I am looking into buying a diesel truck but am worried about winter
starting abilities. I live in an apartment complex (SW Ohio) and have
no real way to plug in the oil heater. I was just wondering if it is a
real bad idea to buy one because its just not gonna start. (btw,
looking at 98,99,00 cummins)

Thank you!

Hello Levi,

Switch to synthetic oil for diesels (makes starting in very cold weather
much easier).
Make sure your batteries are 100% up to capacity (if you have to replace
them, fit the biggest, highest CA/CCA/RCA you could fit under the hood).
If you only have a single battery, upgrade to dual battery setup.
Find good sources of 1-D (winterized) diesel fuel (at high volume pump
stations).
Make sure the cooling system is 100% clean/coolant properly mixed.
Install a Racor diesel fuel filter/water separator with the heating element
option.

Good luck.

Franko

"Levi" <levi_elston@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:945e14ed.0411220904.6c54efb9@posting.google.com...
> I am looking into buying a diesel truck but am worried about winter
> starting abilities. I live in an apartment complex (SW Ohio) and have
> no real way to plug in the oil heater. I was just wondering if it is a
> real bad idea to buy one because its just not gonna start. (btw,
> looking at 98,99,00 cummins)
>
> Thank you!

>>>>> "Franko" == Franko <frdeleon@worldnet.att.net> writes:

Franko> Hello Levi, Switch to synthetic oil for diesels (makes
Franko> starting in very cold weather much easier). Make sure
Franko> your batteries are 100% up to capacity (if you have to
Franko> replace them, fit the biggest, highest CA/CCA/RCA you
Franko> could fit under the hood). If you only have a single
Franko> battery, upgrade to dual battery setup. Find good sources
Franko> of 1-D (winterized) diesel fuel (at high volume pump
Franko> stations). Make sure the cooling system is 100%
Franko> clean/coolant properly mixed. Install a Racor diesel fuel
Franko> filter/water separator with the heating element option.

Hi,

Yes, I agree 100%, here. I don't know what a cold winter in Ohio is,
but here in the east of France, it's normally when approaching -30°C.

The keys are definitely good gasoil with additives to make it
cold-resistant and low W indice oil, like 5W40 which is indeed usually
synth.

With that, normally you should be ok at least up to -28°C (tested).

--

Herve Regad-Pellagru

fireworks mode: n. The mode a machine is sometimes said to be in when
it is performing a crash_and_burn operation.

Bonjour Herve,

Boy, that's cold. So you refer to diesel as "gasoil"? We sometimes refer
to it as "diesel oil" because it has the same consistency as "heating oil"
which is the primary fuel for oil-burning furnaces for heating
buildings/dwellings. What gasoil anti-freeze additives do you folks have
over in France? When it's very very cold, we sometimes add kerosene to the
gasoil to keep it from gelling or paraffin-separation, but kerosene lowers
the gasoil's lubricity (not good for diesel injectors and injector pump).

Regards,
Franko

"Herve Regad-Pellagru" <regadpellagru@_NOSPAM_free.fr> wrote in message
news:m3oeh8siyz.fsf@free.fr...
> >>>>> "Franko" == Franko <frdeleon@worldnet.att.net> writes:
>
> Franko> Hello Levi, Switch to synthetic oil for diesels (makes
> Franko> starting in very cold weather much easier). Make sure
> Franko> your batteries are 100% up to capacity (if you have to
> Franko> replace them, fit the biggest, highest CA/CCA/RCA you
> Franko> could fit under the hood). If you only have a single
> Franko> battery, upgrade to dual battery setup. Find good sources
> Franko> of 1-D (winterized) diesel fuel (at high volume pump
> Franko> stations). Make sure the cooling system is 100%
> Franko> clean/coolant properly mixed. Install a Racor diesel fuel
> Franko> filter/water separator with the heating element option.
>
> Hi,
>
> Yes, I agree 100%, here. I don't know what a cold winter in Ohio is,
> but here in the east of France, it's normally when approaching -30°C.
>
> The keys are definitely good gasoil with additives to make it
> cold-resistant and low W indice oil, like 5W40 which is indeed usually
> synth.
>
> With that, normally you should be ok at least up to -28°C (tested).
>
> --
>
> Herve Regad-Pellagru
>
> fireworks mode: n. The mode a machine is sometimes said to be in when
> it is performing a crash_and_burn operation.

>>>>> "franko" == franko <franko@worldnet.att.net> writes:

franko> Bonjour Herve, Boy, that's cold. So you refer to diesel
franko> as "gasoil"? We sometimes refer to it as "diesel oil"
franko> because it has the same consistency as "heating oil" which
franko> is the primary fuel for oil-burning furnaces for heating
franko> buildings/dwellings. What gasoil anti-freeze additives do
franko> you folks have over in France? When it's very very cold,
franko> we sometimes add kerosene to the gasoil to keep it from
franko> gelling or paraffin-separation, but kerosene lowers the
franko> gasoil's lubricity (not good for diesel injectors and
franko> injector pump).

Hi Franko,

Well, that's probably warm compared to winters in Canada (I know there
are some folks from Canada in this NG, hello to them)
Yes, gasoil means diesel for me (a bit lost sometimes between UK and
US wordings).

In France, as far as diesel additives are concerned, there are 4 options:

1- you get diesel in supermarket stations and, as there are no
additives at all, you freeze all the stuff under -15°C due to
the parafin.

