Weather
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,745
Likes: 72
From: West Virginia
I find it's always a good idea to perform all outside activities before getting in. Much less likely to forget something important.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 299
Likes: 7
Just up in Sudbury ontario this last weekend, woke up to -45 and thanks god the truck was plugged in, to cold to snowmobile, there were over 20 sleds that would not fire even with a boost, Truck ran fine all the way home!
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,274
Likes: 26
From: St Louis Suburbs
A couple years ago I had a diesel SUV. We rented a house in Fraser, CO (just outside of Winter Park). I arrived in that area with low fuel on purpose so I could fill up with "mountain diesel". I added diesel winter fuel treatment. I took all precautions. My in laws arrived before us and took the only garage space we had access to (how can I kick their car out of the garage, even though I was paying for the rental home).
Next morning actual temps were -38 degrees. My fuel was frozen. Engine would turn over easily but zero chance of starting. That truck had no block heater. Winter diesel and proper winter fuel treatment were not enough. In those temps block heaters won't help much because the fuel in the tank will still freeze.
My solution: I rolled it into the garage through 6 inches of snow with the help of 3 guys were it was a balmy 40 degrees. After 24 hours it thawed out enough. It started right up and then I never turned it off if the truck was parked outside. We would go skiing and it would run for 8 hours. We went to dinner and it would run for 2 hours. We went snowmobiling and it would run for 5 hours.
I learned a lot about diesels and extreme cold on that trip!
Ya just gotta let a diesel run in those temps especially if it's not sleeping in the warmth of a heated garage.
Next morning actual temps were -38 degrees. My fuel was frozen. Engine would turn over easily but zero chance of starting. That truck had no block heater. Winter diesel and proper winter fuel treatment were not enough. In those temps block heaters won't help much because the fuel in the tank will still freeze.
My solution: I rolled it into the garage through 6 inches of snow with the help of 3 guys were it was a balmy 40 degrees. After 24 hours it thawed out enough. It started right up and then I never turned it off if the truck was parked outside. We would go skiing and it would run for 8 hours. We went to dinner and it would run for 2 hours. We went snowmobiling and it would run for 5 hours.
I learned a lot about diesels and extreme cold on that trip!
Ya just gotta let a diesel run in those temps especially if it's not sleeping in the warmth of a heated garage.
New User
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
from what i was told when i bought mine, Use the Anti gel diesel treatment as recommended all the time. summer they have the cetane treatment as well, but to always add to the fuel. alot of times i'll add #1 diesel in as never had a problem with that gelling up in the winter in the tractors. Running does help but they will run and still gel from my understanding
Junior User
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 85
Likes: 1
A couple years ago I had a diesel SUV. We rented a house in Fraser, CO (just outside of Winter Park). I arrived in that area with low fuel on purpose so I could fill up with "mountain diesel". I added diesel winter fuel treatment. I took all precautions. My in laws arrived before us and took the only garage space we had access to (how can I kick their car out of the garage, even though I was paying for the rental home).
Next morning actual temps were -38 degrees. My fuel was frozen. Engine would turn over easily but zero chance of starting. That truck had no block heater. Winter diesel and proper winter fuel treatment were not enough. In those temps block heaters won't help much because the fuel in the tank will still freeze.
My solution: I rolled it into the garage through 6 inches of snow with the help of 3 guys were it was a balmy 40 degrees. After 24 hours it thawed out enough. It started right up and then I never turned it off if the truck was parked outside. We would go skiing and it would run for 8 hours. We went to dinner and it would run for 2 hours. We went snowmobiling and it would run for 5 hours.
I learned a lot about diesels and extreme cold on that trip!
Ya just gotta let a diesel run in those temps especially if it's not sleeping in the warmth of a heated garage.
Next morning actual temps were -38 degrees. My fuel was frozen. Engine would turn over easily but zero chance of starting. That truck had no block heater. Winter diesel and proper winter fuel treatment were not enough. In those temps block heaters won't help much because the fuel in the tank will still freeze.
My solution: I rolled it into the garage through 6 inches of snow with the help of 3 guys were it was a balmy 40 degrees. After 24 hours it thawed out enough. It started right up and then I never turned it off if the truck was parked outside. We would go skiing and it would run for 8 hours. We went to dinner and it would run for 2 hours. We went snowmobiling and it would run for 5 hours.
I learned a lot about diesels and extreme cold on that trip!
Ya just gotta let a diesel run in those temps especially if it's not sleeping in the warmth of a heated garage.
Do you know how the gasoline trucks or vehicles held up under those conditions during the time you were there?
New User
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
do you also have the push button start and the factory auto start? i was wondering the same thing but was also told that if the push button starter was on it that there must be a delay in the starter to fire up the glow plugs. i dont know for sure.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
Likes: 575
From: Brentwood,CA
It does take that into account and will start after 2 seconds. It also continues o run them off and on as needed for 90 seconds. It's no different then starting in the cab. These trucks perform very well in cold temperatures.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,274
Likes: 26
From: St Louis Suburbs
The morning my truck froze I ended up driving a cousins 185,000 mile, absolutely beat up, gasser to the grocery store..it was parked outside in that frigid cold all night long. It started just fine and although everything was stiff (power steering, etc)...it ran and eventually started generating heat and got us where we needed to go.
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 505
Likes: 2
From: Southeastern, USA
[QUOTE=Redrockerstl55;18447996 Ya just gotta let a diesel run in those temps especially if it's not sleeping in the warmth of a heated garage.[/QUOTE]
We let our diesels run the entire month we were in Norway. The generator mechs and vehicle mechs would shut them down for oil changes and any other maintenance but ran them all night. My tent wasn't far from a large MEPP-005 30KW generator that hummed all night. Got back home and couldn't sleep without that white noise in the background.
We let our diesels run the entire month we were in Norway. The generator mechs and vehicle mechs would shut them down for oil changes and any other maintenance but ran them all night. My tent wasn't far from a large MEPP-005 30KW generator that hummed all night. Got back home and couldn't sleep without that white noise in the background.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,274
Likes: 26
From: St Louis Suburbs
We let our diesels run the entire month we were in Norway. The generator mechs and vehicle mechs would shut them down for oil changes and any other maintenance but ran them all night. My tent wasn't far from a large MEPP-005 30KW generator that hummed all night. Got back home and couldn't sleep without that white noise in the background.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,077
Likes: 8
Back in my Colorado days of roaming between Gunnison and Alamosa, the first -20 cold spell of the season would leave quite a few diesel trucks sitting on the side of the road. Always reminded me of roadkill the way they’d be scattered along the shoulder. My truck lived in a heated shop and ran anti-gel so I never had any issues but plenty of others did, probably the ones that were parked outside. The local Ford garage took pictures of all the fuel filters they’d pull every year and pasted them up on the wall. They were so covered in wax that you couldn’t even tell there was a filter under some of them. The service techs regarded them as trophies but the parts guy saw them as propaganda to sell more anti-gel! I live in Arkansas now. I don’t think it’s possible for fuel to gel here!
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 352
Likes: 1
From: Iowa
It is supposed to get down to -35 F tomorrow night here in eastern Iowa with a "high" of -18 during the day. Wind chills to -58 F predicted. We closed our medical offices but I have 3 surgeries scheduled so I get to venture out from the ranch at 0600 with the truck. We shall see. Local BP has fuel protected down to -25 F and I added more anti-gel as well so I will find out how protected I am.
