Pre-additized winter diesel fuel

Proper maintenance, especially before extreme weather, is critical to the operability of your vehicles and equipment, and part of that care is fuel selection. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you prepare your vehicle for the wintery conditions ahead, including making the right fuel choice.

• Electrical components and materials, including batteries, work harder than usual in cold temperatures. Because there aren’t always warning signs before a battery fails, it’s important to do regular checks. Look to see that the battery cables are free of corrosion and proactively test your batteries before cold fronts come in — especially if they’re more than three years old.
• Equip your vehicle for winter conditions by installing winter-specific windshield wiper blades and regularly topping off washer fluid with winterized fluid (ideally rated to -20°F). In heavy snowfall states, consider winter or snow tires for increased safety. Winter tire compounds resist hardening, even at cold temperatures, and provide a significant upgrade in gripping and braking ability.
• Stay on top of routine maintenance throughout winter. Wash your vehicle regularly to remove salt and prevent corrosion, and don’t forget to check your tires. Cold temperatures can decrease air pressure, which adversely impacts tire wear and vehicle handling.
• Requesting a pre-blended winterized diesel fuel from your Mobil™ Branded Reseller can help commercial vehicles and equipment remain fully operational in low temperatures. Understanding the science behind diesel fuel and the impact of cold weather is key to keeping your diesel vehicles up and running in extreme cold.

Diesel fuel is impacted by ambient temperatures, so its performance characteristics need to be managed throughout the year to ensure proper equipment and engine operation — especially in cold environments. In cold climates, winterized fuel such as Winterized Mobil Diesel Efficient™ fuel can help reduce occurrences of fuel gelling — which can cause fuel starvation, loss of engine power and stalling.*

Pre-additized winter diesel fuel means the cold flow improver (winter technology) is injected into the fuel at the terminal to help ensure precise consistency, quality and performance as it enters fuel tanks. Purchasing diesel fuel that is already additized for winter conditions is also preferable to using aftermarket cold flow additives, as the additives need to be added at the right temperatures, in the right concentration and mixed in so that they are fully dissolved. If not added properly, the benefits of cold flow additives may not be realized and in extreme cases could cause operational issues. Winterized diesel is also beneficial for those in the agriculture industry.

It’s important to follow your equipment manufacturer’s operator manual, but here are some additional tips before storing your equipment.

• Check the fluids — to help prevent engine corrosion in storage, change the oil and filters and top off the fuel tank to reduce moisture accumulation due to condensation.
• Clean the equipment — help prevent pests from making a home in your equipment by cleaning out the leftover bits of seed and other food, and remove dirt and dust to prolong the equipment life and help prevent corrosion.
• Make repairs now — ensure your equipment is ready for spring by making necessary repairs.
• Find it a good home — if possible, store the equipment indoors, and if not, make sure to cover it properly.