New England’s winter season can make owning equipment quite frustrating if preventative measures are not taken to help your equipment get through the cold weather. These winter issues typically start to pop up during the months of December and January when our temperatures consistently drop below 30 degrees. In these conditions, fuel will start to gel if it is not properly conditioned and maintained.
How Does Diesel Fuel Gel?
Diesel fuel has the ability to solidify due to cold temperatures. The colder the surrounding air temperature is, the less viscous the fuel will become making it hard to pass through fuel lines and filters. The temperature at which this occurs varies based on the amount of water in your diesel fuel. Usually the fuel begins to gel in the fuel filter and is typically the first place to check for gelling.
What Are Some of the Symptoms of Diesel Fuel Gelling?
The first symptom you will find is your Kubota tractor will start briefly, but die relatively quickly after starting and will not re-start. The reason for this is the tractor has used up the available fuel to the injectors and no new fuel can pass through the system. Another scenario would be while operating your Kubota tractor it will start to lose power and eventually cut out. This happens when non treated fuel is poured into the tank and finally makes it into the fuel system. It is important to confirm that the fuel you use during cold winters is conditioned before using it in your equipment.
How Do You Treat Diesel Fuel Gelling?
The only real treatment for gelling is warming up the fuel in your Kubota tractor’s system. There are a few ways to do this based on how quickly you need to use your tractor.
- The fastest treatment is to drain your fuel filter then fill it with room temperature fuel
- You can also warm the fuel that is already in your filter
- You can take the filter off and take it inside to thaw out
- You can put heat on the tractor itself if you can get to a heated garage or near a space heater
How Can You Prevent Diesel Fuel Gelling in the First Place?
There are many additives that you can use to treat your diesel fuel to prevent gelling. We supply these at both of our store locations and also use them in all of our equipment from August on. Storing equipment inside a heated facility is not an option for everyone, but it will prevent gelling if you have the option. For Kubota equipment stored outside, using conditioned winter fuel is the best option for preventing gelled fuel issues. Block heaters, tank heaters, and filter heaters are also preventative measures that can be taken to help assist your equipment through cold winters. Additionally, we recommend only using a winter blend off road diesel fuel during the winter months and to keep your tank full of treated diesel fuel to try and minimize the amount of moisture created in the diesel tank.
Reach out to Townline if you need help
If you have more questions on winter diesel fuel treatment, give our parts department a call and we can walk you through our diesel fuel treatment options. Additionally, if you find your Kubota equipment gelled up this winter and can’t get it going or don’t have the time to get it going, give our service department a call. We have a fleet of Mobile Onsite service trucks that can come right to your home or place of business and get you up and running during the cold winter months.
Townline Equipment is the leading Kubota dealer in Plainfield NH and Pittsford VT. We sell and service a large variety of equipment including Kubota tractors, Kubota utility vehicles, Kubota zero turn mowers and Kubota construction equipment. Contact Us Today: Plainfield NH - 603-675-6347 / Pittsford VT – 802-483-6464 / Email: info@townlineequipment. Videos and articles on our blog are meant to be a general guide only. Always consult your owner’s manual for additional detailed product information and related safety precautions. Visit www./disclaimer for more information.
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