let me know when they aren't sure how to remedy a problem and will listen to me when I bring up a suggestion or how I diagnosed an issue (namely the fuse 37 bit) or if I found a TSB online and will research it. I feel that my dealership does try to work with me, but apparently there's quite a bit different from the diagnosing side between a 2012 and a 2013. They were surprised that the fuel heater was controlled by the BCM.

 

[Kirwin]

They were surprised that the fuel heater was controlled by the BCM.

Me too!! I couldn't believe it myself!

 

[MelvinPierce]

"Why would the truck idle if the fuel was gelled up to start off with?"

It is NOT a gelling issue. Everyone calls it gelling up. But, the problem is that wax crystals form in the fuel long before it gets cold enough to actually gel. As you then run the engine, these wax crystals get caught by the fuel filter. The newer filters are much finer mesh, thus the wax gets caught, and plugs up the filter. Your filter was almost plugged, letting a little fuel thru. Thus, you could idle the engine, but not pull anything.

Enabling the rear fuel filter heater allows the heater to melt the wax crystals, thus freeing up the flow.

I am not sure at what temp diesel actually "gels", but it is pretty low. I live in ND on a farm, and fill my 1000 gal farm tank in the fall, with straight summer #2. I have pumped fuel out of there at -20F, and it flows fine. No filter on the pump. I am sure if I was to try to run it right into an engine with a fine filter, it would wax the filter up, but it is NOT gelled.

 

[fox]

Fuel Gelling does NOT happen like a light switch.

Fuel gells in a gradual event.
It will first start at the smallest passages. This is the filters.
If it gells in a tank and won't flow thru a pump, you have a really big issue! And it can do this.
Why are the fuel heaters on the new trucks disabled?????? So the dealer can get into your pocket???
We are being trained to go to the dealer, who hires the newest and cheapest he can find.

 

[Kirwin]

There is alot of information on this issue here: https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?245765 The dealers had nothing to do with this one, other than they are tasked with reconfiguring the Body Control Module (BCM) to enable control power to K-13 which is the relay that controls fuel heater #2. The problem is most of the technicians aren't that familiar with the new systems on the 2013 and up diesel trucks. That, combined with the fact that now we have a componet that is controlled by the BCM that would normally be associated with the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), adds to the confusion. The repair is coverd under the warranty so you are only out the inconvienince of having to take your truck the dealer. Its kind of like getting an new lap top. First time it connects to the mother ship, it downloads 150 updates and fixes to the bugs that everyone the got one before you had. These trucks are riddled with computer modules, therefore they need contact with the mother ship. Ken Irwin

 

[Ben S]

Well, thanks again to the TDR. Put the voltmeter leads on the connector tabs with the key in the run position and I have power to the rear fuel filter heater connector. Initially I thought I did not but when I rechecked it I did. Dealership and mechanic did what they were supposed to.