What can I do with gelled fuel? (2023)

What can I do with gelled fuel?

If the fuel is gelled in the tank, add the entire contents (32 ounces) of Diesel Winter Rescue to every 40 gallons of fuel in the tank(s). Remove the fuel filters and fill all fuel filters with a mixture of 50% Diesel Winter Rescue and 50% diesel fuel. Reinstall the fuel filters and then start your engine.

While gelled fuel sounds bad, the good news is that diesel fuel will return to normal as soon as the temperature goes back up above the gel point. Pushing a vehicle into a garage and leaving it for a few hours is typically all that is required to fix the gelling problem.

Diesel fuel is prone to “gelling”, a term used to describe the crystallization of waxes in diesel fuel in extremely cold weather. This gelling can prevent fuel flow to the engine or clog fuel lines/filters, making it impossible for diesel engines to run.

Adding Kerosene

It is a common practice for truckers to mix #1 diesel which has a blend of kerosene with diesel #2 which is used on road applications. Kerosene helps in lowering the plug point temperature of the fuel and reduces its viscosity, therefore making diesel less likely to gel even during low temperatures.

The easiest method is allowing the fuel line to thaw itself by bringing the vehicle somewhere heated. Obviously this can be difficult since the vehicle won't start and you'll probably have to push or two it to a warm garage, but if that doesn't work, you can also bring the heat to the vehicle itself.

Plug in your truck or vehicle

To avoid a diesel from gelling, you can plug the vehicle in using an engine block heater. If you don't have one already fitted to your truck, these can be fitted at your local dealership.

A similar process takes place in diesel fuel when the fuel begins to crystalize during cold weather. Once the weather is close to 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit*, gelling starts to occur and can clog the fuel system (*depending on the source and quality of fuel, gelling can occur as high as 20 degrees Fahrenheit).

Glow plugs help produce heat to power your diesel engine. Glow plugs are powered through the truck's battery. Using the glow plugs is the most common method of starting a diesel in cold weather. The glow plug heating method raises the temperature of the air in the combustion chamber.

You can easily add too much of a high-quality diesel fuel additive. What happens when you over-treat your diesel fuel? Overdosing can lead to a whole new list of fuel and engine issues from clogged filters to overall decreased engine performance and efficiency.

Diesel Winter Anti-Gel is the ideal fuel additive to use in cold weather when you want to improve cold starts, prevent gelling and icing, reduce fuel line freeze, boost cetane and improve fuel economy.

What can you add to diesel fuel?

Use Fuel Additives That Are Meant to Prevent Fuel Gelling

You can buy cold weather fuel additives that prevent this problem. For example, Dieselpower! Anti-GelOpens a new window can keep your fuel from gelling even if the temperature outside is as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit!

When diesel users talk about gelling, this is the issue they're referring to. Gelling starts to occur at a specific temperature known as the cloud point, coined after the white haze — or “cloud” — that appears as paraffin wax crystalizes. No. 2 diesel fuel has a cloud point of 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

Diesel fuel gelling has the potential to occur when temperatures drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, although the exact temperature it happens at will vary from fuel batch to fuel batch.

Glow Plugs and Block Heaters: The use of glow plugs or block heaters will start the vast majority of diesel engines on a cold day. Glow plugs work by heating the internal combustion chamber so that conditions are suitable for compression and ultimately ignition.

Gelling occurs when the paraffin wax in diesel solidifies because of a drop in temperature, and the temperature of the fuel generally has to stay below something like minus 10 degrees F for extended periods, like 48 to 72 hours.

A good rule is to plug in your engine block heater once the weather dips to about 5 F or lower. Here are a few other tips for new diesel truck drivers: Pay attention to the fuel filter as they are important to diesel trucks.

Bring the car into a warm location like a garage and try to warm it up. Do this for about an hour or two till the gas line thaws.

Once they have a frozen gas line, drivers can't usually wait to run out to the store to buy something to fix the problem. Bell Performance offers a selection of effective cold weather treatments, including Quick Thaw treatment for diesel and gasoline. HEET is another additive recommended.

