Baby, it's cold outside. It's not just the new layer of snow outside telling you it's freezing cold, it's the fact that your diesel truck will not start. Instead of going back inside and waiting for the spring thaw, there are a few things you can do to get your truck moving again.
When the temperature outside drops, diesel fuel, which contains wax, crystallizes or "gels." If you add a gallon of kerosene for every 10 gallons of diesel in the tank, the kerosene will disperse the crystals. Kerosene is very similar to diesel; although, it has less wax and does not begin to crystallize until the temperature drops even further. Your mileage will drop but you will be able to get where you need to go.
Heating up the fuel filter will also help get your diesel truck started. Putting a block heater on your engine will accomplish this task. It goes right onto the engine block and keeps the coolant and oil warm; however, it needs to be connected to an outlet to work. If you do not already have a block heater, you can have a mechanic install one. Many diesels have them as standard or optional equipment.
You can also head off cold start issues by adding a cold flow improver or anti-gel fuel additive to your diesel whenever you fill the tank. These additives are not the same as kerosene in that they prevent wax crystals from even forming.
