Well, looks like we are coming into winter!!!!

I was taught back in the mid 80's about diesel fuel. I was told it was made for the area it was being used. During the winter they would make it to be good down to the lowest temps it would be used at. (For that area) So, they told us that in the winter, we could fuel in Salt Lake City and drive all the way to the East Coast without adding anything.

Fast forward a month from that meeting. Wyoming had an arctic freeze drop out of Canada. Temps there, dropped down into the -30* F. Nobody added any additives. We gelled 135 trucks in Wyoming and Northern Colorado and Nebraska. Me, I added FPPF while heading West to that freekin' cold. I ended up transferring loads from Grand Island Neb. to Evanston Wyoming and back for 2 weeks. Why?

Because diesel fuel is made for where it is used.

There will be a point in time this winter when some where in this country, a cold snap will come ahead of the change in fuel, and yes, a lot of diesel trucks will be caught and gelled. It doesn't matter what the engine is.

Ask all the delivery companies in Bend Oregon. Seems they get caught every year. One week, they all gel up. Unless you are prepared!!!!

I can go on and on about this topic.

Better to prepare in the early winter for the above to happen, then, after all settles down, the fuel will be good for the rest of the winter.

I fuel in Vancouver Wa. lowest temp last year was a couple days in the teens. I travel to Bend Oregon, where the temp over night the same week can be -15*F.

I treat my fuel!!!! And always will. My choice, my experience.

(And, in the early 80's, we added ATF for anti gel, I will not and have not done this to my 6.0L)

 

Some interesting reading on Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel fuel in pre 2007 engines.
Diesel Engine Problems Using Extra Low Sulfur Fuel | eHow.com

 

Last year I asked the owner of my local Shell station if they have anything in the diesel fuel during winter to prevent gelling. He said the additives are in it year round, and also that their cetane rating is usually around 5 points higher than the minimum.

 

What about an area that has questionable fuel quality and an unknown sulfur content?

I'm assuming the diesel I get at the only pump on the island is D2 and regular sulfur content. But I also know what happens when you assume. I've worked on a lot of diesel gensets in the developing world. I got really good at adding a secondary or tertiary fuel filter & water separator.

I'm changing the filters asap on my 6.0L. I'm running the Opti white "Diesel Fuel Supplement" cause that's all I can get here.

I can import stuff but it's a pain and costly. But if it'll make the engine go longer I'll do it.

Is there anything else I should consider running?

 

Where ARE you? Checked your profile....no help.

 

Turks & Caicos Islands, South Caicos. It's a small island about 8 miles of paved roads and about that of unpaved roads. I've driven every inch a thousand times cause it's hard to be a car guy without a real car. I've got a German daily driver in the US (and a '67 Caddy and a '46 CJ2A as fun cars and a woefully broken '79 F100 that will be my pheonix some day).