Spend time in the snow

[bmwfirst]

Hi All, Heraldsun newspaper mentioned diesel engine "my X3 is diesel" in the snow should fill up with what's called alpine diesel or winter mix diesel. It has a low freezing point and additives to stop the fuel system waxing up. Can anyone advise me where I can fill up this? If I don't, what will happen if my car stayed up the mountain for 3 nights?

[JCL]

The fuel suppliers regularly change the fuel that they sell during the year, to match weather conditions. The best bet is to buy your fuel in the same location where it will be cold out, and that fuel should be fine. You are more likely to have problems if you fill up in a warm area (where the suppliers don't move to winter fuel) and then drive to a cold area, and leave the vehicle at ambient for a period of time.

If you are really concerned, you can buy fuel treatment that lowers the gel point, but you shouldn't have to.

Not sure on your ambient temperature (on one of my trips to Australia, near Meekathara, it reached 45C, not too cold out), but here in BC our summer diesel fuel gels at about -12C, so if we are getting to winter conditions the suppliers adjust their supply.