Hi everyone it is cold here today like -15 without the wind chill. My brothers truck gelled up on him this morning sooo bein a nice guy and all I went to help him get it runnin. About two milrs up the road from home mine gelled up even though it has Howes treatment in the fuel. His truck has Power service treatment in the fuel with the same problem. We dont use bio-diesel in the winter because it gells to easy. What do you people use? Any ideas? Thanks for any info. Joe
Let it warm up? Get hotter glow plugs? My wife's VW Beetle is Diesel (avg 50 MPG!!) and last year when it dropped below 0 and she started it up, the enging blew a bunch of seals. Apparently it was a big problem with VWs because after that cold snap, the seals were out of stock in the entire country
gasoline...really im not sure of the proportion but it gets the fuel to a higer flash point and also keeps it from jelling..may be able to look it up on line.. you cant use diesel in a gasoline engine but you can use a mixture of it in a diesel.
Always had good luck with Power Service in my Freightliners,but running into Minn. always used more than the recommended amount in the winter time.
i always fill mine up, 26 gallon tank, and top it off with a gallon of unleaded. try to keep at least a 1/2 tank of fuel in your truck. we have always added regular fuel in the winters to our trucks and equipment, old dodge has 417k on it now, so it doesnt seem to hurt it. The diesel will dillute the fuel and you will have no problems. rowdy
My buddy always puts about 1/2 gal. gas in when he fills up his powerstroke. I have never had any trouble but always run blended fuel in the winter
I have used gas in the past but you would think with all the technology they would come up with a better cure. Both trucks are runnin ***mins engines mines in a 98 dodge and my brothers is in a 79 chevy(dont ask too much time on our hands) and both were pluged in all night. I also let it idle 30 min. before I left.
runnin gasoline in a diesel = possible voided warranty. power service is good stuff, deisel 911 is a lil better. spin the filter(s) off and get a fresh one(s) on there. paraffin builds up fast, and filters are also one of the places they gell the quickest. buy blended fuel, not straight #2 (50/50 is good down to around -20) dope up the fuel GOOD with additive... twice the strength usually keeps fuel flowin great. wont hurt the motor either like gasoline can, and will
BG diesel fuel addetive,I work at a VW dealer,we diesels towed in all the time for this.We use the BG and have never had one comeback.Its usually the lines that are gelling.I think they make blankets for the fuel tank to help out too.
PS... get a winterfront on em... chunk of cardboard behind the grill is even enough usually. restrict the flow of air to the radiator keepin heat in the engine compartment... keep an eye on the engine temp, and pull it off once the temps get back into the double digit mark...
i would doubt a 98 dodge and a 79 chevy to be still under warrenty..throw some 89 octain in the fuel tank try to get it inside where you can warm it up , pull the filters and put fresh fuel in them let um warm up a bit and go for it.
I use the extension cord and Stanadyne Performance Formula. Never had a problem, but it doesn't get much colder than -5 around here. Dan
how in the world can adding 5 or 10 % gas damage a diesel? we run the diesel powered equipment on the airport on jet-a which has no lubricating properties at all with no problem. i add some stanadyne to the stuff that stays outside and never had it gell
Some of the guys who run WVO systems on their diesels add a coolant-heater to the fuel lines because that stuff has to be pretty warm to flow good. If you had that, and a lower-hose coolant heater, you might be good. My diesel has started fine down to 20' or so, but I decided to keep my g***er truck for a winter rat anyways after the parts truck I picked up gave me most all the pieces to fix it up nice plus provide a trans the diesel needed.
That's what I'd try along with changing the filter. Are they both 12 valves? The pre-heater on those cause air leaks and you don't need them. If you have a 98.5 24 valve I wouldn't put any gasoline in it. Be nice to that $$$$ injection pump.
We use Auto Trans Fluid. A quart to 100 gallons seems to work for us. That and the block heaters. VonDad
Very easly, the btu values are way different. diesel is about 139,000btu per gallon and gasoline is about 125,000 btu's, it can cause cavitation in mechanical pumps weld injectors to heads, cause cylinder scoring and blow the lands right off of the piston.
Sometimes my 98 12 valve dodge will quit running on very cold days(once a year)...even after idling for a while.If I throw a new fuel filter on it and reprime it'll start up and run fine.
I'm reading a ***mins service bulletin (Fuel for ***mins Engines, 3379001-04, 1992) regarding fuel blending right now... (CAPS and bold are ***mins' emphasis, red is mine) ***** In cold weather operation, the most common method of preventing fuel waxing problems is to dilute heavier, higher wax content fuels such as #2 diesel with lighter, lower wax content fuels such as #1 diesel or jet fuel. This reduces the concentration of wax, and therefore reduces both the cloud point and pour point. Blended fuels of this nature are more expensive to use both because they cost more and because they have a lower thermal energy content. A typical blended fuel contains 30 to 60 volume percent light distillate fuel, usually yielding a 3 to 7 deg. C [ 5 to 12 deg. F ] drop in cloud point and a 5 to 11 deg. C [ 9 - 20 deg. F ] drop in pour point. Lower wax content fuels must be added BEFORE wax forms to be effective. WARNING: UNDER NO CIR***STANCE SHOULD GASOLINE OR ALCOHOL BE USED TO DILUTE DIESEL FUEL. THIS PRACTICE CREATESS AN EXTREME FIRE HAZARD AND UNDER CERTAIN CIR***STANCES AN EXPLOSIVE HAZARD. GASOLINE DILUTION IS NOT AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO LOWER CLOUD POINT (20 PERCENT GASOLINE ONLY LOWERS CLOUD POINT 4 DEG. C [ 7 DEG. F ] AND IT LOWERS THE FUEL VISCOSITY, CETANE NUMBER AND FLASH POINT. ALCOHOL DILUTION WILL INCREASE THE CLOUD POINT Low Energy Density - Diesel fuel has a higher BTU content than gasoline, gasohol or alcohol, and therefore is a more efficient fuel. Low Cetane Number - Gasoline, gasohol and alcohol have low cetane numbers and will reduce the cetane of the fuel they are mixed with. Low cetane fuels have poor ignition quality and detonation is likely. Detonation can occur even though it is NOT detectable by the ear and will result in decreased engine life. Low cetane fuel will also adversely affect the starting characteristics and warm up of the engines. ***** - Matt
wow ..ya learn something new every day..I was going by old school methods we used to use on the big rigs years ago..maybe those engines could handle it ? never had any issues. but recently we have been using diesel 911 so its all probably for the better..old ideas are not necessarily right, its just what we did.
