Offroad-Express

I'm planning a mid-winter trip up through Rainbow station to Lake Tennyson, with an overnight at Sedgemere (just below Island Pass). Expecting it to get pretty cold, possibly as low as -15 or more. I'm after advice as to whether I should be adding some sort of anti-freeze to the diesel. Aviation Kerosene has been suggested. Any advice?

You will be fine as they add a anti freeze to all diesel that is sold in the winter months.
So if fill it up on your way and all will be sweet

minus 15 isnt all that cold, you should be fine.

-15 in New Zealand really

mikee wrote:-15 in New Zealand really

Yep, especially in the south island. Several years ago we ran a winter trip to Reefton, the warmest morning was -10, the coldest, -14. Hoar frosts and all the mud holes were frozen solid.
Al

albundy wrote:

mikee wrote:-15 in New Zealand really

Yep, especially in the south island. Several years ago we ran a winter trip to Reefton, the warmest morning was -10, the coldest, -14. Hoar frosts and all the mud holes were frozen solid.
Al

yip gets nasty when its like that because if your wheels break through the top crust its bloody near impossible to drive through it.

Your biggest problem could be batteries dieing because of the cold ...make sure thay are in good condition.

rangimotors wrote:

albundy wrote:

mikee wrote:-15 in New Zealand really

Yep, especially in the south island. Several years ago we ran a winter trip to Reefton, the warmest morning was -10, the coldest, -14. Hoar frosts and all the mud holes were frozen solid.
Al

yip gets nasty when its like that because if your wheels break through the top crust its bloody near impossible to drive through it.

Theres a good photo of me pushing 1" thick ice sheets with my front tyres

I've done a bit of research now... The critical measure for cold weather is Cold Filter Plugging Point (CFPP) which is the temperature at which the wax will not pass through a standard fuel filter. NZ regulations require diesel sold in winter to have a CFPP of at least -6 deg, and that diesel sold in exceptionallly cold climate areas should have a CFPP of up to -15deg.

Historically, the recommended additive to improve cold weather performance is adding kerosine at 20-50% ratio depending on how much improvement is needed, but aviation kerosene has about 10-20 times the sulphur content, and is likely to be very harmful to emission control systems in modern diesel engines.

So I'll be chucking a jerry-can of Jet-A1 into the tank - I doubt it'll upset the old TD42....

if you use jet-a1 or kero in the fuel you will need to put some sort of oil into it for lube. the old diesel it wasn't a big deal but the low sulfur fuel doesn't handle being watered down.
mineral 2 stroke oil is good or light mineral engine oil will do.

You should be fine I used to operate alot through there in winter and it was just about always batteries that gave greif and some times the fuel filters on the Mogs, but not very often. All the other veichels from Hiluxs to Bighorns that I have been in there with haven't been a problem