PrettyPenny

I would really appreciate some friendly advice. I've checked the sticky thread and didn't see anything, so here I am.

The temps are dropping and I'm realizing how little I know about keeping a diesel happy in the winter. ('93 W250 IC CTD) She's really finicky on when she wants to get plugged in (55 degrees sitting at home for five hours and she's cycling the grid heater, but 43 degrees for eight hours at work and she's ready to party...) I need to make the time to check all of my grounds, and I hope that will take care of that.

The real issue though: I've seen a thread on another (less friendly) forum talking about fuel additives for the purpose of anti gelling. I've never done this. What brand would you recommend? When do I need to start worrying about this? (Temps where I am are starting to get below freezing at night. I think we're scheduled for mid 20's tonight.) I read that some guys use the stuff year round... would it be in my best interest to do that too?

Is there anything else that I should be doing to help her ease through the cold season? (If the sticker on her battery is correct, it's from August of last year so I should be good there.)

Thanks!

Mike L

I'm sure that you will get a plethora of answers to your post with many conflicting and contradictory pieces of information. I have had my truck for about seven years now and have driven it through at least three really nasty Alberta winters. Many of the winter days it has sat outside, not plugged in at -25*C temperatures and it never failed to start. It wasn't happy, made lots of frightening noises and the PS pump sounded like it was going to jump out from the engine bay. I have, since I bought the truck, 365 days of the year, used a diesel fuel additive. Normally, my choice is the Power Service additive in the white bottle. I have used a few others on a trial basis and always gravitate back to the Power service. I have never had a fuel gel problem. Maybe I've just been very, very lucky.

Cheers and good luck!

Mike

NJTman

I use power service in the white bottle as well.


The simple fact is that if you rotate your fuel frequently, meaning that you use the truck enough to burn the existing fuel out of it before it starts to degrade, then generally you won't have any issue with fuel gelling.

Fuel gelling is a problem, for folks such as myself, who have diesel trucks whereas they don't get used often enough to use up the fuel that's in there, and add fresh.. I have a Fuso box truck that doesn't get used enough. I have had constant problems with the fuel gelling, creating algae, and other stuff. My dodge, however, which I drive daily, I have yet to have any of these issues.

I don't have a lot of experience as to why your grid heaters are cycling, or the specific timing / cycles for the heaters, but some guys on this board eliminated them, and still use their trucks. Personally, I like having GHeaters, as they make it so much easier to start in the am. Hopefully, someone can chime in on this.

BTW. I did have an issue with the GH's not working .... once.

There is a fat thick wire that is attached to the intake where the GH's are located. The wire rotted off, and they stopped working. It's a direct ground to the intake manifold. Replace it, and haven't had any issues since.


I can say it once, and it's been said a million times. These trucks are notorious for bad ground issues. Disconnect all grounds, connections and any place you can think of / see under the hood each year, and clean / lubricate them.. It's preventative maintenance that' well worth the couple of hours doing once a year.

thrashingcows

I'm with the others on the Power Service. I run the winter additive in the white bottle from approx October to April/May. Then switch to the grey bottle for warmer months. I use approx 1oz of fluid for every 3 gallons.....if it's a really cold snap I will usually make it 1oz for every 2gal....you can't use too much either.

I have replaced my air intake temp sensor with a NOS one, and my grids are funny as well. Some mornings it will come one, then the next morning when it's a tad cooler...it will not cycle at all? Usually though it seems this happens when the temps are right around the 5-15*C. Once it's cooler then 5*C they usually always cycle.

Hillbilly66

I personally run Howes, I use it all year. I have used it for years in just about any kind of diesel you can think of, they are the only ones that guarentee if you use it regularly you won't gel, and if you do they pay to get you running again.

I will NOT use power service, I don't know if it was just coinicidental timing, but the only time I've ever put power service in a truck I lost 2 injectors by the time I ran that tank of fuel out.

As for grid heaters, mine cycle from about 60 F and colder. I have had no problems with cold starts down to -40 F with just grid heaters. I plug it in when I can just so it doesn't take as long to warm up in the am.

sherod

Although currently without a diesel, all the years I've ran them, I used Powerserve. Never had a single problem with any of the vehicles or equipment. Over the years I quit measuring by the oz. and just gave it a good splash. I know I was probably overdoing it, but no issues.

As stated many times above, check your grounds. In addition, carefully inspect the battery wiring as there have been many reports of internal corrosion causing problems and not being readily visible.

j_martin

The PCM cycles the grid heaters based on intake air temperature. Usually not at all above 60°, and more as the temperature goes down.

