Mild winter = non-additized fuel?

[steved]

So, for the SECOND time I have had my filter wax and with fuel from two different stations! The first time, I barely got the truck home, this time; I was able to limp to work at lower speeds. Both these stations go through enough fuel that their tanks should be flushed... and this is PA, so I know they are supposed to winterize after November 1.



The kicker... IT WAS 25*F!!! It would be different if it was below zero!!!!



So, I'm reverting back to my old ways... adding additive at every tankful. I did this years ago, guess I got to go back to those ways.



So much for playing by the rules... I almost wonder if they are not additizing because of the mild winter or as a cost savings??

 

[mwilson]

I suppose they could be skating by and trying to save money, but taking quite a risk in doing so.



Here the fuel is cut early, then the ratio is made stronger as the winter goes on.

Weather is too cyclic to do it any other way.



For example it was -6 below last night and Weds. it is supposed to be up to the 40 degree mark during the day.



If all the woods equipment and trucks here hogged up and quit some frosty morning from improperly mixed/cut fuel the fuel company would never hear the end of it and probably lose a bunch of customers as well.



Where there is more transient traffic in PA maybe they figure they can get away with it.



In your circumstance I would definitely be putting the Power Service to each tankful.



I fuel in state all winter and have not treated my fuel since the first winter of ULSD, I did treat that winter because I didn't trust them to have the mix right being the first year and all.



Mike.

 

[Mikey-KE7LBB]

The company I work for orders a transport load of fuel at a time. In January, I noticed the lack of green dye which is telling me that they had ordered straight #1. . Winter has been warm here and the next one ordered was straight #2 that dang near looks like antifreeze!!



Well, it has started to get cold now and I'm noticing that the fuel is pumping a little slower than usual when the mercury drops (filter waxing on the pump itself) and fills the tank in no time later in the day after the sun has been shining on it!!



I guess they didn't see a need for a load of #1, but February can be very unpredictable and cold sometimes!! Last year around the 6th it was -39* and it could do the same thing again!



I was filling my personal truck at a high volume station and noticed the fuel pressure was dropping off pretty quick when it got down around 10* and have since switched to a different one that uses blended fuel. Now I see the pressure is much higher when the temps are in the single digits and even a few degrees below and I haven't changed the filter



Edit: Additives, blended fuel, or the occasional fill with #1 or Kerosene do help around this time of year

 

[steved]

I thought station #1 was just one of those things, but two in a row?? They must be chancing it... since its been so nice. They don't run #1 here, only #2 with additives. There is one station I know runs a particular additive because they also truck/haul home heating oil with the same additive; so I'll probably tank up there next time.

If I had ran the factory filter system, or had a courser filter media... might not have happened... but it still shouldn't have happened at 25*F.

 

[Mikey-KE7LBB]

FYI my company has a 400bbl tank that is filled only when it's needed... I just noticed a trend in the speed of which the ONLY pump fills the tanks on class 8 trucks.



I didn't want to post any names on where I buy MY fuel and still hesitate to do so, but I just noticed that brand "B" was yielding in better flow to the CP3 with lower temps than the brand "A" was for around the same price...



I have noticed that the "blended" fuels do not contain the same amount of dye content as straight #2 (summer fuel) and have seen the total absence of green dye in #1, Kerosene, and aviation grade JP-8 and JET-A fuels.



The #1 and #2 references were to the grade of diesel fuel ONLY and NOT related to fueling stations!