Power service, white bottle

JOHNTHOMAS · Feb 23, 2015

After reading here about fuel addatives a few years ago I started adding power service in the white bottle regularly. Recent reading indicated only for really cold weather. I quit using it......until it got history breaking -15 degrees here. RTV1140 would start but not rev up and die when put in gear. Long walk to garage, got bottle of power service, return walk back to RTV, added power service, came back later, was a bit warmer and it started/starts fine and runs fine now. Never been much of a believer/supporter of addatives but will use Power Service white bottle in winter now.

tk tom · Feb 23, 2015

Do you use on road or off road diesel? Also do you know if you get different seasonal formulations?

We've seen -10 to -25 here this winter and the tractor starts up each time with no additives. It's not exactly the smoothest start but she touches off and comes up to temp for some work. I use on road diesel, no additives, and I'm fairly certain the fuel is a winter formulation - whatever that is.

I've thought about using an additive just to be on the safe side, just haven't done it. Fortunately I think we're past the point of worrying this year. We may get more storms but I feel they won't be much to worry about from this point on. I'm more concerned with what happens when it all melts.

Bird · Feb 23, 2015

I used Power Service year round 60 miles south of Dallas and never used my tractors when it was below freezing weather.

k0ua · Feb 23, 2015

JOHNTHOMAS said:
After reading here about fuel addatives a few years ago I started adding power service in the white bottle regularly. Recent reading indicated only for really cold weather. I quit using it......until it got history breaking -15 degrees here. RTV1140 would start but not rev up and die when put in gear. Long walk to garage, got bottle of power service, return walk back to RTV, added power service, came back later, was a bit warmer and it started/starts fine and runs fine now. Never been much of a believer/supporter of addatives but will use Power Service white bottle in winter now.

I have been using the recommended amount of the white bottle additive for many years now. I have never had a problem. I don't really know if the additive is protecting me or if everything would have been fine without it, but I was never willing to risk it.

George2615 · Feb 23, 2015

I too have been using PS for many years now. We have several below zero temps thru winter and need to use the tractor to plow snow. I slightly overdose my fuel w/ PS and knock on wood haven't had a problem yet.

oosik · Feb 23, 2015

I use PS white bottle in the winter only. I use on-road diesel. Honestly, I think you have to buy off-road diesel in minimum 250 gallon purchases and I have never tried finding out where to get off-road. Next time I buy, I'll have to ask if winter diesel is "formulated".

Looking4new · Feb 23, 2015

I use power service in the white bottle in winter (2oz to a five gallon jug). I would rather dump some PS in the fuel and think I am good to go than not and worry about freezing/gelling up. The fuel I use is #1.

smstonypoint · Feb 23, 2015

oosik said:
I use PS white bottle in the winter only. I use on-road diesel. Honestly, I think you have to buy off-road diesel in minimum 250 gallon purchases and I have never tried finding out where to get off-road. Next time I buy, I'll have to ask if winter diesel is "formulated".

A few stations have off-road diesel pumps in my area (NC & SC). I don't use that much diesel and so I usually buy just six gallons at a time. I don't make special trips to buy off-road diesel, but I will buy off-road if I have a trip/errand that takes me near one of those stations.

Steve

Bird · Feb 23, 2015

Since I wasn't concerned about the cold weather, as you fellows are, I was buying my diesel at the time by the 55 gallon barrel from the wholesale distributor, same as on road diesel; never used any of that red dye stuff. I asked the guy once about the Power Service and he said if I was going to use up that diesel within 30 days, it probably didn't make any difference, but if it was going be kept longer, then the Power Service was probably a good idea.

radioman · Feb 23, 2015

You waited THIS long to use PS?! smh..... well - at least now you are a believer....

Parkanzky · Feb 23, 2015

I've only had my tractor for a few months now, but we've had diesel cars (Volkswagen TDI's) for the last 10+ years. I've "always" used Power Service (white bottle) in the winter.

For the first three or four years that we had the TDI's, we would forget the additive or be too lazy to put it in and we'd get stranded during a cold snap.