2- you get diesel at big marks stations (Total, Elf etc ...)
for 8% additionnal cost and you get "grand froid" diesel type
with additives, normally OK down to -30°C (so they say)

3- you buy additives to put into your tank (not really cheap)

4- you put 3-5% of petrol in your diesel tank

I've been myself through 1- (not good at all), and 3- (can't really
say as temperature was above -15°C) and am now sticking to 2- which has
proved to work in the case of parking the car outside, in full wind at
-28°C.

I suspect 4- is like adding kerosen into the tank and has the same
effect you describe. So is merely a better than nothing measure with
side effects, potentially costly ...
BTW, we're talking of plane fuel aren't we ? Where on earth do you
find this ? My understanding is you can only find it in the reserved
parking area of an airport !!

--

Herve Regad-Pellagru

MS-DOS: Numerous features, including vaguely UNIX-like but rather
broken support for subdirectories, I/O redirection, and pipelines,
were hacked into 2.0 and subsequent versions;

Hello Herve,

No, I thought we were talking about diesel fuel for passenger vehicles,
specifically trucks (this newsgroup) and automobiles. We do not add petrol
to the diesel fuel (#4) as the mixture can damage the diesel engine.

Regards,
Franko

"Herve Regad-Pellagru" <regadpellagru@_NOSPAM_free.fr> wrote in message
news:m3y8gbfb51.fsf@free.fr...
> >>>>> "franko" == franko <franko@worldnet.att.net> writes:
>
> franko> Bonjour Herve, Boy, that's cold. So you refer to diesel
> franko> as "gasoil"? We sometimes refer to it as "diesel oil"
> franko> because it has the same consistency as "heating oil" which
> franko> is the primary fuel for oil-burning furnaces for heating
> franko> buildings/dwellings. What gasoil anti-freeze additives do
> franko> you folks have over in France? When it's very very cold,
> franko> we sometimes add kerosene to the gasoil to keep it from
> franko> gelling or paraffin-separation, but kerosene lowers the
> franko> gasoil's lubricity (not good for diesel injectors and
> franko> injector pump).
>
> Hi Franko,
>
> Well, that's probably warm compared to winters in Canada (I know there
> are some folks from Canada in this NG, hello to them)
> Yes, gasoil means diesel for me (a bit lost sometimes between UK and
> US wordings).
>
> In France, as far as diesel additives are concerned, there are 4 options:
>
> 1- you get diesel in supermarket stations and, as there are no
> additives at all, you freeze all the stuff under -15°C due to
> the parafin.
>
> 2- you get diesel at big marks stations (Total, Elf etc ...)
> for 8% additionnal cost and you get "grand froid" diesel type
> with additives, normally OK down to -30°C (so they say)
>
> 3- you buy additives to put into your tank (not really cheap)
>
> 4- you put 3-5% of petrol in your diesel tank
>
> I've been myself through 1- (not good at all), and 3- (can't really
> say as temperature was above -15°C) and am now sticking to 2- which has
> proved to work in the case of parking the car outside, in full wind at
> -28°C.
>
> I suspect 4- is like adding kerosen into the tank and has the same
> effect you describe. So is merely a better than nothing measure with
> side effects, potentially costly ...
> BTW, we're talking of plane fuel aren't we ? Where on earth do you
> find this ? My understanding is you can only find it in the reserved
> parking area of an airport !!
>
> --
>
> Herve Regad-Pellagru
>
> MS-DOS: Numerous features, including vaguely UNIX-like but rather
> broken support for subdirectories, I/O redirection, and pipelines,
> were hacked into 2.0 and subsequent versions;

Franko wrote:
>
> Hello Herve,
>
> No, I thought we were talking about diesel fuel for passenger vehicles,
> specifically trucks (this newsgroup) and automobiles. We do not add petrol
> to the diesel fuel (#4) as the mixture can damage the diesel engine.

I think option 4 is the do it yourself option 2.
In other words, the big companies do add petrol.
According to my cars manual op to 20% is possible.
Kind regards,
Erik-Jan.
(The Netherlands, not that cold but stil......)

http://www.fotograaf.com/trooper

>>>>> "Erik-Jan" == Erik-Jan Geniets <ej@fotograaf.com> writes:

Erik-Jan> Franko wrote:
>> Hello Herve,
>>
>> No, I thought we were talking about diesel fuel for passenger
>> vehicles, specifically trucks (this newsgroup) and automobiles.
>> We do not add petrol to the diesel fuel (#4) as the mixture can
>> damage the diesel engine.

Erik-Jan> I think option 4 is the do it yourself option 2. In
Erik-Jan> other words, the big companies do add petrol. According
Erik-Jan> to my cars manual op to 20% is possible. Kind regards,
Erik-Jan> Erik-Jan. (The Netherlands, not that cold but
Erik-Jan> stil......)

It's probably better rephrased as "go for option 4 if you have nothing
else" !
Like it was said for kerozen, petrol is largely dryer for the internal
of the diesel engine, and I wouldn't advise to go for this option
except a couple of times when you have no other choice ...

BTW, what do you mean by "big companies do add petrol" ?

--

Herve Regad-Pellagru

Hoare: Il y a 2 manieres de faire une conception de logiciel fiable:
la premiere est de la faire tellement simple qu'il n'y a, a
l'evidence, aucune faille, et la 2 eme est de la faire tellement
compliquee qu'il n'y a auncune faille evidente.

Herve Regad-Pellagru wrote:

> BTW, what do you mean by "big companies do add petrol" ?

You stated this in a previous post:

> 2- you get diesel at big marks stations (Total, Elf etc ...)
> for 8% additionnal cost and you get "grand froid" diesel type
> with additives, normally OK down to -30°C (so they say)

I replaced 'big marks' by 'big companies', that is all.
Kind regards,
Erik-Jan.



--

http://www.fotograaf.com/trooper