I have a 2016 f250 crew cab 4x4. I have a Ford maintenace/servic plan. But while reading on this site I see some are using additives to stop fuel from gelling and cetane. Are these things I need to be doing? I have had the truck a year and this is my first diesal. Suggestions appreciated. I also posted in the super duty area about a def code I am having(didnt see the diesal area before I posted)
Jeff

 

Look above at the READ FIRST..............6.7 TECH FOLDER thread. Should answer most of your questions.

 

Jeff - what state do you live in? The petroleum companies add an anti-gelling agent to their diesel fuel in the colder months. I live in the Northeast, we broke low temperature records this year, I didn't use an anti-gelling additive and didn't have an issue. I think the coldest it got was -8. As far as an additive to boost the Cetane, that I do use. Same deal though, where do you live? In CT pretty much all stations have the minimum rating of 40 for their diesel, Ford recommends higher. I use Fords PM-22A. Increasing the Cetane level of your fuel helps the fuel burn more efficiently.

 

I did read throgh it, must have missed it didnt see any related will reread

 

I live in californa, I will start using the Ford PM-22A as soon as my truck is back from the service shop with a DEF contaminat waning. Thanks for the reply

 

One item I have done with all my trucks it to ditch the mechanical jack they include for a similar sized hydraulic jack, they are pretty cheap, and when you need to use it, works so much better and easier than mechanical jack. Last time I used mine was because the gears stripped out on my trailers electric jack.

Most 4 or 6 ton jacks will fit in same location.

 

Don't forget to have something to put the jack on so that it does not sink into soft ground with the weight of the truck.

 

There is quite a learning curve. 1. Read the tech folder. 2. Use some sort of fuel additive PM-22 or Diesel Power Service. Something. In the summer I put in an additive about every 3rd fill up and winter its every fill up. I spoke with a local fuel company and basically I wouldn't necessarily believe they are all at 40 cetane level all the time. 3. Read this forum daily! You will learn new stuff everyday then figure how it might apply to you. I have a 2016 F-350. Last diesel we had was a little Dodge D-50 pickup. Great little pickup but that was back in the 80's. Diesels have changed quite a bit since then.

 

The recent arctic blast we had in early January really sparked a lot of discussion about fuel additives.

We had several people post about their fuel gelling in the Oklahoma area. Oklahoma sees lows in the 20's this time of year but the temp jumps back up above freezing most of the time. Lows in the teens do happen frequently and single digit temps are less common. Consistent temps in the single digits to teens for more than a few days does not happen often. So if you live or intend to travel to a warmer area that doesn't require anti-gel during the winter months, it's possible the stations are not treating the fuel properly for cold weather

It's possible the fuel in this area at some stations was not treated correctly because the cold we experienced is not common.

It's up to you if you want to trust your fuel supplier to properly treat your fuel against gelling or you can add your own to be safe.

 

Thanks guys I guess I figured extended warranty was a good safety net but I would rather not need it. The truck is a daily driver and short distance as of lately. So I think Im going to get another daily and just use this as a limted use truck. I need to decide if I need a diesel.
Jeff

 

IAW CARB the min cetane number is 48 at the pump in CA. 40 CN is the Federal (EPA) min.

 

Jeff, per Dirthawg's post, depending where in CA you live they may not be adding that anti-gel agent to the diesel.

And definitely check the cetane rating at the pump. Adding the PM-22A is a PIA - I'm one of those nervous nellies when it comes to running out of fuel - waiting until the "low fuel" light comes on so I can add the full 4oz drives me nuts. If I could find a station that has a 43 - 45 cetane rating I would be all over it.

I also have an extended warranty on my truck, really why I use PM-22A and not something else. I may try something else in 2020 when my warranty runs out but until then it's PM-22A

 

My recommendation is to use a fuel additive that does not emulsify fuel...you want the opposite (a DE-mulsifier) or at least one that does not promote emulsification. You want the water separator to work and do it's job.

I prefer the AMSOIL or Opti lube winter formulas...the Ford version is fine also. Just use one of them.

Here is a short video I made on a cold start. I was using AMSOIL cold flow in this video.

 

1. Occasionally drain the fuel/water separator under your truck. Ford recommends monthly; you could go longer. I drain mine maybe twice per year.

2. The PM22 may add lubricity but frankly you don't need it. All the pumps in my town are 40 Cetane and my truck runs perfectly. Our DPW has a fleet of diesel F-550 6.7L trucks and they do not run any type of cetane booster either.

3. Anti-gel? The fuel companies are supposed to mix Arctic #1 diesel in with the usual #2 diesel at a rate designed to prevent gelling with expected temps. The fuel companies got caught off guard with the sustained cold temps in the northeast and elsewhere. We had -22F and consistently -15F. We had temps a few days that never made it above zero. I found out Ford's PM23 anti-gel additive is not effective unless the fuel temp is at least 15F when it is added. So I dumped tons of it in when the temps were not hitting 15F, and it was useless. My truck gelled multiple times...sometimes it would run but sluggishly with the "Fuel Pressure Low" message and once it would not run at all with a "Reduced Engine Power" and Check Engine Light. I had to replace both fuel filters which were frozen and plugged. So keep an eye on the weather and add some anti-gel when temps are above 15F to be safe.

Those are my recommendations for the diesel...I've had four 6.7L trucks. Obviously, do the routine maintenance such as oil changes, air filters, fuel filters, etc.

 

I would use anti gel for sure, like what was said...we got nailed with 2-3 weeks of record cold in the Northeast. I got asked often while fueling up, by guys on the other side of the pump,if I had any trouble this winter, as they were having to add kero just to keep their trucks running,and I live in a area that has a lot of contractors with heavy equipment and also private truck drivers....So a winter blend here runs from October to April or May....So..I assume those fellas didnt use a anti gel. What are your winter temps there? Stanadyne makes a year round additive called performance plus which i used this winter and so far it has worked well. During the brutal cold, i used Winter 1000. You can order it off Amazon, I am switching back to Cen Pe Co products when my Stanadyne supply is gone,as it is easy for me to get now. My shop guy recomends something with lubricating properties in it as todays fuel doesnt have it in it