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Cetane Boost?
I was thinking of turning on the engine pre heat for several hours and adding some “cetane boost” to the fuel and then running the engine on high idle for about 15 minutes to get the cetane in the filters ect…….I know it is better to get the coach on the road and up to temp but at the moment, the ice, snow and cold temps make it impossible to get out of the driveway till I drop about 500 pounds of salt on the “incline” to the road. I don’t want to do that till the 22nd which is the day before we leave……I’m sure mother nature will dump some more of the white stuff on us between now and then.
Does anyone see a reason for NOT adding the cetane or starting it? Temps are going to the single digits tonight.
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9 Replies
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that stuff is useless to help with fuel gelling issues. I doubt you will have issues once you are running. Your fuel tank is out if the wind and slop. Let it warm up for 30 mins prior to leaving and you will have circulated lots of fuel and warmed up not only the engine, but the tranny as well. If you think you need something in your fuel , find an ant- icing or gelling additive. I don’t have much faith in that stuff, but some people use it.
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Jim
Your Aqua hot will also warn the engine cooling system and keep the engine warn. the Aqua hot did that on my 97 Bluebird Wanderlodge I am sure it does the same thing on the Prevost. There is a valve you need to open to allow the the Aqua hot to heat the engine as well.
You may want to check with other Prevost owners that have the Aqua Hot as to how there system works. On the Marathon the Webasto heats the engine coolant to heat the water for the heat system.
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There is some stuff called diesel 911 but I am told that is used if your fuel is already gelled or to add it to the fuel filter if the coach is having problems. The pole barn at my house has walls that go up abuot 6 feet, then lattice to the roof. It basically keeps the show away from the coach and snow off the roof but it is for all intents outside. It’s crazy all the things you worry about when the coach is just sitting in the cold……my solution next year is to point it south in November and North again In May…LOL
Truth is, I’m getting really antsy to hit the road. I’m packed already, clothes and everything but the wife is holding out till the weekend we leave.
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Jim,
We know your coach and it spent a large amount of time in the south, Texas really. And I suspect it doesn’t like being cold! I agree, the best winterization is pointing that coach south! I’d start out today and have the DW fly to meet you but then again, that might be a bad idea!
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When we lived in the western NY area I used the coach all winter long doing trade shows. There were times when I had to hit the road when it was so cold the politicians had to stick their hands in their own pockets.
I have been reading people’s comments and I think there is way too much concern over cold temps. As far as winterizing, don’t bother. Fill the water tank, put a 500 watt cube heater in the bay and turn it on, aimed at the water tank before it gets bitter cold. 100 or more gallons of water that gets up to 50 or 55 degrees is an amazing heat sink that will keep the bay warm no matter how cold it gets for short bursts of a week or less.
For the house I used a 3 setting oscilating fan heater set at 500, 1000 or 1500 watts depending on how cold it was going to get. I closed the shades to act as a thermal barrier because the windows get cold and the bus was in a barn out of the wind. Coldest it got despite outside temps was 45. It usually stayed around 50 but I used the lowest heat setting that would keep it above freezing.
As to the engine. When I had to drive after the coach was cold soaked I used the engine block heater for a few hours before starting the engine, and once it was running I let it run on high idle until I saw the temperature gauge needle begin to move. If I could not use the block heater I would use the Webasto (Aquahot works the same) for 30 minutes prior to engine start.
Then I just drove as normal. No additves, no draining of the water system, no chemicals for anti freeze. But there is one thing I ALWAYS did. Still do………..I monitor the coach. It is and always has been a few paces from my house door in its garage (or barn) and I check battery voltages and coach temperatures. Our coaches do extremely well in cold weather if we just keep the house from freezing and we preheat the engine below 35 degrees.
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I agree with Jon , I do not drain anything out water or put any thing in fuel it was -38 below hear last week coach stayed at 55 inside and 56 in water bay with one heater on inside and the electric one on in bay all good
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Thanks Jon,
I know I am just being a bit paranoid right now because MY BODY does not like this cold at all so I’m empathizing and transfering that onto my coach……poor girl must be chilly out there. I am running the aqua hot and have the thermostats set at 50, ceramic cube heater on the galley and the electric bay heater is on as well well as a 100 watt bulb next to the pump itself. I went out and bought 2 outdoor remote thermostats and put one in the bay and the other in the bath area. The recieving units are on my nightstand in clear vision so I can always see what the temps are in the bay and inside the coach and the low has been 51 the high about 54. The coach is only 50 feet from the house and I go out there just about every day.
I’m sure all is well, my worries come from the days when I had a fleet of trucks in Flint and gelling was always an issue. during the winter….
After all the comforting comments here, I’m just going to foget about it and the day before we leave I’ll pre-heat the engine do all my pre checks and turn the heat up to 65 so it’s nice and comfy on the road. As I’ve said on other threads, once I spend the winter in the coach I’m sure I’ll know a lot more about the systems and feel better about the dependability of my coach. I can’t wait to meet all of you in Tampa at the rally and really pick your brains with my coach being right there.
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They can be pretty scary until we get to know them. Knowing them in the sense of how well they handle cold and what we have to do to protect them, knowing what is “normal” and understanding every single little noise and how things operate.
We cannot compare a privately owned and cared for coach that is typically sheltered from weather to an extent to trucks that get cold soaked, are outdoors with exposed fuel tanks just waiting for cold temps to make the fuel gel.
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In most areas with cold winters some fuel dealers blend fuel for cold running. Cut rate low price fuel will not be winter blended. in our area blended fuel cost more. any bio over 5 is asking for gelling when cold. A tank full of fuel bought last summer is not a good plan for cold operation. Having family in trucking in Colorado the use of fuel blended for cold running will not gel at any temp we will move the bus. After Christmas we are leaving for AZ. In the first few miles will top tank with blended fuel.
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