winter diesel fuel question????

[Jeremiah]

I wouldn't dream of putting an additive in my fuel tank. It took me too long to get this truck and if something happens to the engine it won't be because of something I did to it.



I plan on putting good clean fuel in this puppy, changing the oil and filters ahead of time and keeping the engine warm at night. I got 335,000 out of my Honda doing this (which is still running, by the way) and I figure to get twice that much out of the Cummins.

 

[NSperduto]

How do you know if the fuel is "good clean", you don't know until you get stuck and then it's too late.

The answer of "I always go to the same station" doesn't work because I have two buddies who always use the same station (each use a different one) one even advertises that it's winter blend fuel and they both froze up last week.



It's easier to just run additive in the winter. I was of your opinion until 3 guys I know in my area all froze last week. The last thing I need to do is sit on teh side of the road with my 9 month old in the car, waiting for a tow truck when it's freezing out.



Nick

Originally posted by Jeremiah

I wouldn't dream of putting an additive in my fuel tank. It took me too long to get this truck and if something happens to the engine it won't be because of something I did to it.



I plan on putting good clean fuel in this puppy, changing the oil and filters ahead of time and keeping the engine warm at night. I got 335,000 out of my Honda doing this (which is still running, by the way) and I figure to get twice that much out of the Cummins.

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

Something to think about also is you never know what is in your fuel besides fuel. At a power plant I worked at we would burn K-1 when the temps were low and the utility shut off our gas supply. Well this one time it's minus 30 out and the same four trucks are bringing our fuel to us since we were burning 8,800 gallons an hour and the distributor was an hour away. So anyways on the second set of loads our strainers start plugging up so we start the process of cleaning them out in the minus 30 weather outside and at head height. What did we find in there you ask? Nothing but ice cubes, where did it come from you ask? Mother nature and the tanker. As the tanker was unloading the outside air was being drawn in to the tank trailer and forming ice on the sides of the trailer, when they filled back up it broke free and was going into our fuel tank. It was pretty neat to watch a layer of ice form from out of no where inside the trailer. So the moral of the story is this, when Mr. fuel truck driver is dropping off the 5th load of the day in sub zero temperatures I will guarantee there is water going in the tank and who knows what else. It's a great idea to keep your filters changed and most think it's a good idea to add additives. If you ever have to get a froze up diesel running again I'll bet you'd do everything possible to keep it from happening again.

 

[Dean Upson]

I have had nothing but diesel trucks since 1986 and have never gelled up. I do not use additives. I have nothing against them, but I do not use them.



Dean

 

[johncameron]

I got less than 9 MPG on my last tank up here in Canada. It probably has something to do with 20 min warm-up's before I leave at -35. In the summer, 19-20 MPG is normal.

 

[EMD-Run8]

Gents, Power Service, Howe's, Amsoil DFT, etc. , etc, certainly AIN'T GONNA HURT your engine! I live in Florida and used some brand or another at least every once in a while on my last truck, a '92 D250 passed down from my good 'ol pop. It's awfully cheap insurance, I'll say that!

 

[Crunch]

Originally posted by EMD-Run8

Gents, Power Service, Howe's, Amsoil DFT, etc. , etc, certainly AIN'T GONNA HURT your engine! I live in Florida and used some brand or another at least every once in a while on my last truck, a '92 D250 passed down from my good 'ol pop. It's awfully cheap insurance, I'll say that!

It may be cheap insurance, but it could also be an expensive warranty lesson. I believe the owner's manual tells you not to use any fuel additives or stabilizers. I'd be royally ticked if I had a warranty repair denied because I used a fuel additive, but I'd also have only myself to blame.