Way to start off the week

[looch]

So I get up this morning and put out my dogs - yikes! -35C. I go to start the car (diesel Jetta) that's been plugged in all night - no way. B7500 to the rescue. It complained a little but it fired up. I let sit at around 1200 RPM while I took a shower and got ready to go to work. I went back outside and after slowly operating the treadal a few times, I moved it out of the garage and parked it next to my unwilling car. I hooked up my booster cables and got the Jetta running. I went back into the garage to grab the air hose to pump up a tire on the car (slow leak). I noticed a little puddle of hydraulic fluid on the floor. I've heard that when it's this cold, seals may leak until things warm up. A little disturbed by that, I pumped up the tire on my car. I then hear the Kubota (which is still running) starting to miss a little bit. 2 minutes later, it dies - air in the fuel line. By this time I'm about 15 minutes late. I decide to yank the key out and - for security reasons - engage the PTO. The tractor stayed in the yard the whole day. I got home tonight and tried to start it to put it back in the garage - no dice. I guess I'll be springing for one of those handy-dandy magnetic block heaters tomorrow.

Why do I live up here again?

 

[txdon]

Looch, maybe it's because you don't like large insects, snakes and air to hot to breath during the dog days of Southern summers. The things I have to put up with for year round no frozen ground, beautiful tractor days.

 

[Junkman]

Don't understand how you would get air in the fuel line. Are you sure that it didn't run out of fuel? If the tank is full, then there is no way to get air in the fuel line unless you have a fitting that is drawing it in because it is loose. As for the heater, install the threaded block heater, because the magnetic ones really aren't that efficient. You are trying to heat cast iron and then heat the coolant. The block heater heats the coolant first and then the cast iron. Much more efficient..
By the way, how do you get the dogs to go out in the cold like that? Mine won't even get off the deck and do it on top of the snow on the deck. Glad that I can clean up with a snow shovel.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Sounds like one of those days one needs to have an appreciation blog. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

It could have been worse, much worse.

Instead of being late for work you could have been held up taking your mother in law to the airport. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[looch]

Good one, Harv.

Junkman, when it gets really, really cold something happens with fuel. Exactly what that something is, I'm not 100% sure. What I can say is that on my Jetta (which has clear fuel lines) when it's this cold, and if I haven't added any fuel conditioner, I see little bubbles in my fuel lines. The engine does not appreciate this interruption in fuel delivery. I am assuming this is what was going on with my tractor.

 

[Mark_in_NH]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( when it gets really, really cold something happens with fuel. Exactly what that something is, I'm not 100% sure. )</font>
Not to sound like a smart A$$, but are you sure your not reffering to gelling ?

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I see little bubbles in my fuel lines )</font>
Could these (bubbles) actually be wax crystals that have formed due to the cold ? And not air bubbles.

I would think and expect that if the fuel gelled to the point where it isn't going to flow, then your tractor is going to shut down for lack of fuel.

 

[PBMAX]

ARE GELLEN? I know lowsy joke and stuped mercial but
I FOUND IT FUNNY.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
My pardner in upstate NY was telling me BOUT GELLEN /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Smiled and told him NEVER SEEN IT....Doesn't stay cold enough that long downheeeear....in bama /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Beside if it did we'd all stay home cause the roads would prob be closed... NO PLOWS /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif NO SALT /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Just long HOT SUMMERS often hot and humid enought to suffucate you before you get from the CASA to the CAR... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[virgil]

#2 diesel fuel will "jell " when its gets that cold. The BEST way to keep that from happening is to use #1 blended diesel. This blended fuel is avalable at the truck stops up there this time of the year. It is quite expensive, but it wont freeze and it will provide the injectors and fuel pump with all the lubrication it needs.
There are fuell suppliments you can add to the fuell for a lot less money...BUT many of them will reduce the amount of lubrication in the fuell and that can lead to some very expensive repares. futhermore some manufactors will void the warrenty because of the use of some of these products. And yes, you CAN tell when you have used these products.
Boy howdy, I'm sure glad my trucking days are over up there. I don't miss the bad - cold. I don't see how you people up there can survive in that kind of tempertures.
Block heaters are a good thing, just get one that heats the water or oil, not the metal. Keep all water out of your fuel. That means ALL WATER.

 

[tc35dforme]

Don't those weiner dogs tunnel through the snow ??? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[looch]

Mark,

Gelling sounds like a reasonable definition of my problem.

Virgil,

As far as I know, all service stations switch diesel fuel up here around November. I do use additives in my car and I know they can damage the fuel pump because of a lack of lubrication. Not that I've ever done this as I'm sure it would violate certain pollution laws, but I've heard that a litre of diesel engine oil in the fuel tank at every other fill up can work wonders.

 

[MF1455v]

looch, what year model is your Jetta? Did you add the heater after market?

I have a 2001 and did not come with a heater. On our extreme cold mornings here in North Texas /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif about 32 degrees, it tends to grunt pretty good when starting. I have had it checked out several times and it checks out fine. It gets the same full my tractor and my Dodge Cummins does and they have no problems. Of course the tractor and the Dodge don't get 52 MPG.

 

[Junkman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">(
Junkman, when it gets really, really cold something happens with fuel. Exactly what that something is, I'm not 100% sure. What I can say is that on my Jetta (which has clear fuel lines) when it's this cold, and if I haven't added any fuel conditioner, I see little bubbles in my fuel lines. The engine does not appreciate this interruption in fuel delivery. I am assuming this is what was going on with my tractor. )</font>

Let us look at this "phenomena" reasonably.... If you are getting air in the fuel lines in the winter, then why wouldn't you get air into the fuel lines in the summer. Air has to be introduced into the lines somewhere between where the fuel exits the fuel tank and the injector pump. If it is sucking air when the engine is running, then it will be leaking fuel when the engine is off. I don't know what you are seeing in the clear lines, but I am certain that it isn't air. If there is air in the fuel lines, then the engine will not run. I think that the person that suggested it might be wax has the correct answer. Wax forms when the temperature is cold enough to separate it from the rest of the oil. Adding a treatment to the fuel causes the wax to dissolve and mix with the additive which in turn lowers the temperature where the wax will crystallize again. If you were able to get the treated fuel cold enough, say -50 degrees Fahrenheit, it might just form wax crystals again. Hard to imagine, but it can happen.... air can't.... that is my story and I am sticking with it... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Mark_in_NH]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I do use additives in my car and I know they can damage the fuel pump because of a lack of lubrication. )</font>

From what I have learned and can gather from reading the differant manufactures information, on the differant addatives available. Most good quality addatives available (power service) and I am sure there are others. They have the necessary ingrediants in them, to help provide for proper lubrication.

 

[virgil]

Ah -yes... Power Service. Made right here in Weatherford Texas.... Now there is an American success story.