Adding heat can cause ice (a solid) to melt to form water (a liquid). Removing heat causes water (a liquid) to freeze to form ice (a solid).

How long does it take gelled diesel to thaw?

Product Details. Use to liquefy frozen or gelled diesel fuel caused by wax formation or ice crystals in cold weather. Quick-Thaw will completely thaw the entire fuel system in about 20 minutes when used according to directions.

One thing that most can agree on is that the maximum amount of time you should leave the engine block heater plugged in for is four hours. Any more and you're just wasting electricity. You should also plan for plugging your vehicle in for at least two hours to ensure it will start.

According to a Material Safety Data Sheet published by ConocoPhillips, the flashpoint of diesel fuel is between 125 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit (52 to 82 degrees Celsius). The flashpoint of any liquid can change as the pressure in the air around it changes.

Unlike gasoline engines which run at a constant air to fuel ratio of 14:1, diesel engines use a variable fuel ratio. At idle they may be as low as 200:1 while under heavy load it may be 5:1. So diesel engines at idle consume very little fuel leaving little reason to shut them off.

Storing your truck in a heated or insulated garage during cold periods can help prevent your DEF from freezing. Likewise, an insulated tote blanket can help prevent freezing.

Stored diesel used to last for years – nowadays its shelf life is measured in months. Diesel fuel eventually goes bad, that's just a fact. Three things speed up the natural process of good fuel gone bad – water, air, and warmth.

The other thing that'll keep your engine running longer is preheated coolant. The more cold-starts your diesel is subjected to, the shorter its lifespan will be.

As a general rule of thumb, if it is below zero degrees Fahrenheit, you should allow your engine up to seven minutes to warm up. If the temperature is between zero and fifty degrees, the warm-up period should be three to five minutes. Over fifty degrees will only require one or two minutes to warm up.

Diesel 911 does not prevent fuel gelling – use Diesel Fuel Supplement +Cetane Boost (in the white bottle) as a preventive measure to keep fuel from gelling. Diesel 911 and Diesel Fuel Supplement +Cetane Boost are compatible in diesel fuel and may be used at the same time.

Diesel #1 is also known as winter diesel because it performs better than Diesel #2 in cold temperatures. It has a lower viscosity and is not prone to gel in freezing temperatures. Most stations offer a premium Diesel mix that is blended for local weather conditions. Diesel #2 costs less at the pump.

Is seafoam good for diesel engines?

Sea Foam Motor Treatment only contains petroleum-based ingredients and is always safe to use in all types of gasoline and diesel engines. It does NOT contain harsh detergent or abrasive chemicals.

The reality is, diesel fuel additives are a necessary part of winter driving. The upside is that you'll only need to use them for a few months out of the year. Make sure you get your additives before the winter starts so you'll never have problems starting your engine in the cold again.

A common practice with many diesel heavy equipment owners is to add 1/4 cup of transmission fluid per 150L of diesel to keep their diesel semi's or equipments fuel pump lubricated and engine carbon free.

Room temperature is optimal, but anything above 20° F works. Anti-gels will actually get pretty thick when sitting on their own in the cold, to the point where you could say they have “gelled.” It is just the nature of the flow improvers, once they are in the fuel, they will dissolve and help your fuel to flow freely.

Under ideal conditions, diesel fuel can be stored between six and twelve months. To extend the life past twelve months, even under the best conditions, it needs to be treated with fuel stabilizers and biocides.

Do Fuel Additives Work? Maybe, but it depends on what you're trying to achieve with your fuel additive. They may prevent future car maintenance problems regarding your fuel injectors and buildup. However, fuel additives may not improve your vehicle's fuel economy right away after just one tank.

The diesel fuel in your fuel tank will become like gel at a temperature of 15ºF or -9.5ºC and you will have trouble starting your engine. Anything below 15ºF / -9.5ºC can and will cause problems for your diesel vehicle.

