diesel additive

redcrd · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2006 10:32 am

Taking a trip up to the northeast next week and im driving from florida, should i use a diesel additive to prevent any problems due to the cold? and if yes do i add to every tank full? any feedback is much appreciated for this first time diesel owner..... currently have 15k and no problems (except for the egr valve at7k) luv this beast.

gsbrockman · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2006 3:33 pm

I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially during the winter months. I usually run about 8 ozs. of Power Service (white bottle) with every fill-up on my CRD......I typically never run any during warmer weather, after the "winter blend" season is over. I buy 96 ozs at at time as I have a 2003 Dodge RAM 2500 w/CTD and it gets around 12 ozs. every fill-up. It's readily available in lots of different places.

Greg

Guest · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2006 4:02 pm

gsbrockman wrote:

I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially during the winter months. I usually run about 8 ozs. of Power Service (white bottle) with every fill-up on my CRD......I typically never run any during warmer weather, after the "winter blend" season is over. I buy 96 ozs at at time as I have a 2003 Dodge RAM 2500 w/CTD and it gets around 12 ozs. every fill-up. It's readily available in lots of different places.

Greg

Ditto - 8oz of Power Service every tank until it gets warm.

dog_party · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2006 4:51 pm

8oz of PS here too.

irunmiles · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2006 4:52 pm

OK, here's a practical question. How do you actually measure 8 oz and get it into the tank?

vtdog · **Joined:** Fri Sep 30, 2005 11:27 am **Posts:** 640

redcrd wrote:

Taking a trip up to the northeast next week and im driving from florida, should i use a diesel additive to prevent any problems due to the cold? and if yes do i add to every tank full? any feedback is much appreciated for this first time diesel owner..... currently have 15k and no problems (except for the egr valve at7k) luv this beast.

My experience has been that you don't need any additives. I live in NH and it does get cold here. I have started without problems at -12 below zero. Just fill up on your way with winter blended fuel and you should be ok unless you are going to be where it is REALLY cold, say -20 and below. By the way, I have not ever plugged the engine heater in. It seems silly that you would need a 1000w heater to start the hi-tech engine. My old rabbit diesel started in all weather, why shouldnt the CRD?

But, if it makes you feel better, by a bottle of the stuff and keep it in your Jeep to show the folks back home.

naturist · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2006 8:59 pm

8 oz of PowerService (white bottle) is the appropriate dose, according to my calculations. And in theory, you should be able to buy a bottle at any northern Wally World.

One strategy I'd certainly follow is this: be sure to fill up your tank as soon as you arrive, before you shut down for the night, preferrably by timing your fill ups so that you really need a nearly-20-gallon fillup. That way you will be working off fuel from a warm tank right up to the time you put in the (cold) northern/winterized fuel. Be sure to buy that tankful at a truck stop or other vendor who sells enough to have the latest/freshest fuel, not stuff left over from last july. And be sure to drive around for a half hour or so afterward so that all the stuff in your fuel filter is the northern fuel.

If you do that, it SHOULD be winterized enough to deal with expected lows in that area. Folks generally add something like PS mostly for insurance.

Do be aware that the worst thing you can possibly do is drive north (a long ways), arrive at your destination, park for the night, and then expect to go fill up in the morning. By then it will be too late, and you will be stuck with a fuel system (not a tank) full of jello, and you will probably have to have the CRD towed to a heated garage -- or wait until spring to move it.

Do be aware that winterized fuel generally contains kerosene, which will cause a drop in mileage, but will not hurt anything else.

0311_DoC · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:47 pm

So whats the difference between the white bottle vs the grey one for this engine?

Guest · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2006 10:21 pm

irunmiles wrote:

OK, here's a practical question. How do you actually measure 8 oz and get it into the tank?

I use the 32oz bottles that have the see through level indicator on the side and just pour a little in at a time. After practice I usually get the 8oz in on the first try - sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more - but it works. I've got a gallon zip lock bag that I keep the bottle in which gets tucked into the small pocket on the passenger side in the very back.

As for the question about the grey vs. white bottle - white has the anti-gel formula and a minimal cetane boost. The grey is all cetane boost with no anti-gel. Both disperse water though...

0311_DoC · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2006 11:17 pm

thats the only difference? . In my case since im out in the west, where it never freezes, it really shouldnt matter right?

Guest · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2006 11:26 pm

0311_DoC wrote:

thats the only difference? . In my case since im out in the west, where it never freezes, it really shouldnt matter right?

Correct. When it's warm it should not matter. Some people carry an "emergency" bottle of the grey Power Service just in case they get a bad batch of diesel so they can dump it in if it starts running rough - but it may be too late by then. So far, I only fill up at high volume truck stops to ensure I get fresh diesel.

redcrd · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2006 11:59 pm

is there another brand of additive that can be used (such as for sale at any autoparts store) in case i cannot find power service on my drive up since i will be taking I-95 all the way to new jersey, unless power service can be purchased at the truck stops or autozone or pepboy etc etc thanks all, for all the feedback!

