still not over yet......

[zpd307]

i havent driven the truck since sunday. it has been in the -0s overnights for the last few days. so i had my wife plug in the truck this morning when she left. man the block heater works like a charm, the truck started like it was summer. but........ only ran for a couple of seconds and then died. so, i tried cranking again and nothing. i can bet the filter gelled, again. is the fuel heater supposd to prevent this? it has been so cold that i havent checked the heater for continuity yet. how can i get this to stop??????

on edit. the is no connector for the heater. the wire just goes into the harness....... do i just push the tester lead into the insulation?

 

[hesutton]

Are you using any anti-gel additive to the fuel? Do they sell #1 (winter blend) diesel there?

Power Service sells a "911" additive that is supposed to get a gelled diesel running again. But, the white bottle stuff will help prevent gelling as well.

I know the filter heater will help at the filter, but if the fuel is gelled up stream, it still won't run.

Heath

 

[icanfixall]

The fuel filter heater is a continuous thing I believe. Stick the probe into the insulation and test for power is what I would do... The ignition key must be in the on position. I have found mine broken internally before but... Out here on the west coast we really don't need a fuel heater. Are you running any kind of fuel prep for the cold... Use a halgen lamp to warm up the fuel filter. Then try starting it again. Even a 110 volt lite bulb may heat it up. A hair dryer or heat blower may work too.. Just depends on whats at home or in the shop.

 

[zpd307]

we have running winter fuel for a while here.... it was like this last year. i got into a routine where if it didnt fire after a few seconds, i stopped. i then switched filters and she would fire off right away. i didnt have my other filter inside to stay warm, because i thought i might of had my issues figured out with the block heater now working. i will guarantee that it will fire will the different filter put on... i just wish i could figure out why it does this everytime it gets around 0 or below. this makes it hard to trust it to take it anywhere when it gets very cold out.

edit. changed the filter and she fired right up. can someone help me figure this out......

 

[Agnem]

If changing the filter is solveing the problem, then obviously your filter is getting a parifin coating which is plugging it up. The fuel heater works great, when the fuel is flowing, but I can't see how it could cure a frozen filter that is already plugged. The heater is in the very top, and it doesn't seem to me that unless the fuel is moving, that it could heat it sufficiently to melt any wax already present. Consequently, you must rely on a fuel additive to keep the fuel lucid. The other posibility would be to get some heat tape, if you can find it anywhere, and wrap your filter and plug it in along with your block heater. If you were to do that, and it quit while you were driving it, then I would suspect your fuel heater is not functioning.

 

[Jake S.]

When I plug mine in everything under the hood gets toasty. With the filter at the top of the motor where all the heat is going seems odd that it would gel. And my fuel heater is the old style, on the pipe coming up from the lift pump, but it doesn't work. And I don't gel up.

 

[sle2115]

I agree with Mel on this one...seems something is getting thick. I'm not sure there is enough engine compartment heat with the block heater to keep it from gelling either.

 

[Jake S.]

Is the fuel filter full when you pull it off after you crank?

 

[Diesile]

I think I would switch places I get fuel from to see if that helped. In the meantime a shop
heater (hairdryer on steroids) around the filter for 10 minutes should melt the wax along with the additive you are using.

 

[zpd307]

it does it even with a butt load of antigel in it. thats what i cant figure out. i figured that was the point of the fuel heater. to prevent gelling at the filter. why else would they put it there?

 

[zpd307]

Is the fuel filter full when you pull it off after you crank?

yes'm, the filter has always been full of fuel when i pull it off.... anyays, a bunch of fuel comes out when i dump it.

 

[Jake S.]

But the heater only comes on with the key, and it would take some time to heat a bowl of fuel that size. Has to be something else, but what? Might have to get together to look at it.