The reason they cycle when sitting overnight, and not at work, is that the engine block temp is higher at work. It's massive and so cools down slowly, and there is some thermal solar gain through the hood.

I'm with the others on Power Service fuel additive. I use it year round, white in the winter, and grey in the summer. Also, some stations will sell you #2 fuel year round. When it gets really cold it will gel, and a blend more likely won't. My son came visiting from relatively balmy Montana one Christmas, and bought a tank of #2 on the way into town. At -30° the next day we had to change out the fuel filter, add a bunch of diesel 911, and literally build a bonfire under it to get it going. Got it to town and added 2 gallons of kerosene to finally clear the trouble.

Nothing beats plugging in the block heater. If you set up a timer to turn on about 3 hours before you plan to start the engine, you'll use about a quarter's worth of electricity, save several bucks in fuel, and a lot of time and discomfort. The engine will start like summer except the oil will be real stiff at first, so take it easy on the throttle for a few miles. In my ridiculous climate, I usually reach under the truck and slap on a 300 watt magnetic pan heater when it's below zero. Helps the oil flow a lot.

Do not delete the grid heaters, unless you live far below the Mason-Dixon line.

You need a real good group 31 battery for cold winter starts. The grid heaters, drawing 200 amps, run longer. The starter turning against a stiffer engine draws way more current, and battery chemistry slows way down when it's cold. Combined, these factors can add up to a no-start.

hope it helps

oliver foster

I add a good shot of the white bottle of Power service to my winter diesel trucks BEFORE a cold snap.
I keep a spare fuel filter and a bottle of Diesel 911 behind the seat for road trips in the dead of winter as well.
The other thing I do that I didn't see mentioned is I go from 15W-40 dino oil to 5W-40 synthetic as 15W-40 is really thick when it is -25F* outside. I do a winter oil change, at the same time as I bolt on the winter rims and tires.

2mtrucks

White Power Service and a dose of Killem biocide several times a year. Never had any issues with fuel gelling or algae. The algae can be a nightmare.

BlueW250

I just go down to the local farm CoOp and buy fuel. All of the distributors around here start putting non gel temperature additive into everything they ship around October. The last thing anybody selling diesel wants to happen is that their diesel gels, the word would spread and they wouldn't sell another gallon all winter.

I still add the outboard oil every second tank just for fun.

Only time I ever had a problem was on one of my construction projects. Filled all of our site tanks in September and then, due to a change and a redesign, the start was delayed. It was my fault but no one thought about it and four months later (-15F) all of our equipment tanks and our 3 - 10,000 gal bulk tanks looked like gooey Cherry Jello. A gallon into each piece of equipment (about 35 pieces, backhoes to D-9's) and a drum into each bulk tank, some 30* sunny days and all was well.

Check where you are buying fuel, see what they already put in it.

Thank you,
BlueW250

PrettyPenny

I appreciate all of the answers, everyone! I feel a little bit better equipped to get through this now. I've been keeping up with your answers all day on my mobile, though I couldn't say anything until I got on the laptop just now. But! I decided to go with the majority and I picked up a couple of bottles of the Power Service, plus one of the Diesel 9-1-1. Just in case. I'll get to the grounding maintenance when I can, and hopefully this will be a nice uneventful learning experience.

Thanks again!

patdaly

If you have a good starter and a hot battery, you will have no issues in Arkansas......... I have started my 4BT ( little brother to ours ) without any grid heater or plugged in as low as zero, so the chances that your wont start are virtually nil.

( If it gets to zero in Arkansas, you have bigger issues than your truck not starting )

Don't overthink it, keep decent fuel with a shot of Power Service in it and drive.

KRB

You picked the right board to seek advice.

I'm just a tad north of you and all I do is like most everyone else, Power Service grey in the summer and then white in winter. I premix some bottles of the PS with the 2-stroke and just dump in the tank when I fill up.

I'll plug her in on really cold mornings just to make life easier on her when it gets into the teens or colder. But if I forget or don't have a chance she still starts with the grid heaters fine.

I like the idea of the magnetic pan heater. I use one on my M880 to thin the oil but not done it on the CTD. But I run synthetic so it supposedly flows ok at the colder temps but like j martin said I still take it easy for the first few miles until everything gets flowing good.

Jim5870

My truck usually gets parked wherever on the farm and not near any outlets for plugging in.
I usually use 5W-30 in the cold season. No problems starting.
When spring rolls around the 15-40 goes back in.

thrashingcows

Never thought to use a 5w30 dino/synthetic for winter months driving. Might give it a try.