Best Diesel Fuel Treatment?

[More Power]

I think it's worth mentioning that the GM diesel fuel systems used in their pickup trucks have incorporated heaters into their fuel/filter systems at least since the 1982 model years. These fuel heaters are thermostatically/automatically controlled to activate at +20F, which not coincidentally is the gel temperature for non-winterized #2 diesel fuel - the point at which wax crystals begin to form in the fuel. In an unheated fuel supply system, these wax crystals will accumulate on the fuel filter element, to a point where fuel flow stops - along with the engine. To combat waxing, fuel dealers are "supposed to" mix #1 and #2 diesel fuel in a ratio that will not gel down to the lowest expected temperature for a given region.

Some diesel truck owners have reported a problem with gelling fuel when they fuel up in a warmer region of the country, then drive to a colder region. Good advice would be to fuel up once you arrive at your destination, to help ensure you're getting properly winterized diesel fuel.

Personally, I don't worry too much about gelling fuel. I've been driving a GM diesel pickup every winter since 1986. I've never once experienced gelled fuel. That said, the above diesel fuel treatment test video is also valuable for the other tests the video includes. Diesel fuel lubricity, cetane (combustibility), and corrosion resistance are just as important.

[JohnC]

I've never once experienced gelled fuel.

You know what you've gone and done now, right?

[More Power]

You know what you've gone and done now, right?

I know, right...

[arveetek]

Personally, I don't worry too much about gelling fuel. I've been driving a GM diesel pickup every winter since 1986. I've never once experienced gelled fuel.

I've been driving GM diesels since 1995. I've gelled up 3 times, all from not using enough fuel treatment during extreme winter cold snaps. I suspect that here in SW MO, we don't have properly winterized fuel since we typically don't have that much extreme cold.

I have an aftermarket fuel filter on my Tahoe, but built my own fuel heater using a 12V heating pad originally meant for RV sewer pipes.

Casey

[More Power]

I've been driving GM diesels since 1995. I've gelled up 3 times, all from not using enough fuel treatment during extreme winter cold snaps. I suspect that here in SW MO, we don't have properly winterized fuel since we typically don't have that much extreme cold.

I have an aftermarket fuel filter on my Tahoe, but built my own fuel heater using a 12V heating pad originally meant for RV sewer pipes.

Casey

The factory GM fuel filter assy for the 6.5 includes a heating element that projects upwards into the very center of the fuel filter element. It is effective in keeping the fuel from gelling, assuming the heater portion of the filter assy works as advertised. I'd imagine it could keep even summer #2 from gelling, but there is no fuel heater in the fuel tank. This means that badly gelled fuel could plug the fuel strainer on the pick-up.