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Stock up on Winter Cold Flow Additive for your Diesel

Take advantage of AMSOIL’s cold flow improver here in stock in the Sioux Falls store (12th and G streets). Avoid fuel clouding while keeping your power and economy.

AMSOIL Diesel Cold Flow (ACF) combats diesel fuel gelling by improving diesel cold-flow ability. It is formulated with an advanced deicer to enhance fuel flow and help prevent fuel filter plugging in cold temperatures. Diesel Cold Flow is formulated for a broad range of diesel fuels, including biodiesel and #1 and #2 ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD). Unlike all-in-one fuel additives that may sacrifice performance in specific areas in the name of convenience, AMSOIL Diesel Cold Flow makes no sacrifices; it is purpose-built for diesel owners who demand maximum results.

Treat Rate:

Just two ounces for every five gallons of fuel!

Reduces Need for #1 Diesel Fuel

Using #1 diesel fuel is one traditional solution to cold-weather diesel fuel problems. While #1 diesel fuel has an advantage in low-temperature operability, the energy content of #1 diesel fuel is about 95 percent that of #2 diesel fuel, resulting in reduced fuel economy and less horsepower. In addition, the kerosene used in #1 diesel fuel provides less lubrication for the fuel pump and fuel injectors, increasing the likelihood for wear. AMSOIL Diesel Cold Flow minimizes the need for blending standard #2 diesel fuel with lower-quality #1 diesel fuel, helping to maintain fuel economy and keep engines functioning normally.

Helps Prevent Gelling

As the temperature drops, the wax naturally found in diesel fuel begins to crystallize. The point at which wax crystals form is known as the cloud point. These wax crystals eventually clog the fuel filter and starve the engine of fuel, preventing it from starting. While low-quality fuels may form wax crystals in temperatures as warm as 40ºF (4ºC), most fuels have a cloud point near 32ºF (0ºC). The point at which the crystals clog the fuel filter is known as the cold filter-plugging point (CFPP). AMSOIL Diesel Cold Flow lowers the CFPP by up to 20ºF (15ºC) in ULSD.

Additional Benefits of Diesel Cold Flow

AMSOIL Diesel Cold Flow uses a jet-fuel-type deicer that disperses water to control ice formation throughout the fuel system. It inhibits wax crystal formation and can improve diesel pour point as much as 58ºF (32ºC), allowing fuel to flow to the engine more easily and improving diesel engine reliability in cold temperatures.

AMSOIL’s Cold Flow improver is also available available in a combination bottle of our award winning Diesel Injector Clean fuel additive so if you are not treating your diesel fuel with a lubricant and cleaner this one will keep you covered. Please read more about our top selling diesel fuel cleaner fuel additive (AMSOIL ADF) maintenance product which you MUST use to keep your injectors clean and free from severe and costly wear.

If refiners make changes to diesel fuel in winter months, why do cold flow improvers need to be used?

During cold weather months, fuel refiners produce a #1 diesel fuel that flows more readily in colder temperatures. Some refiners also produce a product termed a winter blend which is a blend of #2, #1 and potentially cold flow improver additives. Fuel varies significantly in different regions, and refiners estimate how low the temperature will actually drop in these regions. Depending on the fuel source and temperature mix, fuel directly from gas stations may cause issues with wax formation, preventing vehicles from starting and stalling while on the road.

From Wikipedia
Using these guidelines gas stations offer “winter ready diesel” for sale to the Motorist – there are two ways to achieve this:

winter blend – the gas station has blended the No.2 diesel with No.1(kerosene) by some percentage.
winterized diesel – the No.2 diesel has been treated with additives by the diesel supplier.

As the treatment with additives (1:40000[35]) is a cheaper way to enhance No.2 fuel in winter, most stations offer winterized diesel in cold weather conditions. In regions with colder weather, most gas stations offer No.1 fuel at the same pump allowing drivers to decide for themselves on a winter blend.

Always inquire at your local diesel fuel stop the version or their knowledge of the state of Winter diesel or blended fuel at their locality. The AMSOIL product will enhance that limit another 20 degrees.

Extreme Cold – No problem for AMSOIL Synthetic Engine Oils

Start Your Winter Mornings – and Your Vehicle – with AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants

John Baker |Jan 14, 2015 8:46:00 AM

Long before coming to work at AMSOIL, I owned an Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera that refused to start on below-zero mornings. I blamed it first on the battery and then on the car itself. “It must be a lemon,” I reasoned.

Turns out it was probably the dirt-cheap conventional motor oil I used in those days. Unfortunately, there was no friendly AMSOIL Dealer in my neighborhood to teach me that conventional oils contain paraffins (wax) that can thicken in the cold enough to prevent the crankshaft from turning fast enough to start the car.

The Cold Crank Simulator (CCS) Viscosity Test is one method of testing a lubricant’s cold-flow properties. The test is used to determine the internal fluid friction in motor oils with a “W” grade designation. It measures the amount of energy required to overcome the resistance present in a lubricant that has been collected at temperatures from 23°F (-5° C) to as low as -31°F (-35°C), depending upon the anticipated SAE “W” classification of the oil being tested.

The CCS Viscosity Test simulates an engine’s ability to turn over at cold temperatures. Gauges monitor rotations per minute, amperage draw and motor input. A universal motor is run at a constant voltage to drive a rotor, which is closely fitted inside a stator and immersed in the test oil. The viscosity of the oil at the given test temperature determines the speed of the rotor and amperage draw; thicker oil results in slower speed and more amperage drawn. Speed and amperage drawn are then converted to centipoise (cP).

CCS results showing a lower cP number indicate lower viscosity. Oils that are thicker at low temperatures (high cP number) tend to exhibit more resistance and require more energy to pump and circulate and display a higher cP number on the CSS test. A higher cP number at a given temperature is directly correlated to a greater amount of energy required to turn an engine over, and it also indicates a greater potential for starting difficulties. Most importantly, CCS results suggest a lubricant’s ability to be circulated at a given temperature and its ability to provide wear protection.

As seen in the graph, AMSOIL Signature Series 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil outperformed several leading synthetic motor oils in a CCS test.

Solve oil starvation at start-up

Extreme cold can cause conventional motor oil, transmission fluid and gear lube to thicken, starving vital moving parts of necessary lubrication. In many cases, thick motor oil will prevent vehicles from starting. Cold, thick transmission fluid results in delayed or sluggish shifts and inadequate protection for bearings, valves and other critical parts. Thick gear lube, meanwhile, requires more energy to turn the gears, reducing fuel efficiency. Because gears and bearings in the axle housing are splash-lubricated, conventional gear lubes that are too thick at cold temperatures can starve internal components of lubrication, which can cause excessive wear and premature failure.

Conventional petroleum lubricants thicken because they often contain paraffins (wax). While modern refining techniques remove most of the wax from petroleum oil, some wax-like molecules remain. These wax-like molecules are soluble at ambient temperatures above freezing, but crystallize into a honeycomb-like structure at lower temperatures and cause circulation problems. At startup, this can leave working parts unprotected while the lubricant warms to a temperature that allows it to flow.

AMSOIL synthetic lubricants (http://oilordering.com/products/) do not contain paraffins, so they remain fluid in sub-zero temperatures. Watch the video to see what happens when AMSOIL Signature Series Synthetic Motor Oil (http://syntheticwarehouse.net/home/featured-products/signature-series-5w-30-synthetic-motor-oil) and a conventional oil are cooled to -40º. While the conventional oil fails to flow from the beaker, Signature Series remains fluid and delivers 36% easier and faster cold starts*. This means it can reach vital components faster, providing more immediate engine protection and reduced wear.

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