Anti-gel fuel additive

Still a newb, and while loving my long-wanted TDI I bought it at a time of year where I believe the fuels are being blended differently.

I get that the mileage can vary once the anti-gel additives go in, and I get that the fuel companies change their blends independent of we the consumers.

What I HAVEN'T been able to get clear in my head is at what point do WE OWNERS need to add anti-gel additive to our cars? My manual states that it varies by fuel but we SHOULD be good down to 5 F, but obviously you don't want to get stuck out by having your fuel gel.

So how do we know for sure what we are getting at the pump, and how do we know when the fuel has been blended with ENOUGH additives to keep us from gelling up?

Don't over think this. Just buy some Power Service White Bottle and start using it in November. Use through the end of March or into April if it stays cold. Been doing it for years in my 2013 Passat TDI and never a freeze up of fuel, even in below zero temps.

Although I have zero experience with the CR engines, such as yours, I seriously doubt adding some anti-gel beyond what's already in the winter-mix is going to do any harm.

I've never read anything in the TDI Club (may be somewhere here) a means to test fuel for anti-gel qualities. There's always those with exceptions, but I'd think if you buy fuel at a busy truck stop it should be sufficient.

Where do you live in Ohio ........... Cincinnati on the south or Cleveland on the north?

I’m in Southwest Ohio, but do travel North in business from time to time....

How much additive do we need to use per tank?


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Rjamesohio said:

How much additive do we need to use per tank?

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The bottle will tell you

To quote SpaceX "just read the instructions".

As a GENERAL RULE - you shouldn't need to use antigel very much, if at all. The biggest situation I can think of would be driving non-stop from the Gulf Coast to Cincinatti - I'd want to put in the Power Service White (as directed on the bottle) in Florida, then again if I had to refuel on the road before I got to my destination. And then I'd want to fillup with local fuel before I stopped for the night. But that's how I would handle any situation where the weather is more winter-like at the destination than at the beginning.


Power Service White is not the only acceptable antigel / winterizing additive - just the best known one.

Regarding testing, you have this handy tool called a freezer, and if you put some diesel in a jar (and clean the jar's exterior), you can test it there.



https://www.trianglebiofuels.com/cold-weather-anti-gel-additive-testing-results


https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4625869/Diesel_Fuel_anti_gel_test


That said, most of the additives rated to lower the cloud point of the diesel fuel worked as claimed, and the Power Service is easily available at just about any parts store, gas station, or truck stop.

Typical house freezers only get down to 0F. Not cold enough to test for temps below that.

Lightflyer1 said:

Typical house freezers only get down to 0F. Not cold enough to test for temps below that.

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make you a diesel/salt/ice martini
shaken not stirred

I used to use the gazzolin for the colds, last few years I haven't bothered.

Only time I've had trouble is when taking on very cold winterized fuel into a tankful of still somewhat warm summer diesel after one of my extended refits.
filter got full of wax and the timing advance went away

Optilube is the very best additive when it comes to fuel system preservation. They make season specific additives, all in ones, clean ups and etc.

Don't waste money on anything else.

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Is it the very, very, very best though? Says who? Where is the proof? Or are we just supposed to take your word for it? Do they make one with eggs and bacon? I am not wasting my money on any of them.

You don’t need anti-gel until you do. I gelled 15 years ago in the bitter cold and got stuck at an intersection. I am not going through that again if I can help it. I started using power service white in the cold months and have never looked back. Since that time, I have pulled over a few times to help fellow dieselers who gelled. I don’t see it much but it happens on occasion and I am sure that there are more than I happen to pass.

When needed anti-gel is a necessity. Fortunately, under most circumstances, with already treated pump fuel, it isn't needed except in the severest of cold weather. I would use it if I lived in a very cold weather climate. At any temps below freezing I would use it as a safeguard and backup to pretreated pump fuel..

Really you shouldn’t even need an additive, the fuel companies as have already been pointed out winterize their fuel. That means they put additives into the fuel to keep it from gelling.

However a little extra for your own personal peace of mind doesn’t hurt. I use power service in the white bottle in the winter. Available at Walmart and most auto parts stores and even gas stations.


The biggest problem you’re likely to encounter is buying fuel down south and driving 700 miles north and leaving the car outside when the temperature goes down around zero with a nearly empty tank of southern fuel.

I use Opti-Lube XPD. I used it when I had a 2013 JSW and now I use it in my 2012 Golf. Do I need it? I don't know but from what I've read in these forums about lubricating the HPFP, it gives me a piece of mind. Here is a report from 2007. https://www.dieselplace.com/forum/7.../177728-lubricity-additive-study-results.html I think it may be legendary.

Tdijarhead said:

Really you shouldn’t even need an additive, the fuel companies as have already been pointed out winterize their fuel. That means they put additives into the fuel to keep it from gelling.

However a little extra for your own personal peace of mind doesn’t hurt. I use power service in the white bottle in the winter. Available at Walmart and most auto parts stores and even gas stations.

The biggest problem you’re likely to encounter is buying fuel down south and driving 700 miles north and leaving the car outside when the temperature goes down around zero with a nearly empty tank of southern fuel.

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This is EXACTLY what I was talking about on my post of 12/11/2018 - with my 2000 NB (650-700 mile tank range) - this can be a real concern when driving northward into real winter weather. This is also why I specifically said to fill the tank with local fuel before shutting down for the night. Right now I have the concern on the Beetle that I haven't been driving it as much, as a consequence - it still has about 40% summer fuel from my trip moving from Raleigh NC to KC. About a month ago I put in some Power service White, and topped it off with local fuel, so I haven't had any gelling issues yet.




My 2015 Golf isn't quite so bad (only 400-500 mile range) - but it is still good practice to do this.