Diesel: What additives help in winter?
PLEASE NOTE There have been better, less scandalous times for diesels. Despite all the criticism, this type of engine is economical, but it needs special care in winter. Cold can be hard on the engine. Harry Hartkorn explains what diesel vehicle owners should look out for in winter. He is team leader of application technology at automotive chemicals specialist Liqui Moly. When should [...]
Cold can be hard on the engine. Harry Hartkorn explains what diesel vehicle owners should look out for in winter. He is team leader for application technology at automotive chemicals specialist Liqui Moly.
When should you add winter additive?
This depends very much on the weather and the destination of the trip. Those traveling from milder regions to a ski vacation, for example, should pack a flow improver such as Diesel-Fliess-Fit. This also applies to those who travel a lot with their vehicle for business and head for significantly colder destinations. Especially those who are going on long trips to other countries should prepare themselves.
How to recognize the quality?
The quality of diesel fuel cannot be determined without laboratory tests. This means that both the layman and the professional must trust that the fuel quality advertised at the pump corresponds to what is poured in.
What else needs to be considered in everyday life?
Diesel-Fliess-Fit must not be stored at temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius, i.e. not outdoors, in the storage boxes of trucks in unheated warehouses or garages. When filling it should be at room temperature and the temperature of diesel fuel should not be below freezing point. Under the specified conditions, our additives can be stored for a maximum of five years.
How can damage be avoided?
The margin for overdose is so large that damage is more than unlikely. We are not aware of any. Large and expensive damage can be caused by old household remedies such as petroleum or gasoline. If these are added to the diesel, sufficient lubrication of the high-pressure pump and other highly sensitive components of the entire injection system is not guaranteed. No one should get carried away with experiments. Modern engines in particular are not forgiving.
