Problems Starting This Morning?

Did you have problems starting your diesel engine this morning?

• Do you find this to be a regular problem on cold mornings?
• Do you know why this happens to your diesel engine?

At Finol these where common problems we found our customers to be having, so we investigated the problems to see if there was a solution, and the good news is we found a solution to the problem. Actioil Diesel Treatment can not only treat your diesel system but it can also lower the freezing & cloud points of diesel thus improving engine starting on cold mornings.

Why is it so hard to start a diesel engine on a cold morning?

To find the solution to the problem, we needed to first find out what caused the difficulty with starting on cold mornings. After some investigating it was discovered that it was the diesel itself which was the cause of the problem.

From the moment all diesel leaves the refinery, it begins to degrade causing all sorts of different problems including water contamination, bacteria growth, breaking down of the tank, breaking down of the fuel system, blocked filters plus many more problems associated with diesel. To find out more about diesel degradation you can read our diesel degradation article here.

From the degradation of the diesel you are left with some water in the diesel in your tank, water, of course, begins to freeze at temperatures below 5°C, thus as temperatures begin to drop this water starts to crystallise which can build up on your filters causing blockage stopping the flow of diesel to your engine. As temperatures begin to drop further to 0°C and lower your diesel starts to reach what is known as the cloud point. This is when the hydrocarbons that make up your diesel begin to form a waxy substance which further blocks filters and pipes. At the cloud point, your diesel will start to look cloudy. As temperatures drop even further to below -15°C your diesel will gel as the waxy substance from the cloud point becomes more solid, when this happens it becomes impossible for the diesel to flow or the engine to start at all.

How to solve cold morning starting problems

Actioil diesel treatment can be used in a more concentrated form to solve your cold morning starting problems. Actioil will eradicate any water in the diesel, thus removing the problems caused by ice crystals as temperatures begin to drop. Actioil will also lower the cloud and gelling points of the diesel which means the problems associated with these points are removed until temperatures reduce even further than normal. As little as 1 litre of Actioil mixed with 1,000 litres of diesel will bring the gelling point of that diesel from the normal -15°C to -21°C. The table below shows you how little Actioil you require to lower your diesels freezing points to -24°C and -28°C.