Diesels in sub-zero temperatures
Submitted: Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 07:50
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Mike DiD
Last winter in June I was at
Perisher Valley when the temperatures overnight dropped to minus 15 degrees. I didn't try to start it until 10 am, and by that time it was sunny and heat was coming off the bitumen surface
The engine just would't start, even though I'd filled up with Alpine Diesel at
Cooma.
What tips are there for coping with really cold weather with Diesels - if I'd been camped in an isolated area, it could have been a serious problem.
Reply By: Member - Oldbaz. NSW. - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 08:42
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 08:42
I suspect you would be the victim of your fuel not being of a high enough percentage
of "Alpine" diesel. The additive was probably diluted by the fuel remaining in the
tank.
You may have been sold fuel that wasnt full spec either as retailers are unlikely to use
use all non additive fuel before filling with Alpine. Another possibilty is that your pre
heating system is not functioning correctly......oldbaz.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Mike DiD - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 09:02
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 09:02
I always keep a sample of Fuel I buy - the sample jar had visible crystals in it.
I tested it when I got home - it went cloudy at Minus 7 degrees, which explains why it wouldn't start.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Mike DiD - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 09:04
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 09:04
Australian Pajeros don't have a Fuel Preheating system - even though some of the wiring is there.
although that wouldn't have helped the cold fuel already in the filter.
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Follow Up By: Member - Oldbaz. NSW. - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 09:07
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 09:07
Ok, so was I right or was it some other contamination ? ....oldbaz.
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Reply By: Wokwon - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 08:48
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 08:48
Well that depends, did it not start because the fuel had gelled or because the glow plugs weren't working and the compression was low?
If you go to youtube and search for cold start, you'll see ancient volvos and VWs starting first go in -30 conditions, without block heaters.
Of course, you could carry a can of 'start ya bastard' aka aerostart but that depends on what the problem actually is.
There are electrically heated fuel filters and electric
water heaters that go inline just after the
water pump but they usually require mains power.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: TTD1 - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 09:14
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 09:14
Mike DID
Having spent 20 years up and back to the mountains in snow season we were only caught out once with iced up Diesel. Used Alpine mix all the time but usually added 1lt of Kerosene as
well to every
tank. The machine operators on the mountain suggested this.
Regards
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Battery Value Pty Ltd - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 09:59
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 09:59
agree TTD1,
kero is what's needed down below 10 degrees minus.
Either that, or even a few litres of petrol.
Used to do this in Europe with a previously owned Golf GTD back in the 80ties.
The drawback of the petrol is it doesn't lubricate the injection pump, while kero does have some lubricating properties.
I remember cruising past stranded trucks on the Autobahn at minus 32 with some good petrol/diesel mix sloshing around in the
tank...
cheers, Peter
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Follow Up By: TTD1 - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 10:10
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 10:10
Battery Value,
I used to put a litre of kero to a full
tank in the old 4.2lt patrol
tank which from memory was 90ltrs so about 90 to one mix and just stoped the mix from crystallizing.
Regards
FollowupID:
729251
Follow Up By: Mike DiD - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 10:15
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 10:15
Yes, adding Kero to Alpine Diesel is what I'm looking at doing if it looks like going below Minus 5.
BP recommend adding 1 L Kero per 25 L Summer Diesel to convert it to Winter Diesel.
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Follow Up By: rainbowprof - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 11:30
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 11:30
great idea. When it got down to -15 at the ski fields I made sure my car was parked where it got the morning sun cause it was a pain to start but I just had standard diesel. The doors were pretty hard to open cause the grease on the hinges was freezing, I think. I've got a Hyundai Galloper Turbo. I'lkl try to take a bottle of kero next time- just pour it in the fuel
tank?
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Follow Up By: Mike DiD - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 11:56
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 11:56
You need to pour the Kero into the
tank some distance before you
park, to give it time to mix with the fuel in the
tank and to go through the whole fuel system.
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Follow Up By: rainbowprof - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 12:06
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 12:06
it's usually -5 to -15 at night in winter where I work. Should I put a litre of kero in the
tank on each filliup? Or isn't it too good for the motor?
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Reply By: trainslux - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 10:45
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 10:45
BP on their website had reference to adding Kero to Diesel in a particular ratio.
I think you can find this on one of their .pdf files on the right of th is link
BP Diesel page
cheers hope that helps.
Trains
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: trainslux - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 10:48
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 10:48
agh link didnt work
try this
bp diesel page
fumbled on the keyboard and inserted an extra letter and extra paste.
oops.
T
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Reply By: Mike DiD - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 12:02
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 12:02
I went to the National Parks Depot and NSW Fire Brigade station, to ask for tips from locals when they had trouble at very low temperatures - but got blank looks.
The NRMA guy happened to be there - with 20 litres of hot
water just in case anyone with a diesel had problems.
I put a towel over the filter and fuel plumbing near the engine, to hold the hot
water as long as possible.
I waited five minutes and then it started normally.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Fab72 - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 17:02
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 17:02
"What tips are there for coping with really cold weather with Diesels "
Do what the Ice Road Truckers do....leave them running 24/7 ....(joke) :)
Fab.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: blue one - Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 19:34
Friday, Jun 03, 2011 at 19:34
Yep SAB (Special Antarctic Blend) is what we used at Casey Station (Kero & Diesel).
Ran utes, CATs, etc and no problems.
BP blend if I remember correctly.
Cheers
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