Cold weather diesel fuel

[nicjak]

sorry to disagree but not all service stations have winter diesel its not an automated process that servos automatically get it. like i said i live less than 100km from a victorian snow field the main highway out of melb has two caltex service stations at the exit to this snow field they do not supply winter blend during winter. btw they are the only major company service center before the resort.

[layback40]

Originally Posted by nicjak

sorry to disagree but not all service stations have winter diesel its not an automated process that servos automatically get it. like i said i live less than 100km from a victorian snow field the main highway out of melb has two caltex service stations at the exit to this snow field they do not supply winter blend during winter. btw they are the only major company service center before the resort.

Where do you get your information from? Do you have any first hand knowledge of diesel fuel composition? I got my information from a contact at the API (Australian Petroleum Institute). Caltex gets their diesel from either India or Singapore & the cloud point varies as previously described for different seasons. It comes via the same bulk tanks as other Caltex service stations. The Caltex on the Hume is currently getting a lower cloud point fuel than it was selling in January.
Are you comparing to a special "Arctic blend" ? I see your link to a Western Oil additive, If you are running an ice breaker, its appropriate. If you are leaving your car at the top of Hotham for a week during extream cold you may need to consider an extra additive.

[nicjak]

thats ok mate i run a diesel workshop have owned logging trucks of which also work in the local snow fields, so i guess i have some experience in my comments relating to the area i live and work of which btw isnt on the hume, and like i said first hand experience rescuing stranded vehicles, maybe north of the state do but definately not the south. you really do need to ask which service stations carry and supply it. DONT ASSUME was my point..its here but not all have it.

[walldog]

I got caught with this year before last up the snowy mountains, camped up overnight and no go in the morning even though I had 2 battery's providing crank power, lesson learned


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[Hayesio]

This is the Australian standard for diesel fuel Cloud Point by month for each region. This is "standard diesel." Alpine diesel goes above and beyond this specification.

maximum permissible cloud points (AS 3570 -199
Jan Feb Mar Apr May-Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec CP Locations
15 10 5 2 1 4 7 11 14 15 °C AUC Central (NT/SA)
15 15 12 9 8 10 14 15 15 15 °C AUN North (WA/NT
9 5 2 0 -1 10 14 15 15 15 °C NSW New South Wales
15 12 7 4 2 4 7 12 15 15 °C QC Central
15 15 11 7 6 8 11 15 15 15 °C QCN Queensland -
15 15 12 7 7 9 12 15 15 15 °C QFNE Queensland -
11 7 3 0 -1 0 2 7 9 13 °C QS Queensland - South
8 6 4 2 1 2 4 5 6 9 °C SAS South Australia -
3 1 -1 -2 -3 -3 -1 0 2 3 °C TAS Tasmania
9 6 3 1 0 1 2 4 6 8 °C VIC Victoria
15 15 9 6 5 7 11 15 15 15 °C WAC Western Australia
10 6 4 3 2 2 3 5 8 10 °C WAS Western Australia

[Lewy2001]

Did my 40K service last week which included fuel filters. The JGC has a housing after the tanks for the filters. This housing has a fuel heater and sensor as well as water separator.

I wonder if it is designed to alleviate this cold start problem.

[nicjak]

It would definatly help, as in the Prado case the fuel was gel in the unprotected filter under the bonnet