Need a little help with my '07

[jgillott]

I just returned from a 800 mile round trip with my '07 through upstate NY. Filled up at my regular fuel stop here before I left home and then once in NY at a station that I regularly use on this trip. Added a few ounces of white bottle Power Service at both fill ups. Most of the trip was in single digit temps with -2 the one night I was there.

On the way to NY, I would have an intermittent surge or skip while on cruise control but the truck ran fine otherwise. On the way back, the surging was so bad that cruise wasn't usable. I stopped and gave it a heavy shot of anti-gel with no change in the way it was running. By the time I got it home, it was surging/skipping under manual throttle. This morning, it will start fine, but will not take any throttle. Oil level fine with no obvious evidence of fuel in it. No odd smoke out of the exhaust. It is too cold to do anything right now so I haven't pulled the filters etc. I have it plugged in to the house right now and will try it again after it has time to get some heat in it.

Any thoughts? When this first started, it was acting like it did when I had FCA issues a few years ago but it is much worse at this point that it was before.

 

[mwilson]

I'm thinking filter first before you do anything else.

 

[mwilson]

How cold there right now??

 

[jgillott]

We've made it up to 8 right now. I have a 2 micron filter between the factory filter housing and the CP3 and a Fleetguard in the factory housing. I'm hoping that one or both of them has gelled. I'm not usually that lucky however.

 

[mwilson]

Either gelled, or the solvents from the Power Service and / or winter fuel knocked some asphaltene loose and the filter is coated with it.

And sometimes the filters just give up.....

 

[jgillott]

I have a spare 2 micron and I'll have to pick up a factory one somewhere so that I can swap it out later today. I've never had a gelling issue in all of these years with this truck. But, you never know what I picked up in the fuel.

I'm just hoping this isn't something a lot more $$$$ and if it wasn't so blasted cold, I'd probably be more worried.

 

[AH64ID]

Check the fuse for the fuel heater too.

Do you have a winter front? That should keep enough heat in the engine compartment to keep underhood filters from gelling with a operating temp motor.

I'd start by opening the factory filter and taking a look at it and the fuel. How many miles on the filters in there now?

You could have picked up some water that froze and is partially blocking a fuel line as well.

 

[jgillott]

Well, after being plugged in day and new filters, she's up and running. I even ran the cruise briefly and it is working at least for the short period I drove it.

I've never had a winter front on any of my trucks but I'll be picking one up. This is the first time I've had a gelling issue and I've had one of these since my '92. Guess there is a first time for everything.

Thanks for the help gentlemen.

 

[AH64ID]

How did the filters look?

Could have been one bad batch of fuel that manifested slowly.

Even in our more mild, rarely below -10°F, winters having the winter front is night and day in terms of operation.

 

[cerberusiam]

More than likely you got bad fuel. Gelling under the hood is rare if the fuel is clean and winterized, more problems are created with bad fuel than any other source especially in the winter.

 

[jgillott]

They looked fine. The factory filter looked fine and I didn't cut open the 2 micron. They only had approx 2500 miles on them and there was no sign of any contamination or anything obvious.

 

[jgillott]

More than likely you got bad fuel. Gelling under the hood is rare if the fuel is clean and winterized, more problems are created with bad fuel than any other source especially in the winter.

I wouldn't be surprised. Like I said, I bought it at my normal spot here before I left and then at a Maribito in NY that I have used in the past. But, you never know when or where you can get a bad batch or water or whatever.

 

[AH64ID]

A friend of mine in Nebraska got a tank of bad fuel last week that acted a little worse than yours and he had to call for a tow.

 

[jgillott]

I'm certainly happy I was able to make it home. It wouldn't have been so bad if it was just me, but I had my family with me. Sitting along the highway in 0 degree weather with your kids isn't something that I would want to have happen.

 

[cerberusiam]

Yep, when traveling EXCUSIVELY use trucks stops (Loves, Pilot, etc) and the newer the better. Anything other than a high volume corporate station and the risks sky rocket. Follow the big rigs and dose it hard with additives when you do fill.

 

[propaneman]

Everyone remember how the fuel system works especially in higher pressure applications:
Fuel in the tank is at normal outside temperatures which then travels through a line and a pump and filters and then possibly another pump, etc. that fuel becomes heated because of the pressure and is either injected into the engine OR returned to the tank. Heated fuel mixing with colder fuel creates condensation because there is always atmospheric air in the tank and more air is drawn in as fuel is used to prevent the tank from collapse. This air contains moisture (though minute) but over time and cycles the condensation creates moisture. This moisture is normally captured in a water separator or passes through the engine however on extremely cold days the effects become more readily visible especially if your fuel isn’t treated or blended with Kero and helping or waxing occurs thus creating low power situations again more noticible in extreme temperature changes. Keeping the rpms high keeps the flow moving but that isn’t always practical so once the engine slows and then needs to speed up, the “slugging “ is felt. Treat your fuel, get blended winter fuel from reputable stations that move a lot of product and keep your tank as full as possible to prevent condensation. Filling the tank displaces the air so keep it above 3/4 as much as you can when it’s really cold

 

[AEdelheit]

I started having issues with fuel gelling when I installed a frame mounted filter, no amount of anti gel seemed to help, finally put a heated fuel bowl on and no issues since.

 

[TCDiesel]

We've made it up to 8 right now. I have a 2 micron filter between the factory filter housing and the CP3 and a Fleetguard in the factory housing. I'm hoping that one or both of them has gelled. I'm not usually that lucky however.

IMO that filter between Factory housing and CP3 creates more problems , The seller of this system forgets that the GP creates 25/30Hg. adding filtration prior is good to the Factory housing, extreme cold just adds to the problem.