Cold weather fuel problems
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New User
Joined: Aug 2010
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Cold weather fuel problems
I have a '95 F250, 7.3 powerstroke. When it was in my garage, it started, and drove down the road fine. Took it to work, no problem, but in the morning on my way home (It was like 30 deg. outside), it spit and sputtered all the way home, like it was running out of fuel. I had replaced my fuel pump and filter, and put new hoses on the pump. Anyone know whats happening? I put that anti gel stuff in the tank also.
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 869
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From: Michigan
spiting and sputtering could be the fuel pick up tube in the tank. what happens if you run on the other tank? I have read on these forums that the pick up tube can crack or even break off. hope that isnt the problem. its alot of work. often requiring to drop the tank (while half full of fuel) or pulling the bed off. what about the FPR Screen? is it clear? you did check while changing the filter right? fill the tank to full and see how it runs. check the fpr screen if theres junk on it clean it. a Q-tip will work to get you off the side of the road, but you should unbolt the fpr and really clean the screen for real.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 246
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From: Loganville,GA
How much Fuel is in the Tank when this Is Happening? Like Ken_C Said If The End of the Pick up tube Breaks off it will have these issues. On my older F-250 when it gets below a Quater(1/4) of a Tank it will start spitting and Sputtering at times until I get more fuel.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 12,177
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From: Newport, WA
Ah what the hell I'll jump in.
Left for work at 6:15 this morning, 13° outside. Truck ran fine. Wife calls at 8, her car won't start. Jump in the truck and head for home and it died on me on the highway. Got it running once, made it about 300 yards. 19° degrees outside. I put some diesel 911 in the tank, take the lid off the bowl and its got liquid diesel in it, but had some floaters. Dumped a little 911 in the bowl.
Got it started, it idled for about 5 minutes and died. Won't fire up and run to save its life now. Got a tow back to the office at least.
There was no fuel in the valley, so the pump should be okay. But when I cracked the drain lever after it quit the last time, no fuel came out. I'm hoping it will warm up enough today that I can get it running.
Left for work at 6:15 this morning, 13° outside. Truck ran fine. Wife calls at 8, her car won't start. Jump in the truck and head for home and it died on me on the highway. Got it running once, made it about 300 yards. 19° degrees outside. I put some diesel 911 in the tank, take the lid off the bowl and its got liquid diesel in it, but had some floaters. Dumped a little 911 in the bowl.
Got it started, it idled for about 5 minutes and died. Won't fire up and run to save its life now. Got a tow back to the office at least.
There was no fuel in the valley, so the pump should be okay. But when I cracked the drain lever after it quit the last time, no fuel came out. I'm hoping it will warm up enough today that I can get it running.
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Posting Guru
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yeah i noticed some sputtering saturday night, it was real cold, around 20's and i came down a long stretch and rose the rpms slow to load then matted it, sputter sputter... woosh! did that 2 times then went and got fuel hasnt done it since. interesting
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Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2007
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From: West Texas
Do any of you with fuel troubles have the heater disconnected? If it's working you should not have this problem. The tank could possibly still gell up but not after it's been running for a few minutes. warm fuel flows back to it right next to the inlet pipe and should be breaking up any gelled fuel fast. Just wondering.
And I haven't seen anyone here yet that has switched to winter grade. The company delivering mine says it's only good to 30 degrees so I've been running that stanadyne performance formula in it just in case. We've gotten in the low teens a few times already.
And I haven't seen anyone here yet that has switched to winter grade. The company delivering mine says it's only good to 30 degrees so I've been running that stanadyne performance formula in it just in case. We've gotten in the low teens a few times already.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 12,177
Likes: 40
From: Newport, WA
Do any of you with fuel troubles have the heater disconnected? If it's working you should not have this problem. The tank could possibly still gell up but not after it's been running for a few minutes. warm fuel flows back to it right next to the inlet pipe and should be breaking up any gelled fuel fast. Just wondering.
And I haven't seen anyone here yet that has switched to winter grade. The company delivering mine says it's only good to 30 degrees so I've been running that stanadyne performance formula in it just in case. We've gotten in the low teens a few times already.
And I haven't seen anyone here yet that has switched to winter grade. The company delivering mine says it's only good to 30 degrees so I've been running that stanadyne performance formula in it just in case. We've gotten in the low teens a few times already.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,158
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From: West Texas
you might want to test the heater then. I would. I wish they would switch to winter grade here. We get pretty cold for Texas and are at 3500 feet so it would be nice. I did test a batch the other day. the glass jars outside over night. It looked like apple jelly in the morning. That was untreated. The jar that came out of my farm tank that had the stanadyne stuff was ok. I never used this stuff before so was just checking. That was a 14 degree night.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 12,177
Likes: 40
From: Newport, WA
you might want to test the heater then. I would. I wish they would switch to winter grade here. We get pretty cold for Texas and are at 3500 feet so it would be nice. I did test a batch the other day. the glass jars outside over night. It looked like apple jelly in the morning. That was untreated. The jar that came out of my farm tank that had the stanadyne stuff was ok. I never used this stuff before so was just checking. That was a 14 degree night.
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 869
Likes: 1
From: Michigan
Also, Just so were clear, our trucks have a mechanical fuel pump. that means the fuel pump is driven off a lobe of the cam shaft. SO if you open the fuel bowl drain with the engine off, nothing should come out. an exception would be if the lid was lose and air is getting in the bowl... but the engine needs to be running to get anything to drain out. 
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 12,177
Likes: 40
From: Newport, WA
Also, Just so were clear, our trucks have a mechanical fuel pump. that means the fuel pump is driven off a lobe of the cam shaft. SO if you open the fuel bowl drain with the engine off, nothing should come out. an exception would be if the lid was lose and air is getting in the bowl... but the engine needs to be running to get anything to drain out.