Need help with geling fuel

[jayro88]

I am having a problem with my fuel gelling when the temp has gotten down to about -10* with a -30* wind chill. From the reading I have been doing it looks like it could technically be "Wax Dropping Out" due to the extreme cold.

A little background. The vehicle is an E250 with a Carrier electric fuel pump mounted on the frame rail in front of the front tanks. I also have 2 clear inline fuel filters proir to my tank selector valve to protect it. This morning the van fired up, ran for a bit and then died. I crawled under and the plastic bowl of my Carrier pump looked like it was full of yellow bacon grease. I couldn't even see the screen. Got back from work today and it looked a little better (had warmed up to 9*) but still wouldn't start. I grabbed the wifes hair dryer (she wasn't home) and blew it on the fuel bowl for about 15 minutes untill all the "Yellow Bacon Grease" was good and gone. Van fired with just enough cranking for the fuel to get to the injectors.

So my questions:
1. I am running the winter Power Service treatment as the bottle directs. Would double dosing it help with this?
2. I am thinking that just insulating the exposed bowl would fix this since the inline filters were fine with less fuel volume. The big differance is they are tucked up out of the windchill while the Carrier fuel bowl is exposed to the wind (only from the back of the van). ANyone had experience with this?
3. Has anyone used regular water pipe heat tape on their lines before? I am thinking this could work well, but my only concern is that the heat from the tape might damage the plastic bowl on the Carrier pump.

Thanks

 

[OLDBULL8]

Wind chill has no effect on inert objects, Your pump, lines and filter will not get any colder than the ambient temperature, which you said was -10. I live in Ohio not too far from you and have no trouble with gelling. I think what you saw in the pump as gelling is actually frozen water/fuel mix. Wherever you get fuel from, they may have water in there tanks if it's not a high usage fuel station. In a 20 gallon tank half full, I would put about three bottles of the gasoline treatment in it (alcohol) to absorb the water. A 911 treatment might be necessary. In winter with the temps dropping this low, it's best to run the tanks, if you have two, down as far as possible without running out. Don't know of any heat tape that will operate on 12VDC, and I sure wouldn't use any if it's even available.

Used to eat breakfast many a time on my way to Elkhart at Bob Evans in Auburn off of I-69.

 

[jayro88]

It could have been some bad fuel. The heat tape I was talking about is the 120v kind. I would just plug it in at night when I plug in my block heater. Right now I covered the fuel pump bowl with a exterior faucet cover. So far it has been fine, but it hasn't been quite as cold. Been above zero.

I may switch where I get fuel. I usually get it at our local Kroger since it is the cheapest, plus I get an additional 10 cents off a gallon for every 100 I have spent on groceries the previous month.

 

[CDX825]

I would try double dosing the fuel additive and see if that helps. A bad load of fuel can cause all kinds of issues though.

 

[finitetime]

Wind chill has no effect on inert objects, Your pump, lines and filter will not get any colder than the ambient temperature, which you said was -10. I live in Ohio not too far from you and have no trouble with gelling. I think what you saw in the pump as gelling is actually frozen water/fuel mix. Wherever you get fuel from, they may have water in there tanks if it's not a high usage fuel station. In a 20 gallon tank half full, I would put about three bottles of the gasoline treatment in it (alcohol) to absorb the water. A 911 treatment might be necessary. In winter with the temps dropping this low, it's best to run the tanks, if you have two, down as far as possible without running out. Don't know of any heat tape that will operate on 12VDC, and I sure wouldn't use any if it's even available.

I agree. It's usually water and if your using a power service should keep it from gelling up. Make sure its the white jug not the silver. The silver stopped advertising anti gel so it may not work as well anymore.