Oberkanone · **Joined:** Thu Oct 06, 2005 2:34 pm **Posts:** 26

I use additive year round. Why? Lubricity is increased with PowerService and most other diesel additives.
In the late 80's and early 90's I learned that injector pumps and injectors would last twice as long when additves were added to fuel year round. This is from real world data based on fleet use in Midwest of diesel pickups and straight trucks.
Injection systems have changed and diesel fuel has changed.
The injection systems are running at higher pressures than ever and are they ever $$$ to repair and replace.
Lower sulfur fuel has lower lubricity and ULSD is mandated by the end of 2006.

I pay less than $9.00 per 96 oz container of PowerService and use 8 oz per tank of white bottle in cold weather and 8 oz per tank of silver bottle Diesel Kleen in the warmer months.
Inexpensive prevention of high cost repairs IMO and in my experience.

From my first diesel Rabbit to 6.2L GM's to VW TDI's and now the CRD, I've never had problems with injector pumps or injectors, I'm not going to start now!

retmil46 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 06, 2006 1:51 am

redcrd wrote:

is there another brand of additive that can be used (such as for sale at any autoparts store) in case i cannot find power service on my drive up since i will be taking I-95 all the way to new jersey, unless power service can be purchased at the truck stops or autozone or pepboy etc etc thanks all, for all the feedback!

From what I've seen, Power Service is available at Autozone, Advance, Wal-Mart, Tractor Supply Company, West Marine, and any large truck stop that's worthy of the name.

dog_party · **Posted:** Fri Jan 06, 2006 8:59 am

I buy a big 96oz bottle too, then fill a little 8oz squirt bottle that I have and keep one or two of those in the truck. On trips, I carry the larger jug and I just use my years of practice pouring cooking oil and little throwaway paper funnels.

If I went into a truck stop and they didn't have PS products, I'd go to another truck stop. They should all have PS products (and they should all have little paper funnels).

I also carry a little red bottle of PS Diesel911. Good insurance.

Have a safe trip!

bbo · **Joined:** Fri Sep 30, 2005 5:17 pm **Posts:** 382

they also have a product called diesel 911 ... great for emergencies and can keep in the vehicle all the time

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Fri Jan 06, 2006 3:29 pm

I use PS in the white bottle also. 32 ounce bottle...it is marked on the side so you put in the correct amount. Just stick a funnel into your nozzle and pour it in. 32 ounces treats 100 gallons, so 8 ounces on a fillup is actually too much for the KJ. But probably won't hurt anything.

Mine smokes like a train when I use the PS...so I know it does clean the engine like it says.

gsbrockman · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2006 4:02 pm

LibertyCRD wrote:

32 ounces treats 100 gallons, so 8 ounces on a fillup is actually too much for the KJ.

......but 6.56 ozs. of Power Service is hard to measure, and it's not evenly divisible by 32 ozs. or 96 ozs. ! :roll:

j/k
Greg

kroston · **Posted:** Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:21 pm

Hi,

I've bought a new '06 Libby CRD. I wil get it in a couple of days. I have a question for you guys. I live in Whitehorse, Yukon and it does get really cold here, like 35 below last night (-31F). It's my first Diesel and I wasn't aware there could be a problem due do extreme cold temperatures, since there are tons of Diesel pick-up trucks riding around here... I don't know if this Power Service stuff is available in Canada, but the dealer says it should work fine without any additive with winterized Diesel provided in every gas station. What would be your recommendations? Any CRD owners in Alaska?

Vincent.

dog_party · **Posted:** Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:01 pm

Welcome aboard Vincent. You're going to LOVE the CRD Liberty. It is the first diesel I've owned as well, but I've had a lot of experience with diesel heavy trucks and farm tractors.

Anyway, the winterized fuel that you will get in the Yukon will probably be a mix of Number 2 diesel and Number 1 diesel (kerosene). I would assume that stations up there mix the antigels pretty heavily into their fuel tanks. Adding PS antigel will give you a bit more piece of mind and may reduce your risk of clogged fuel filters...but your mileage is going to be horrible. If I were you, I would find a good station that sells a LOT of fuel to trucking companies and fill up there all the time (make sure you find the pump that has the smaller low-flow nozzle or you'll get more on yourself than in the truck). Dealing with -35 temps, I would fill up at one place all the time and not add any additives. Then, if you get a clogged filter, you have one single fuel source to go to and they can't say it was one of your additives that did it.

Just my thoughts...might change my mind if I actually lived there.

Another thing that I would do is plug in the block heater. The plug is ziptied to the oil dipstick tube. I relocated mine to the grill so it's a bit easier to plug in.

God speed in the frozen tundra!!

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