Howes Diesel Lifeline is the only emergency rescue product that does not require fuel mixing or fuel filter changes. It works quickly, often in just 15 minutes, in harsh temperatures down to -35°F and beyond.

#1 and #2 grade fuels can be mixed at the same time. This means you don't have to worry if #1 grade is only available during the winter months.

Will DEF freeze in my truck?

Whether in storage tanks or in equipment, DEF can freeze and possibly cause issues. As temperatures drop below 12°F, DEF will begin to solidify and not work as intended.

A kerosene blended diesel fuel is a combination of #1 diesel fuel (kerosene) and #2 diesel fuel. The diesel fuel to kerosene ratio is usually found between 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, or 50:50. The main role of blending diesel and kerosene together is to improve cold flow operability.

Winter Fuel

In the winter, normal fuel can form ice crystals that clog the system. Winter blended fuel combats this gelling. Gas stations and fuel companies treat and blend diesel fuel so that it holds up to the lowest temperatures for the current month of the year, making it work better in the winter temperatures.

Kerosene is also called #1 diesel fuel oil, whereas regular diesel is designated as #2 diesel fuel oil. Some people consider it similar enough that they may try to use it interchangeably with regular (#2) diesel fuel.

If your diesel is gelled, take your vehicle to a warm place ( or inside) and let it warm up. This way the wax crystals can melt back to a liquid form.

Also, if the vehicle starts, but won't continually run, then this too could be a sign that your fuel has gelled. Whether it's the lack of RPMs when an engine is running, or it's one of those cold winter mornings and the truck just won't start at all, gelled diesel fuel is probably the culprit.

Disposal: Waste methanol must never be discharged directly into sewers or surface waters. Large quantities of waste methanol can either be disposed of at licensed waste solvent disposal company or reclaimed by filtration and distillation. It can also be incinerated.

When diesel users talk about gelling, this is the issue they're referring to. Gelling starts to occur at a specific temperature known as the cloud point, coined after the white haze — or “cloud” — that appears as paraffin wax crystalizes. No. 2 diesel fuel has a cloud point of 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

The diesel fuel in your fuel tank will become like gel at a temperature of 15ºF or -9.5ºC and you will have trouble starting your engine. Anything below 15ºF / -9.5ºC can and will cause problems for your diesel vehicle.

What temp does diesel gel up?

This term is pretty self-explanatory, since fuel gelling occurs when the fuel in your tank thickens up enough to look and feel like gel. This only happens when the temperature outside drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, though it's most likely to occur at about 15 degrees or lower.

Sterno should never be put down a sink as it will eventually get into the water/sewage system. It should be considered hazardous waste and be disposed of properly. Contact your local sanitation department for the location of a hazardous waste drop off near you.

A: Once the gel burns out, the can will be empty, except for a slight bit of residue that is no longer flammable. I put the lid back on and wrap/tape them in a plastic grocery bag before disposing of them in the normal trash.

Both fuels offer environmentally friendly options, deliver high-quality heat for reliable chafer warming, and are odorless. Plus, most are resealable so leftover fuel can be reused for more than one event.

You can easily add too much of a high-quality diesel fuel additive. What happens when you over-treat your diesel fuel? Overdosing can lead to a whole new list of fuel and engine issues from clogged filters to overall decreased engine performance and efficiency.

Diesel Winter Anti-Gel is the ideal fuel additive to use in cold weather when you want to improve cold starts, prevent gelling and icing, reduce fuel line freeze, boost cetane and improve fuel economy.

Do NOT pour methanol down the drain, on the ground or into any body of water. Methanol is a hazardous material and must be disposed of properly.

Because it's flammable and poses health risks, it's important not to rinse methanol down the drain or combine it with other materials that may cause it to combust. To dispose of methanol appropriately, either discard it in appropriate hazardous waste containers or allow it to evaporate.

ANTIDOTE: Fomepizole and ethanol are effective antidotes against methanol toxicity. Fomepizole or ethanol should be administered as soon as possible once the patient/victim has been admitted to a medical care facility.