Fuel economy

Jan 08, 2016 at 02:46 PM CST + 1
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. In the area they just switched to winter blend and my fuel mileage went to nothing. I dropped at least 1 mile per gallon on this 14L. Is this a norm ?

Replied on Fri, Jan 08, 2016 at 03:48 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. You are going to see a decrease in your fuel mileage for two main reasons, the first is winter fuel blends have less BTUs per gallon when they are mixed to prevent gelling and secondly, it takes longer to "warm-up" and diesels get poor fuel economy before they get up to proper operating temperature. You can expect worse mileage until spring when the temperatures rise and the fuel gets better. We dread running in the winter because of the decrease in fuel mileage and the cost increase of #1 fuel versus #2 fuel.

Replied on Fri, Jan 08, 2016 at 03:48 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

You are going to see a decrease in your fuel mileage for two main reasons, the first is winter fuel blends have less BTUs per gallon when they are mixed to prevent gelling and secondly, it takes longer to "warm-up" and diesels get poor fuel economy before they get up to proper operating temperature. You can expect worse mileage until spring when the temperatures rise and the fuel gets better.

We dread running in the winter because of the decrease in fuel mileage and the cost increase of #1 fuel versus #2 fuel.

Replied on Fri, Jan 08, 2016 at 04:12 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. I saw a class action suit earlier this year regarding this issue. Can't find anything more about it. I feel like I'm getting cheated with this simply because winter fuel is not needed by my company. Bummer

Replied on Fri, Jan 08, 2016 at 06:34 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. much cheaper to install fuel heaters and blend your own fuel with additive such as howes or power service when you think you need to. Also the return on investment of an apu is real quick.

Replied on Fri, Jan 08, 2016 at 08:58 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Winter fuel is normally kerosene added. Your normal diesel fuel in most states is diesel fuel with bio diesel mixed in it.. It will start to gell at higher temperatures than just diesel fuel.. So to offset the gelling kerosene is added. It is more refined and kerosene alone wont gell.. There really isnt #1 diesel any more.. As you wouldnt want to pay for it.. And yes your fuel economy will drop.. Your rolling resistance is less as the tires are cold, you idle more than normal, just warming up. The biggest problem is the bio diesel already in your fuel.. It does not like the cold at all.. You can add aditives that will help tremendously like howes... Or you can run more expensive jet fuel.. Which is a very highly refined diesel.. Jet fuel does not gell up.. Ive used it at - 45degrees...

Replied on Fri, Jan 08, 2016 at 08:58 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Winter fuel is normally kerosene added. Your normal diesel fuel in most states is diesel fuel with bio diesel mixed in it.. It will start to gell at higher temperatures than just diesel fuel.. So to offset the gelling kerosene is added. It is more refined and kerosene alone wont gell.. There really isnt #1 diesel any more.. As you wouldnt want to pay for it.. And yes your fuel economy will drop.. Your rolling resistance is less as the tires are cold, you idle more than normal, just warming up. The biggest problem is the bio diesel already in your fuel.. It does not like the cold at all.. You can add aditives that will help tremendously like howes... Or you can run more expensive jet fuel.. Which is a very highly refined diesel.. Jet fuel does not gell up.. Ive used it at - 45degrees...

Replied on Sun, Jan 10, 2016 at 12:02 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: " I saw a class action suit earlier this year regarding this issue. Can't find anything more about it. I feel like I'm getting cheated with this simply because winter fuel is not needed by my company. Bummer" I think the law suits you are refering to may have had to do with what they were calling "hot" fuel. Has to do with expansion of the fuel in storage tanks and the volume of a gallon hot verses cold. And what you are paying for.

Replied on Sun, Jan 10, 2016 at 12:02 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: " I saw a class action suit earlier this year regarding this issue. Can't find anything more about it. I feel like I'm getting cheated with this simply because winter fuel is not needed by my company. Bummer"

I think the law suits you are refering to may have had to do with what they were calling "hot" fuel. Has to do with expansion of the fuel in storage tanks and the volume of a gallon hot verses cold. And what you are paying for.

Replied on Tue, Jan 12, 2016 at 09:49 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. What the other people said is all true. But it seems to me like the worst year I ever saw. Some years I've hardly noticed the drop. This year my mileage is off a full 10% I can't help but wonder if something else is up.

Replied on Tue, Jan 12, 2016 at 10:05 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Howard in the past I have fueled at the house and I was always given the option to buy summer fuel our winter fuel in the winter this year I'm not givin that option. I have lost at least one mile per gallon so far this winter also I am going through fuel filters every 5000 miles it's ridiculous.

Replied on Tue, Jan 12, 2016 at 03:13 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Funny you shou;ld mention dirty fuel filters. My last oil change when they were pulled they had a lot of black sooty looking stuff in them. No problems though. I haven't changed a fuel filter ahead of scedule since sometime in the 80s. Just lucky I guess.

Replied on Tue, Jan 12, 2016 at 04:17 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. I had one truck that runs missouri, Oklahoma, and texas only and it has to have a new one every 8k or my guy has to walk to buy one, never fails. I would hate to be running bio fuel plus winter mix.

Replied on Wed, Jan 13, 2016 at 05:13 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. A while back at the diesel shop I ran into a guy who had some kind of bacteria growing in his fuel tanks. He was working on replacing every line and cleaning the tanks out with some kind of additive or chemical. Big pain in the neck. Could the problem be in your tanks? As predictable as you say it is you might be carrying the problem around with you. Maybe someone on here has some knowledge??

Replied on Wed, Jan 13, 2016 at 05:13 AM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

A while back at the diesel shop I ran into a guy who had some kind of bacteria growing in his fuel tanks. He was working on replacing every line and cleaning the tanks out with some kind of additive or chemical. Big pain in the neck. Could the problem be in your tanks? As predictable as you say it is you might be carrying the problem around with you. Maybe someone on here has some knowledge??

Replied on Wed, Jan 13, 2016 at 09:26 AM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: "A while back at the diesel shop I ran into a guy who had some kind of bacteria growing in his fuel tanks. He was working on replacing every line and cleaning the tanks out with some kind of additive or chemical. Big pain in the neck. Could the problem be in your tanks? As predictable as you say it is you might be carrying the problem around with you. Maybe someone on here has some knowledge??"

We see an increase in fuel mileage when we clean our tanks and lines. We normally do this every other month.

8 oz Hammonds Biobor JF, Treats 640 Gallons

• Fuel Microbiocide / Biocide

• Kills Bacteria/Fungi in Tanks that container Diesel, Home Heating Oil, Biodiesel, Gasoline

• Breaks up and prevents sludge, slime, clogged filters, bacteria corrosion and adds lubricity to lower sulfur fuel

Replied on Wed, Jan 13, 2016 at 09:48 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Is that in a lil white bottle