Power Service is a must around here anytime the temp gets into the single digits. It was -14 here this morning. My wife's TDI started right up and I'm sure that the tractor would have as well.

Without the additive, her car would probably have started up (it's garaged), but the fuel would have gelled at highway speeds and she'd have ended up sitting.

sunnyside360 · Feb 23, 2015

Have used White bottle Power Service year around for over 30 years to prevent problems and never had trouble. However, according to Power Service web site Products | Power Service the SILVER bottle is for summer, the WHITE bottle is for winter and the RED bottle is for adding when problem occurs to clear/thaw filters etc. I use off-road diesel mainly because it is close to my house and it is around $0.50 less per gallon. May start using the additive according to Power Service.

Kanook · Feb 23, 2015

Been clearing residential laneways for several years since retiring.. which means I operate my diesels more in winter than the other 3 seasons...Have never used PS and always top up my tank when returning from a snow clearing event (2-5 hours depending on the amount of snow). Toping up helps prevent condensation that leads to fuel line freezups..The fuel we get in this area from Oct onward is a winter blend and likely has any additives already included from the refinery...have never had a geling issue, but have occasionally had a fuel filter freeze up due to ice and always in the early part of the snow season..(likely condensation left over from the summer/fall).I doubt the fuel available down 'south' would be the same formulation as it seems the southern contributors to this forum have more problems with fuel from geling/waxing/freezing than up here in the 'great white (and cold) north'.

If it makes you feel better keep on using it.....my experience tells me it is unnecessary if the fuel you are getting is formulated for cold weather conditions.

newbury · Feb 23, 2015

I use that or Opti-lube XPD primarily to replace the lubricity lost with the ULSD.

Plus, since I retired it seems most of my vehicles don't go thru a tank in several months unless I take them on a trip. For instance I just filled up my TDI today at $2.80/gal. Last fueling was in November at $3.50/gal. When you get 40mpg around town and drive less than 20 miles a week a tank lasts pretty long. I've put less than 20 miles on my F350 since I returned from Mississippi in mid December.

davesl708 · Feb 23, 2015

I use a small amount of fuel. Usually get 10 gals at a time. I have off-road diesel available at a local station. I don't trust that the station sells that much off-road fuel to keep it fresh. Mostly contractors and my self. As a precaution I add PS in the white bottle. It has cetane booster as well as gelling and anti-freeze protection. Never have trouble starting or loss of power.

I think it is worth the little cost to keep things cleaned out. May be different for those that use a lot of fuel.:2cents:

varmint · Feb 23, 2015

Another issue might be simple aging of diesel fuel... I get 5 gallons at a time, but may not use it for months. Adding the PS supposedly helps prevent algae issues, as well as the other already mentioned attributes. Cheap enough, plus its a cetane booster, they say.

xzcVAbc5 · Feb 23, 2015

I think I'm like a lot of people on here. PS is cheap insurance compared to the hassle of the alternative.

I believe there is a summer blend as well as a winter blend of PS. I plan to use the winter blend in the summer time. Does it really matter? I also bought a bottle of the PS Emergency solution. I doubt I'll ever need it, but it's on the shelf for just such an event. More than likely I'll need it to bail out my Dad's tractor because he doesn't treat his diesel.

All of my vehicles are gasoline so any trip for diesel is off-road diesel for me. If I had a diesel truck I'd probably just use on-road diesel for my BX to save time. The amount of diesel I use per year isn't enough to pull up to a different pump for.

murphy1244 · Feb 23, 2015

I add 2 glugs to every 5 gallon jug all year.

xzcVAbc5 · Feb 23, 2015

murphy1244 said:
I add 2 glugs to every 5 gallon jug all year.

That's how I measure it, too. The PS bottle I buy is for 100 gal. I figure my PS will work for about 40 gal by how much came out the first time I treated my 5 gal jug.

murphy1244 · Feb 23, 2015

jjsjeff said:
That's how I measure it, too. The PS bottle I buy is for 100 gal. I figure my PS will work for about 40 gal by how much came out the first time I treated my 5 gal jug.

Yes, I call it precision measuring.