#2 diesel gelling / function of temp - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Ralph69220d · #1 11-16-2005, 08:59 AM

I have a 69 220d/8, which obviously doesn't have a fuel heater in the tank. At what temperature does #2 diesel begin to gel, so as it can no longer make it to the IP? Do truck stops sell #1 fuel in the winter? Are there any anti-gelling additive's I should use? I'll be driving through Minnesota, SDakota & Montana, so am expecting very low temperature's. Any help would be appreciated.

Tymbrymi · #2 11-16-2005, 09:31 AM

I believe that the #2 suppliers automatically change the "blend" of diesel depending on the area, which is why your fuel mileage goes down in winter... there is less actual diesel fuel and more anti-gel addititive (actually, I think they just refine it as #1.5).

So long as you fill up at local truck stops (ie don't fill up in AL and drive due north an entire tank and expect to have liquid fuel in the morning) you should be fine. The colder of an area you travel through, the diesel should be blended properly for the temperatures in that area.

Enjoy the nice scenic drive! Having a 220D sure helps you enjoy the view

Ralph69220d · #3 11-16-2005, 09:38 AM

Thanks Tom,
That put's my mind at ease. This forum has been of invaluable help to me. It's a wondrous thing that pc's and the internet have done to help people out. The buy/sell stuff is necessary, I know, but the exchange of information learned by those from experience and study is great.

J. R. B. · #4 11-16-2005, 09:44 AM

In North Dakota some stations pre-blend it others don't. The ones that don't have their pumps clearly marked which is #1 and which is #2. I prefer to blend my own at the pump. I usually dump in about 5 gallons of #1 to a fill on my 300-D. I have a loss of power and mileage but I will sacrifice that knowing that it won't gel and make me walk in a blizzard.

dabenz · #5 11-16-2005, 10:21 AM

You'll see premium diesel up here, but then you're trusting the station to get the mix right - which isn't too smart up here in cold weather... ...he's in his warm bed in the morning and you're 400mi away with a gelled fuel line. Start mixing at 32F. I keep it simple and go 50/50 to 10F, then straight #1. Doesn't hurt to keep a 1gal jug of #1 in the trunk just in case a filter ices up and you have to change it on the road (hint: change filter before the trip). You'll need a warm garage if the fuel lines gell up so mix as early as you can.

phidauex · #6 11-16-2005, 01:14 PM

Straight #1 isn't good for these engines... It has very little lubricity, and is hard on your IP.

Quality anti-gel additives rock these days. Adding Powerservice Arctic Express to straight #2, for instance, lowers gel point to around -40F, better than a 50/50 blend. Even the regular anti-gels work very well.

My technique in cold areas is to add a bit of anti-gel (the recommended amount) to my tank before filling up, then I try to shop at truck stops, who have more pressure to sell a good winterized blend, because the trucking industry can't grind to a halt just because of some cold snap.

Then, I carry a bottle of Diesel 911 just in case, its the only additive that can actually de-gel gelled fuel, the others just prevent gelling, but needed to be added before it happens.

I try not to go over 20 or 30% kerosene, because of its lubrication issues. Using my method I've never had regular diesel gel up on me, even while travelling north, or going through parts of canada.

peace,
sam

#7 11-16-2005, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dabenz

You'll see premium diesel up here, but then you're trusting the station to get the mix right - which isn't too smart up here in cold weather... ...he's in his warm bed in the morning and you're 400mi away with a gelled fuel line. Start mixing at 32F. I keep it simple and go 50/50 to 10F, then straight #1. Doesn't hurt to keep a 1gal jug of #1 in the trunk just in case a filter ices up and you have to change it on the road (hint: change filter before the trip). You'll need a warm garage if the fuel lines gell up so mix as early as you can.

I wouldn't run more than about 30% #1 under any conditions. IIRC, my manual recommends a maximum of about 30%. Straight #2 is fine until it's well below freezing. I've run diesel pump fuel (premixed, I assume) at -10F without problems. If it gets seriously cold I usually add an anti-gel additive. I'm not interested in buying a new IP.

Oldwolf · #8 11-02-2009, 01:58 PM

Do you think using antigel when the temperature falls below 32F is a prudent thing to do? Or is the "worry temperature" lower than that?

Skippy · #9 11-02-2009, 02:38 PM

It depends. If you have a car you don't drive a lot, and it's sitting in cold weather with a tank of summer diesel, 32 is just about cold enough to start thinking about gelling. You'd probably be fine a bit below that, but maybe not. If you're running winterized fuels, you don't need to worry about gelling until it gets much colder.

Oldwolf · #10 11-02-2009, 03:20 PM

This is my daily driver. Probably the people running the stations don't know whats in their storage tank. Maybe I can find out who the owners are...

Shawn T. W. · #11 11-02-2009, 04:01 PM

We don't have winterized fuel here, and it gets down to 15F . . . if it gets below 0F I'd start to worry, otherwise I think you just buying expensive fuel.

TomAllen · #12 11-11-2011, 03:16 AM

A reminder for people headed to Dakota to work on the shale or traveling across the northern tier this winter. One February night sometime in the mid seventies I pulled into the truck stop near Minot, North Dakota. The kid at the fuel dock asked if we were going in to eat. "Don't shut it off," he says. "It's 38 below zero." There were two rigs sitting in the lube bay with big diesel fired space heaters pointed at the radiators. No more room for me. The fuel mix of the day was 5 gl. gasoline in each hundred gallon diesel tank. I don't remember using anti-gel in those days but it may have been available.

We carried electric blankets that could run off the refer unit's generator (it ran continuously), down sleeping bags and winter clothing. We had a brand new CB radio with the new 40 channels. We made Seattle a few days later just fine.

On another trip north I did get stopped by deep snow between Watson Lake, YK and Ft. Nelson BC. My co-driver and I had wait out the storm several hours till the plow came by and got us going again. We used the down bags and the electric blankets. The idling engine did not produce enough heat for both the cab and the fuel tank heaters. We opted for the fuel tank heaters.