Anti-Gel Additive (Diesel)

Hi All,

I'm heading out Wednesday morning on a ski trip. This will be the first time I have taken my truck to such a cold place. Weather is supposed to dip and stay below 0F.

I live in Dallas, so a broad selection of anti-gel additives are few and far between. Those of you that live or have lived in warmer climates like Dallas, what brand of additive do you recommend that I can get here?

I plan to take an extension cord with me and plug it in at the condo. Other than that, is there anything else I should concern myself with. One thing that concerns me is the 75w-140 gear oil I put in it 6 months ago ...

TIA, Craig C.

2004 Ram 2500, QC, 4x4, CRD
Reply to
Craig C.
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If you figure on refueling at least once before you get to the ski area, more than 3/4 of a tank, the cold weather area fuels will already be winterized, so no additives needed, but if you don't need to refuel have an additive ordered in by your fuel supplier or a parts store.

Budd

Reply to
Budd Cochran

PS 911 is what I use. And yea, it gets cold here!

I doubt the gear oil will be an issue, IMHO.

Reply to
PeterD

Well, I didn't say it didn't get cold in Dallas. It does. In fact, it's pretty chilly today! It does not, however, get below 0 and stay that way for days on end.

Here, I can leave my truck in my garage on the colder days. Where I am going skiing, it will be sitting outside for 3 days in sub zero temps. That concerns me a bit. Now, I will have the block heater plugged in, but the fuel obviously could become a problem.

Good. I hope not.

I'll look for the PS 911.

Thanks, Craig C.

Reply to
Craig C.

This is what I use in my Freightliner, should be able to find it at any large truck stop. Howes Diesel Treat Diesel Conditioner Plus Anti-Gel As Budd pointed out, if you fill your tank when you get into the colder country you should be ok, but I would put some additive in anyway.

Reply to
Tom R

Thanks, Tom.

I've been away from driving diesels for a few years, so I haven't kept up with them much.

Budd

Reply to
Budd Cochran

When I used to go skiing in Canada for a week, I would open my hood each day to let the sun warm it up around noon. Start it up around 1, and let it run for a short while. After a week, when I left the cold, it ran fine.

Reply to
Bill

I was told that at least on my new 2007 6.7L CTD I don't have to worry about it much. It has a fuel pre-heater that prevents the problem. Since this is my 1st diesel I admit I have little knowledge on the matter.

Reply to
miles

Miles, the thing is that the fuel will gel in the tank and not get to the pre-heater.

Reply to
Roy

I agree.

I had that happen on a Navistar bobtail in 90 because the bosses didn't listen to either me or the company's mechanic.

It shut down the mobile recycling program at the local handicapped training facility for two weeks.

Budd

Reply to
Budd Cochran

Two good additives are Powers (usually available at Wal-Mart) and Standayne Performance Formula (usually available at truck stops). What are you putting that gear oil in BTW?

Mike

Reply to
Mike Simmons

Because the manual says to. 75w-90 OR 75w-140 for heavy duty applications.

Craig C.

Reply to
Craig C.

Budd, you come in here unanounced, like nothing has changed after being gone for a year or more. You have been helpfull, unargumentive, pleasent, and now you're agreeing with Roy. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE REAL BUDD?

beekeep

Reply to
beekeep

don't worry about the oil. for fuel treatment use powerservice brand with cetane boost. it is available at any truck stop. if you get good fuel this shouldn't be an issue though. what you are doing is buying yourself insurace against a bad tank of diesel. we got a bad tank just outside of denver once and i had to change the fuel filter on the side of the road four times on just one trip. while we paid for on road fuel the filter was purple every time i changed it and looked like it had been drug through the dirt.

try to use only fuel from a name brand source and buying at high volume truck stops seems to reduce the chance of a bad load as opposed to the small mom and pop stations. i drive to kolo"rad"o twice a year in the winter, new hampshire at least once a year and even make the occasional trek across wyoming and montanna. we have gotten two bad loads of fuel in a couple of decades of doing our winter trips. so that is what you need to protect yourself from.

i would make sure you have an extra filter and the tools to change it on the side of the road. if your filter freezes up you are stuck. michael

Reply to
nunya

Good.

I will have to stop in Amarillo to fill up, I'll look for it there.

Absolutely.

I have one filter I will be carrying with me and the tools to install it.

Thanks for the advice.

Craig C.

Reply to
Craig C.

I may be wrong but isn't it a good idea to add something like Powers or the like anyway? I was of the belief that beside having anti gel properties, it also added to the cetane and helped in lubing the IP as well as cleaned the injectors. Now that I read this it sounds like a "mechanic in a can". Anyway just a thought.

Reply to
Roy

Nothing and this is really me.

I wasn't the one arguing, I just tried to correct some common errors about Christians and Christianity.

Budd

Reply to
Budd Cochran

i do believe if you read the above text just a little more closely you will see that i recommended powerservice with cetane boost and the OP said he would add to the mix in amarillo. also sometimes that mechanic in a can gets you back to the barn instead of walking. ;-) michael

Reply to
nunya

I do add something at every fill up. I can't remember the name of it, but my mechanic got it for me. It adds back the lubricity lost in ULSD among other things. It doesn't have any anti-gel properties to speak of and I really don't need that living in Dallas. However, driving to Wyoming changes the need a bit.

:-) Craig C.

Reply to
Craig C.

for my diesels we actually brew a mixture of ingredients to add to ulsd. i mix the powerservice with cetane boost that comes in the white bottle with marvel mystery oil in a 50/50 ratio. i then add 1ounce of this per gallon at every fill up. this mixture was recommended to me by my fuel supplier, who got the advice from their diesel supplier, who's chemical engineer supposidly concocted this brew. of course this is all hearsay this far down the ladder but i have never known marvel mystery oil to hurt anything at it generally helps most things.

i just cringe every time i see someone filling up an older diesel truck that was not engineered for the new fuel and then just driving off without adding something to the fuel. my guess is that these trucks were designed with the expectation of a certain amount of lubrication additives in the fuel. when that got taken away i think that these vehicles are going to see some durability issues. they say the new ones are designed for the new fuel but i would still add some lubrication just to ease my mind if i was driving a new truck. michael

Reply to
nunya

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