I'm not saying it doesn't work for some people (it obviously worked for you)... just thought I'd throw that out there for anyone curious about the manufacturer's stance. Older diesels are more tolerant to a wider range of fuel quality. The newer stuff is what you really have to be careful with. With engines designed to run on much cleaner LSD and ULSD the fuel quality really becomes an issue and blending with other fuels can have adverse affects on everything from pumps and injectors to all of the aftertreatment both on the trucks now and planned for the future. - Matt
whoaaa, i get what they are saying and will concur. Mine is a '92 and i will stand behind the 471,310 miles that are on it and having run gasoline in it for 10 years or so. But then again i live in tennessee, and safety means wearing a t-shirt, maybe i will cut back to a 1/2 gallon for every tank
We're all running diesels in Europe and don't get this problem because the diesel formulas on sale over the winter are formulated for sub-zero temperatures. The main reason there are so few diesel cars on sale in the states is because of your poor quality pump diesel. It ain't just heavy oil these days! And please don't add gas to a modern diesel engine. Had a customer do that to a late 2006 GM full-size on me in '06 and the repairs cost over $5000. It's time the oil giants started offering quality diesel formulas. The big three all offer great diesel engines over here that get great milage. Drove my 3400lb GM station wagon accross the continent last month and got 43mpg. Never had a diesel wax on me. not even at -30°. Ed
I think the main reason for the lack of diesel cars is public opinion. Most people still regard diesels as big, noisy, smokey engines better suited for big rigs than their commuter. As manufacturers develop smaller, quiter, cleaner and more efficient diesel engines more people are starting to adjust their opinions accordingly. As for fuel, the "dirty" stuff is on it's way out over here. 500ppm LSD is still available (I couldn't tell you the last time I actually saw it though) until 2010, but it is being phased out. ULSD, which has been in a "phase in" period in the US has been available since late 2006, will be the only available on-highway diesel Dec. 1, 2010. In the US ULSD is 15ppm sulfur and in Europe it is 10ppm. Not much difference. - Matt
you can only get ultra low sulfer diesel were i live. I remember a year ago all the big fleets where boohooing about how ulsd was gonna make every seal in the fuel system leak, really i have seen no problems like they predicted i mean the old cats and ***mins already leaked. Old timers just cant let go.
I have seen damage due to ULSD. The sulpher was the lubricating agent that kept older IP's alive. Diesel's got a bad rap here in the states due to GM's "Oldsmobile 350 diesel", which actually was not a bad diesel engine, but it could not handle the ****py water infested diesel fuels sold in the US in the 70's and 80's. If that olds diesel were re-introduced today with a small turbo and a modern 6 speed double overdrive ******, America would fall in love with it 100%. Blending RUG [regular unleaded gas] or kerosene into diesel fuel should be avoided at all costs on modern HPCR [high pressure common rail] and UHPCR [ultra high pressure, sometimes up to 30,000 lbs] but it is perfectly acceptable on any older diesel that uses an IP, as well as all 7.3 ford powerstrokes. 5% RUG and 5% kero will do the trick. RUG and Kero will not cavitate in the IP. Cavitation is caused by tiny suspended water droplets in the diesel fuel that "flash boil" in the high temp high pressure environment inside the IP. When the plunger re-pressurizes the fuel charge with the tiny air bubble in it, the bubble colapses under incredible pressure, and "snaps" out of existance. This "snap", not unlike the snap a bull-whip makes when it collapses a small pocket of air, can cause tiny pits and marks on the precision surfaces inside the IP. Over time, these marks build up untill the IP is destroyed. Of particular note, the GM/Chevy 6.2/6.5 can actually be damaged by starting them up when it's too cold. The thickened diesel fuel puts additional strain on the IP input shaft, and can actually shear it off! Modern winter diesel treatments are pure naptha, nothing more. If you want to try something really cool, come join us over on www.frybrid.com Were running our diesels on used cooking oil that we get for free from chinese buffets. I'v personally got 120,000 miles on veggie oil, and have saved about $30,000 this past year.... Not for everyone, but worth checking out simply for the knowledge if nothing else.
Bull **** it wont cause a mechanical pump to cavitate, I just did a ***mins vp 44, cause driver filled the tank with gas it even threw a code, and for youre knowledge 7.3 powerstrokes are a common rail engine. that 30,000 psi you quote is not fuel pressure on a high pressure common rail, its injection control pressure the fuel pressure is like 70,000 psi run some "RUG" and you will blow the tips right off.
The Jalopy Journal
