Maintenance Tip: Don’t Let Old Man Winter Put the Freeze on Your Diesel Fuel

As the Starks warned in Game of Thrones, “Winter is coming.”

For fleets operating in the northern portion of the country especially, now is the time to prepare for the onslaught of high winds, freezing rain, heavy snowfall and dangerously cold temperatures.

One of the biggest problems is the ease at which the wax in diesel fuel can solidify or “gel” when the temperature drops, causing a slew of problems for fleet owner/operators and their truck drivers.

These problems include:
• Poor flow
• Frozen water in fuel that clogs fuel lines and pumps
• Clogged fuel filters
• Engine shutdown

To avoid these problems, Luber-finer recommends taking the following steps to winterize heavy-duty vehicles:

1. Remove Water from the Fuel System – Before the temperature plummets, apply a water-removing isopropanol additive to remove water from your fuel system.

2. Replace the Fuel Filter – Ice crystals and wax in diesel fuel can clog an old fuel filter much faster than a new one. So be proactive and install a clean fuel filter. It can help you avoid having to run cold soaked diesel fuel through several filters before the fuel is fully restored.

3. Apply a Winter Additive – Add a winter fuel treatment to your fuel before extreme winter weather takes hold. This helps prevent water and wax from accumulating in the diesel fuel.

4. Bring an Emergency Diesel Fuel Thawing Treatment – Having an emergency fuel additive on hand that you can add if the fuel gels in cold weather can help you avoid an unwanted breakdown. With isopropanol and a water dispersant, you can resume fuel flow and stop fuel ice from crystalizing and wreaking havoc on your fuel system.

By taking these preventive maintenance steps, you can avoid the inconvenience of an expensive engine shutdown and having to wait for help to arrive in less than ideal conditions. To learn more about Luber-finer’s fuel filters and how they can help you to combat cold soaked fuel clogs, visit https://luberfiner.com/products/fuelwater-filters.