Does anyone have insight on differences with gelling temperatures when comparing this modern low sulfur diesel to prior diesel? I suspect it gels at higher temperatures today, but am curious to know if anyone has information to support that.


Why do I ask? Today was a good reminder. It was -18*F at my house this morning (-33*F at other locations around my home). I plugged my truck in last night and had winterized fuel in the tank. The truck started fine, but immediately pulled the "Low Fuel Pressure" and "Reduced Engine Power" screens. Having been down this road with my '15, I immediately knew I should drain the Diesel Fuel Conditioner module. When I drained it, the first bit of fuel was quite thick. I'm not sure if it was naturally gelling up, or if it was a result of excess water in that portion of fuel making it easier to freeze up. Either way, after I drained a slight amount, power back to the engine.


Anyway, this reminded me of when my '15 gelled up at -25* two years ago. Maybe I remember things incorrectly, but it seems that fuel didn't gel up into around -40*F twenty years ago. Am I imagining this, or does modern fuel gel up faster?


A few additional thoughts. When this truck reduces power, it reduces power! My '15 could still get up to 55mph, albeit slowly. This truck kept me at 16mph! Also, the drain valve on the Fuel Conditioner Module is much easier than the prior valve.

 

I've seen ULSD gell at -1F, came out like glue.

 

Where in the world do y'all live? We've been in the 40s and it's miserable!

Brett

 

High Jumper,

Could you explain the process of draining the gelled fuel?

The truck I order many months ago will be my first diesel truck, and my only other diesel experience is with my Kubota that live's in a heated garage all winter.

Thanks in advance!!!!

 

40's is t-shirt weather. Anything warmer than 50 is downright intolerable.

 

The 2017 SD 406 PSD I have coming either this month or next month will be my first diesel. I'm up in Alaska and plan to see temps of -45 or so at the worst. What additives are people using in these 406 PSD trucks?

 

This is all I would use in the winter:


https://www.amazon.com/Ford-Complian.../dp/B00BNVK22Q


But needs to be around 10F or I would not bother.


On edit, also get a spare set of fuel filters and keep them on board.

 

You need to add an anti-gel right before you add fuel so that it gets mixed throughout the tank. Also, you should drive around so that it gets into the fuel system. If you gelled up, you need to replace the fuel filter because it gets waxed up. It will very unlikely clear up on its own.

 

There isn't really a difference. Paraffin is present in both LSD and ULSD, and will begin to turn into a crystallized wax as high as 32 degrees in summer-blend diesel. Go another 10-20 degrees colder and that crystallized wax will begin to gel altogether.

Winter diesel is typically a combination of winter additives and maybe a small percentage of #1 diesel, depending on the location and distributors. The actual gel point of the winter-blend diesel at your local pump will be dictated by the blending and additives that occurs in your region. Furthermore, that amount of blending and additives put in is determined by the minimum winter fuel class that is required in your area. For example, if you live in say Oklahoma, you won't get arctic diesel that is sold in Anchorage, which has a much lower gel point.

One distributor might have a lower temp gel diesel than another, and you can have two nearby stations with diesel at different gel points.

 

So how do you find out which station has the best fuel. The knuckle-draggers at the cash register have no clue about Ethanol so I doubt they even know what diesel is.

 

The process isn't really for gelled fuel. It is to release water separated out from the fuel. My prior truck would send a low fuel pressure signal anytime enough water built up in its separator. Once I drained the water, things went back to normal.


In this case, I got a low fuel pressure message and decided to let the water out, but gelled fuel came out first. My suspicion is that with the extra water in the module caused the fuel to gel up.


Anyway, as for the process, you just unscrew the yellow release **** on the Fuel Conditioner Module (check p. 342 in your owner's manual) and let a small amount of water/fuel run out. You should be doing this periodically throughout the year anyway.

 

Thanks! Great information.

 

I live in Colorado's high country at 9500' and we have been in the single digits here at night for a week now... I use Power Service Diesel 911 anti-gel in 4 of my Diesels here and it works pretty well down into the -20's... As stated previously, pour it in BEFORE you fuel up so it mixes well and gets into the fuel lines/filters before you let it sit... I also recently started using (trying) another anti-gel made by PEAK, as in PEAK BLUE DEF diesel exhaust fluid, and it works just as well so far...
PEAK | PEAK Cold Weather Diesel Anti-Gel | Diesel Fuel Additives | Auto Products

 

9500'. Where you at Buena vista or Leadville?

 

OK, I live in North West Florida... low here today was 60 . However it does get below freezing here several days in the winter and in the teens a few days. I will be traveling possibly in cold areas of the country this winter. Questions is... will it hurt to use an anti-gel in the winter even though we don't get much freezing weather.